Arrowhead Center invites the public to attend a Networking Mixer, that will introduce the recently expanded on-campus Incubator as a novel way to support the commercialization of faculty, staff and student research in addition to the small business community already being served. Most importantly, it will introduce the entrepreneurial community to the resources and services available at Arrowhead Center.

Join us to learn about Arrowhead business acceleration services: how we can help you turn your idea into a product, start or grow a business, develop and market a technology, or find new applications for research. Tour our newly renovated facility and network with like-minded thinkers.

When:

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hors d’oeuvres and drinks served at 4:00pm.

Welcome and Opening Address begins at 4:10pm.

Barbara Couture, NMSU President

Garrey Carruthers, Vice President for Economic Development

Where:

Arrowhead Technology Incubator, Genesis Center C, 3655 Research Drive, (click here for map) on the New Mexico State University campus.

For more information contact Zetdi Runyan at (575) 646-7833, or email zrunyan@nmsu.edu.

By Todd G. Dickson

State Higher Education Secretary Jose Garcia and Public Education Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera say they intend to make the public schools and higher education work together to provide a better trained work force.

Speaking before the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) Tuesday, Jan. 3, Garcia and Skandera said they also will make the educational system more accountable. Their appearance in Las Cruces was followed up by Gov. Susana Martinez meeting with a large group of regents, governing board members and post-secondary institution presidents in Socorro to discuss the state’s new higher education funding formula.

The new formula will reward New Mexico’s higher learning institutions based on outcome measures that reflect student achievement and preparedness for New Mexico’s work force, as opposed to basing the allocation of funding on measurements like the size (square footage) of each institution. Also, the current formula funds colleges and universities based on courses and degree programs started. The new formula would be based on courses and degree programs completed.

Garcia said this is about more than making better use of the state’s support of higher education. The idea is to put the money into where there are gaps, especially in skill sets needed in high-tech professions.

At the MVEDA luncheon, Garcia noted that Intel decided to expand its Arizona operations, but not its plant in Rio Rancho. Yet, New Mexico spends more per graduate than Arizona, he said. Garcia said he took it as signal that New Mexico is not producing the kind of work force that is needed for the United States to be competitive globally.

“The central goal of New Mexico’s higher education institutions should be to graduate the students New Mexico’s economy will depend on for decades,” Martinez said. “In an increasingly competitive global economy, this formula will help us deliver the graduates we need for the jobs of tomorrow, and it serves to intently focus our attention on the achievement of our students.”

Under the formula, institutions would receive funding for graduating students in “STEHM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Health Care and Mathematics) fields. A recent study disclosed that New Mexico’s economy will require nearly 50,000 employees with STEHM degrees by 2018 and nearly 95 percent of those jobs will require post-secondary education. “For the first time in the history of New Mexico, the younger generation is less educated than the generations before,” Garcia said. “This new formula is our opportunity to make sure today’s students are tomorrow’s successful employees.”

Meanwhile, Skandera said the schools will be changing, too, with a focus on making graduates better prepared for the work force or higher education once they complete school. Skandera said the schools will be more realistically assessed than the guaranteed failure rates offered by No Child Left Behind standards, which she said has only resulted in schools putting resources into helping borderline students rather than helping struggling students.

“Education is about setting up our kids for success,” Skandera said. “Let’s honor the successes we see and work on the areas we need to.”

At the MVEDA luncheon, a local success story was also highlighted. The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) on the New Mexico State University campus will get a boost from a $345,090 W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant for the public-private workforce development advocate. The school, created by a school-business partnership called the Bridge of Southern New Mexico gives students the chance to learn in a higher education environment and earn college credits.

APECHS can tout that none of its students have dropped out, said Tracey Bryan, president and CEO of The Bridge. She said the cooperative efforts between the public schools, higher education and the business community is what spurred Kellogg to give the significant grant.

