Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace Set for Calais April 22-23
Contact: Louis Bassano, Washington County office of University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 800-287-1542
ORONO, Maine — Looking to spur creative economic initiatives, nature-based tourism and business activity grounded in fundamental business skills, a coalition of public and private organizations, under the leadership of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, will host the third annual Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace April 22-23 at the Washington County Community College in Calais.
The two-day event includes a special workshop Friday morning for members of the Small Woodlot Owners Association of Maine. Workshops run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“The overall goal of the conference is to bring together resources to create new businesses and help existing businesses to expand, become more profitable and create jobs in Washington County,” says Louis V. Bassano, Extension professor in Whitneyville.
The conference, workshops and marketplace displays are free and open to the public. The program will open formally at noon on Friday with remarks by William Cassidy, president of Washington County Community College; Vinton Cassidy, mayor of the City of Calais; and Lavon Bartel, dean and director, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
The marketplace, featuring local products and service businesses, will be open Friday 12 noon to 5 p.m. A special Friday networking and evening social event, “Business After Hours,” will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. in the marketplace, co-sponsored by Washington County chambers of commerce (all the chambers of commerce in Washington County). The marketplace will be open Saturday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Opening workshops on Friday morning will focus on nature-based tourism and designs for effective exhibit booths. Tourism will continue to be a focus on Friday afternoon. Other sessions will address state legislation affecting businesses, financial management software and profitable downtowns.
Scheduled to take advantage of the conference, a special bus tour will be conducted Friday morning for members of the Small Woodlot Owners Association of Maine. This tour will feature stops at a local chip plant, woodlot, Devil’s Head (a public recreational area on the St. Croix River managed by the city of Calais) and the Down East Heritage Center.
On Saturday, tourism and fundamental business skills will again take center stage with workshops on pricing, starting a business and sales techniques. Bruce Baker of DunnBaker, Inc. will give a keynote presentation at noon on “Knowing and Growing Your Market.”
Small businesses, or so-called “micro-enterprises,” are at the heart the region’s economy, says James C. McConnon, Jr., business and economics specialist with UMaine Cooperative Extension in Orono. McConnon is also an associate professor in the UMaine Dept. of Resource Economics and Policy and has studied small business performance in Maine and New England.
According to a recent study by him and graduate student Sibel Atasoy, Washington County is home to about 4,401 businesses that have four or fewer employees and generate about 30% of the jobs in the county. “It’s clear that a lot of the Downeast economy depends on small businesses,” he says.
Statewide, micro-enterprises contribute about 20 percent of Maine’s employment and $12.9 billion, or 13.2 percent, of the state’s gross product.
Conference sponsors include more than 17 businesses and organizations in eastern Maine. Additional information about the Washington County Business Conference and Expo is available from Bassano, 255-3345 or 800-287-1542. More information is available online at www.wcbcm.com.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has honored the core planning team for the annual event as the Maine 2005 Home-Based Business Champion award. Charles E. Summers, New England Regional Administrator of the SBA said “this team has had an impact on small business in Washington County. They have developed a model which I hope will be replicated throughout Maine.”
The team includes Bassano and McConnon, UMaine Cooperative Extension; Chris Chartrand, former owner of VideaWeb Technologies; Harold Clossey, Washington Hancock Community Agency; Fred Hartman, owner, DownEast Drawings & Wildlife Art Gallery; Marianne Moore, owner, Curves for Women; Jim Porter, City of Calais; and Louise West, executive director, Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.