http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/133036488.html

National Aboriginal Business Opportunities Conference returning to Prince Rupert

Pubished: November 01, 2011 3:12 PM

Updated: November 01, 2011 3:12 PM

After a successful event in 2011 organizers of the National Aboriginal Business Opportunities Conference announced that the event will be returning to Prince Rupert this April,bringing hundreds of guests from across Canada and beyond to the community.

“Last year we attracted 265 participants. The North Coast Convention Centre can hold 300 people, and I expect we will sell out the conference by the end of December...We have a charter with Hawkair, Air Canada is booked and we're also expecting international delegates because there is a lot of interest from Asia and Europe because of what is going on in the region.”,” said organizer and 2G Group CEO Geoff Greenwell.

“Prince Rupert was an experiment last year, it was the first time, and it was very well received by the participants and the community. We are very encouraged by that, and there is so much going on in the northwest with the port development, the Northwest Transmission Line and energy and mining developments...There is immense interest in the area, so it makes sense to come back.

The event will be held from April 18 to April 20, and Greenwell says last year's event brought in about $500,000 to the Prince Rupert economy through spin-off like accommodations and tours. A preliminary agenda has been put online at www.2ggroup.ca, with a focus on the port, mining and project development in the area.

“We try to make sure the themes are of interest and relevant to both the First Nations and private sector participants,” explained Greenwell.

“It was a really great conference last year and we're looking forward to an even better one this year.”

Already all of the major sponsors from 2011 have agreed to sponsor the conference again, and Greenwell said additional sponsors have signed up as well.