Distribution of the grant money includes $45,000 to NMSU’s Enlace Program that helps minority students succeed in higher education, $45,000 to NMSU and the University of New Mexico education research centers, $37,090 to the Arrowhead Center where the school is housed and $10,000 to the Service Learning Program at the NMSU College of Education. But the bulk of the Kellogg grant will be used to increase the student capacity at APECHS and to begin work on setting up four more early college high schools in Doña Ana County, according to the grant announcement.

Bryan said the Kellogg grant is a significant award, but The Bridge also has been getting grants from other private foundations and local businesses to help the APECHS effort. Through APECHS and other efforts, Las Cruces Public Schools is seeing good progress on reducing its dropout rate overall, Bryan said, “and the sky’s the limit” for future progress.

Skandera touted APECHS as an example of how to improve schools. “We didn’t point fingers in Las Cruces,” she said. “We sat down and said how do we get there, and we partnered.”

WRITER: Janet Perez, 575-646-4120, perezjm@nmsu.edu

CONTACT: Sara Pirayesh Sanders, 575-646-7036, npirayes@nmsu.edu

If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur in need of assistance, New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center can help.

The Arrowhead Center currently is accepting applications from small business owners and entrepreneurs for its Entrepreneur Venture Program taking place this spring. The deadline to submit an application is Jan. 16. Those selected will receive specialized support and resources to help their businesses reach the next level of development.

The services that Arrowhead Center’s Entrepreneur Venture Program offers are becoming even more critical in this sluggish economy.

“Entrepreneurship and innovation are topics on the national stage, with an emphasis on job creation through startups,” said Sara Sanders, entrepreneurship director at the Arrowhead Center. “New Mexico needs to be a part of that conversation. Over the past decade, New Mexico’s entrepreneurial activity has not grown; in fact, it has decreased. The Arrowhead Center aims to help change that reality through programs such as this.”

According to the Kauffman Foundation’s 2010 Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, New Mexico was one of three states to record the largest decreases in entrepreneurial activity rates over the past decade. New Mexico ranked below Wyoming and just ahead of Alaska. For the year 2010, however, New Mexico fared better, scoring an estimated 320 per 100,000 adults starting new businesses. That was comparable to Arizona and far ahead of West Virginia’s number of 170 per 100,000.

Services for the Entrepreneur Venture Program are customized to fit startups and established businesses alike. The program’s services include business plans, marketing studies, feasibility studies, financial analyses and industry analyses. Businesses accepted into the program are chosen based on a variety of factors, including the degree to which they contribute to economic development in New Mexico.

Since it was established in 2004, the Arrowhead Center has completed more than 300 business research projects involving more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students. It also has fostered the spin-off of a university genetics-testing laboratory that has resulted in a new for-profit corporation, and completed several state-level economic studies.

For more information on the Entrepreneur Venture Program, call 575-646-7036 or visit http://www.arrowheadcenter.org.

WRITER: Janet Perez, 575-646-4120, perezjm@nmsu.edu

CONTACT: Steve Hottman, 575-646-9202, shottman@psl.nmsu.edu

New Mexico State University is building a stellar international reputation for its work on unmanned aircraft systems, a fact reflected in the continually growing success of its annual UAS TAAC (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technical Analysis and Applications Center) Conference.

Entering its 13th year, the UAS TAAC Conference is hosted by NMSU’s Physical Science Laboratory and takes place Dec. 6-8 at the Tamaya Hyatt Regency in Santa Ana Pueblo. The Arrowhead Center, NMSU’s economic development hub, also plays a key role in the conference.

“The significance of a UAS conference in New Mexico continues to grow as we see development of the industry in the state,” said Steve Hottman, associate dean and deputy director for research at PSL. “Our conference efforts have not only attracted the interest and support of industry and government leaders, but also have acted as a great platform for drawing business to the state, as with the recent Vulture project PSL is working on with DARPA.”

