CVMSDC To Host Virtual 're-EMERGE' Conference, Dec. 2-3, 2020

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council will host its inaugural 2020 Virtual Conference titled "re-EMERGE," a combination of the organization's 43^rd Business Opportunity Conference (BOC) and 14^th annual MBE Summit, on Dec. 2-3. Out of an abundance of caution and safety concerns, the Council transitioned from its usual in-person conference to an online format. The two-day event, themed re-EMERGE: The Future of Your Business, will take place using the virtual conference platform Virtual Fusions. Virtual Cafe Networking opens at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, with the online tradeshow open all day on both days and conference sessions running until early afternoon.

"We spent the better part of 2020 sheltered in place," said Dominique Milton, CVMSDC President and CEO. "Many corporations and business owners made pivots and are thriving; while others still face challenges to re-open." Milton said that the true spirit of an entrepreneur is resiliency, so the 2020 re-EMERGE conference is designed to buoy support for business owners who have been challenged by the COVID-19 economic pressures and business closures.

Conference events include workshops, panel discussions, MBE-2-MBE networking (Minority Business Enterprises), an awards ceremony, a live auction, silent auction, corporate-to-MBE matchmaking, and a construction-only matchmaking event. The keynote speaker is Dr. Alva Taylor, a business strategist and consultant at the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business. Other guest presenters include political strategist and motivational speaker Anton Gunn and business coach Quinn Conyers. In addition, a virtual tradeshow exhibit floor will be open during the entire conference for attendees to visit and network with exhibitors.

Several hundred participants are expected to attend the online conference, including scores of high school and college students who have future aspirations for entrepreneurship. As part of the Council's 'Next Generation of Our Work' series, the re-EMERGE conference is hosting a business pitch competition for young entrepreneurs to focus on solving a problem or meeting a need in the marketplace. The winner will be announced during the conference and will receive a website and app development package valued at $50,000.

The Carolinas-Virginia MSDC is a non-profit corporation chartered to enhance business opportunities for minority-owned companies by providing support through developing mutually beneficial networking opportunities with corporate members and promoting minority business development. For more information or to register for the 2020 re-EMERGE conference, visit online at http://reemerge.cvmsdc.org.

SOURCE Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council