Welcome Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr.

Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. has confirmed his participation at the 2008 HBA Hispanic Business Expo and Economic Summit. Mayor Cockrel will be speaking during the Leadership Luncheon on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 12pm in the Renaissance Ballroom of the Detroit Marriott. Keep abreast of more developments and confirmed national speakers for this years event, right here at www.hbaexpo.org

Message from Dick Wade: 2008 HBA Expo Chairman

Dear friends of HBA in the Detroit area:

Welcome to the 2008 Hispanic Business Expo and Economic Summit.

This two-day expo has grown into the largest Hispanic business event in the Midwest because it serves one of the fastest-growing communities in Southeast Michigan.

I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities to improve your business:

•  Find out about products and services
•  Network with key decision makers, including corporate and government buyers
•  Learn strategies that will help improve your business
•  Hear about current economic and business trends from leading experts

Chase is pleased to support the HBA Business Expo and Summit because we know how important small and mid-sized businesses are to sustaining vibrant communities. At Chase, we seek to strengthen our communities by expanding access to capital, providing leadership and leveraging our many resources. We are especially proud of how our bank branches support the vibrant Hispanic community in Southwest Detroit.

The HBA Expo and Summit captures the entrepreneurial spirit that energizes Southwest Detroit. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s event.

Dick Wade
President of Chase in Michigan
2008 HBA Expo Chairman

2008 Hispanic Business Expo and Economic Summit:

Dear friends of HBA and the Detroit Regional Business Community:  

The 2008 Hispanic Business Expo & Economic Summit will take place on October 22 & 23 at the Detroit Marriott Hotel inside the Reniassance Center.

What began in 2002 as a small gathering has now grown into a significant venue for business development, networking and access to leading speakers and business experts.

The Expo now connects Southeast Michigan businesses of many sizes and industries with Hispanic entrepreneurs, along with information and access to the Hispanic business community. 

Last year we had more than 3500 participants and 100 exhibitors, making our Hispanic Business Expo & Economic Summit the largest Hispanic business event in the Midwest. 

The Hispanic Business Expo & Economic Summit  provides members and event participants a forum for the exchange of business opportunities, in addition to a series of comprehensive business sessions aimed at fostering the growth and development of the Minority entrepreneur. Participants will connect with corporate and government buyers, and learn from leading business experts about current economic business trends. The Hispanic Business Expo & Economic Summit  will feature exhibitors ranging from Hispanic and international enterprises to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

2008 Expo Description

Health Care Symposium

Heath Care is at the top of any businessperson’s list of both challenges and opportunities - from the cost of health care to the role the industry plays in economic development and job creation. The Health Care Symposium as part of the 2008 Hispanic Business Expo and Economic Summit will explore current health care issues and how they impact the Hispanic Community in Southeast Michigan. Community and Corporate leaders, alongside Entrepreneurs, will discuss the state of the health care industry how it affects the community and businesses, both directly and indirectly.

Professional Networking
Building relationships for mutual benefit

"It's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know that counts." Maybe that sounds unfair or calculating, but think of it another way: If no one knows about your skills, talents, and projects, who's going to help you make the best of them? In today's world, where people often need to work together in loose partnerships to achieve their goals quickly, "knowing the right people" is more important than ever. So the ability to develop and maintain a broad network of "business friendships" is a critical skill for every career professional. The goal of the HYPE Professional Networking Session is to promote, attract and retain talented, educated, ambitious Hispanic Young Professionals in the Metro Detroit community. Fundamentally, HYPE Detroit has been created to engage and cultivate Detroit through educating, connecting and involving our peers.

B2B Roundtable Networking

ROUNDTABLE NETWORKING is a high intensity structured event with 50 to 250 businesses participating.  The facilitated event works with business organizations and sponsors to provide a program for members to present themselves and their businesses to the maximum number of potential customers:

• Each Roundtable Networking Event is a series of 40 minute sessions where the attendees are divided into groups of 9 people.
  
• Each participant is given 3 to 4 minutes to present his or her company: what they sell and what they buy.
  
• Each participant is given a supply of Sales Call Invitations forms that are used to extend an invitation to someone who sells something someone at the table buys.
  
• When everyone has made their presentations, the session ends and the participants move to the next table with a pre-assigned Seating Chart where they will be seated with new people and then each 40 minutes, the process is repeated.

The people who benefit the most are the participants who engage in this process, present their businesses and make the connections that lead to contracts and purchase orders. 

Work Force Development Pavilion

The Pavalion is networking component of the Hispanic Business Alliance EXPO will enable those interested in a career change to present their resume to staff in a professional yet informal setting. The Workplace Development Pavilion will offer companies the opportunity to explore a diverse, talented network of prospective employees.