On Sept. 30, NMSU announced that PSL had entered a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to assist in the development and lead the flight-testing of the Vulture unmanned aerial vehicle, the prime contractor of which is Boeing. The Vulture II will have a 400-foot wingspan and weigh between 5,000 and 7,000 pounds.

The idea for the Vulture, and NMSU’s involvement in the project, began a few years ago at a UAS TAAC Conference.

“This conference is one of the most respected networking venues in the UAS industry,” Hottman said. “It allows attendees access to leaders they would likely never get otherwise.”

When the first conference was held in 1998, it was one of only a handful in the nation that primarily focused on the civil use of unmanned aircraft systems. Since then, the conference has become a must-attend event for industry and government leaders. This year, representative s from the Department of Defense, NASA, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration, among others, will be on hand. Representatives from aviation user groups, universities and private industry also are expected to attend.

Topics for the conference include airspace access; the use of UAS by law enforcement, homeland security and the military; the availability of spectrum and bandwidth; and the challenges and opportunities facing unmanned aircraft systems. On Dec. 8, a session will be held at a classified location.

“In its 13th year, the TAAC Conference has proven itself to be recession proof,” Hottman said. “In fact, registration for the conference is now closed because we have reached maximum capacity.”

NMSU’s UAS TAAC program has risen to the top of the UAS field through its testing of various UAS platforms. It also has produced a certification roadmap that is serving as a framework for UAS certification. This work has been accomplished largely through the fact that NMSU is the only FAA-authorized UAS Flight Test Center in the United States, which allows UAS operations in the National Airspace System or civilian airspace. Under the FAA agreement, the Flight Test Center can operate flights across more than 15,000 square miles of airspace in southwestern New Mexico. The center’s facilities include a 15,000-square-foot hangar at the Las Cruces International Airport that is dedicated exclusively to UAS operations, as well as offices and technical support on the NMSU campus.

On the economic development front, the Arrowhead Center is creating opportunities for aerospace businesses in southern New Mexico and beyond, partly in tandem with Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences.

For more information on the conference, log onto http://taac.psl.nmsu.edu.

WRITER: Janet Perez, 575-646-4120, perezjm@nmsu.edu

CONTACT: Sara Sanders, 575-646-7036, npirayes@nmsu.edu

New name. New attitude.

That sums up the revamp of an annual small business and entrepreneur conference hosted by New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center.

Once called the Business Owners and Entrepreneurs Symposium, the name of the Nov. 4 half-day gathering has been changed to GROW: An Event for Entrepreneurs.

“We’re going to have different experts sit down with people one-on-one to talk about (a business’) specific problem,” said Sara Pirayesh Sanders, entrepreneurship director for the Arrowhead Center. “The intention is for it to be a working, very tangible event. People come in with a problem and they leave with resources. It’s targeted to those who want to start a business or who already may be in business.”

In past years, the setting was more formalized, with a panel onstage taking questions from the audience. This year, the audience will sit through a few presentations and then have the opportunity to stop at various stations and talk directly to the experts. For example, a small business owner who has designed her own brochure will be able to show her work to a marketing expert who will provide a constructive critique and advice.

Theresa Gonzales, vice president of RTD Hardware, was a panel participant last year and is enthusiastic about the GROW changes.

“Not many people asked questions last year, so there really wasn’t much interchange between the audience and us,” she said. “Less formal is always less intimidating for a lot of people. This will probably be a much easier way for people to ask questions. It would have made me more relaxed as well. I’m not really big on speaking in front of people. I prefer one-on-one.”

Despite running a business that has been operating in Las Cruces for 25 years, Gonzales said she is interested in attending GROW so she can learn more from the experts about social media and insurance issues.

“I can see myself sitting in front of an expert and asking questions for my business,” she said.

Among the speakers at the GROW event are Michael Rivera, state director of the New Mexico Small Business Development Center Network; Bill Allen, president and CEO of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce; and John Woosley, director of the New Mexico district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Chris Penner, director of the Arrowhead Technology Incubator, will give the luncheon keynote address. Penner will discuss his experiences as an entrepreneur. Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development, will give the closing remarks.

