Rural Small Business Conference

February 15, 16 & 17, 2005

Anchorage, Alaska   Sheraton Hotel

For the past thirteen years Alaska Village Initiatives has sponsored the Rural Small Business Conference (RSBC). The conference's purpose is to bring rural business leaders together to provide networking opportunities, training and technical information. The conference brings together participants from all over rural Alaska, as well as vendors and organizations from Anchorage. The theme of this year's conference is "Revitalizing Your Village" which recognizes the need for restoring the natural resources, sustainability, improved communication and economical development. In addition to workshops that will focus on improving rural businesses, there will be presentations on current issues in rural business opportunities and new funding sources for rural Alaska; as an example, Alaska's participation in a $3.1 billion national budget.

The Rural Small Business Conference is an excellent opportunity to network, get valuable training and learn about current issues relevant to Rural Alaskan businesses. Natural resources and their development are a critical element in providing rural businesses a competitive edge in the global economy. There will be keynote addresses and workshops to address the many facets of new and old technologies, products and communications information. The conference has been a successful collaboration between Alaska Village Initiatives and Wells Fargo Bank Alaska, N.A. to provide rural businesses with training and networking opportunities.