10 Reasons Why You Should Have Attended Black Enterprise's Conference This Year

It's the largest gathering of black business owners in the country, and if you missed it, you missed out big time. The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit is considered the premier business conference and networking event for African American entrepreneurs as well as corporate executives and professionals. It was held this year May 13-16 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here are just 10 of many reasons why you should have attended:

1. Steve Harvey - you could have met comedian, television host, radio personality, actor and best-selling author Steve Harvey. Steve was the keynote speaker and he did a one-on-one interview with Butch Graves; He shared great advice, and discussed how he became successful.
2. Roland Martin - you could have met award-winning author, journalist, and commentor, Roland Martin. He gave a lot of encouragement on how Black males can be successful during the BE Town Hall meeting: "Black Males Matter".
3. "How to Secure Billions" panel - the day opened with a panel discussion led by experienced investors who shared their knowledge on how business owners can increase their chances of getting the money they need to start or grow their business.
4. Amazing networking opportunities - three days of endless opportunities to meet with your peers and swap ideas, contact information and more.
5. A look into the future - on day two, attendees got an opportunity to look into the business future with a presentation by motivational speaker Lisa Nichols, CEO of Motivating the Masses, Inc., one of the country’s only publicly traded personal and business development training companies.
6. Small Business Awards Show - many companies attending were selected to receive Small Business Awards at the conference's Small Business Awards Luncheon. You could have been one of them!
7. Elevator Business Pitch Competition - you missed out on a chance to participate in the "Shark Tank"-like business pitch competition and win from $5,000 to $200,000.
8. "How to Start an Online Business" Workshop - you could have learned how to grow a business online from two speakers who know what they are talking about.
9. "Develop a Business Plan" Session - this session would have given you valuable information to help you gain strategies that will take your business to the next level.
10. Entertainment galore - from the American Black Film Festival Buzz party on the first night, to the sounds of the legendary DJ Mix Master Ice, well, you just missed a lot of fun!

To read more, visit www.blackenterprise.com/events/entrepreneurs-conference/