For the one-on-one meetings, local experts will be on hand to help small business owners and budding entrepreneurs in a variety of fields such as Web design, marketing, commercial lending, taxes, insurance, information technology and international trade.

In addition to getting free advice from the experts, GROW attendees also will receive a jump drive that has templates, instructions, guidelines, checklists, information on how to open a Facebook account and more, Sanders said.

Along with the Arrowhead Center, GROW is sponsored by the Dona Aña Community College Small Business Development Center and the New Mexico Procurement and Technical Assistance Program.

Peter Ibarbo, president of the Ibarbo Consulting Group in Las Cruces, said small businesses in the area have many resources available to them, but the Arrowhead Center fills a special and needed niche.

“The Arrowhead Center provides a specific, technology-focused type of business incubation,” he said. “I think it is very critical to the economy to attract companies that require that connection with the university to provide them with research and with space.”

GROW: An Event for Entrepreneurs takes place from 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Nov. 4, at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road. The cost is $49 to the public and $35.50 for students. For more information and to register, visit Grow2011.eventbrite.com.

By Janet Perez

The business of ensuring the nation’s security has evolved into a vast and intimidating industry, but that doesn’t mean entrepreneurs and innovative researchers are shut out of the field.

The 2011 National Security Technology Conference & Expo, hosted by New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center, is committed to helping entrepreneurs and researchers create networks, get valuable advice about venture capital and log face time with representatives from some of the biggest names in national security.

“This conference and expo will provide a venue for technology entrepreneurs and researchers to network with and learn from federal agencies, contractors and venture capitalists,” said Garrey Carruthers, dean of the NMSU College of Business and vice president for economic development.

The conference, sponsored by the Arrowhead Technology Incubator in support of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration, takes place Sept. 12 at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

Kathy Hansen, chief operating officer of the Arrowhead Center, said the conference aims to bring technologies being developed in labs to the attention of commercial ventures, as well as take technologies being developed by small businesses and expose them to potential customers.

One small business ready to make its National Security Technology Conference & Expo debut is the Navitus Group, a current client of the Arrowhead Technology Incubator. Josh Kauffman, the CEO and chief technology officer of Navitus, has developed a battery management system that is capable of handling high-current loads. The system also is constantly monitoring and maintaining the battery, which can make it stronger and increase performance.

With a booth at the expo, this is the first time Kauffman and Navitus are taking on the role of vendors.

“I’m usually on the other side – the guy walking around looking at other companies and their technologies,” he said. “The exposure and the clientele that are going to be walking through this conference are just too much not to be there.”

Small businesses will have booths at the expo alongside major entities, such as Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Hansen hopes small businesses and researchers in the region will take advantage of the exposure the expo offers as a way of bringing attention to their products.

“Many times, smaller businesses have a hard time knocking on the door and getting into DOD (Department of Defense) or DOE,” she said. “One speaker will talk about how DOD and DOE need to go to technology incubators such as Arrowhead in order to get access to those technologies being developed by small businesses.”

This year, the organizers of the National Security Technology Conference & Expo have opted to focus the event on the fields of cyber security, energy and aerospace.

“We tried to pick the areas that were the hottest topics, and energy is hot and certainly we have local businesses and researchers at NMSU involved in that,” Hansen said.

Also this year, a group of private investors and venture capitalists will be on hand to discuss what business sectors and technologies they are interested in funding.

“That’s very important, because a lot of ideas and technologies die for lack of that funding.” Hansen said. “Of course, the venture capitalists are usually later-stage funding. They are going to be funding technologies that look like they have near-term commercial potential.”

Kauffman understands all too well the importance of venture capital funding. His company already has received an initial investment of $200,000 and he credits the incubator at Arrowhead, particularly Chris Penner, director of business incubation, for helping him reach that milestone.

“I don’t have any doubt that the incubator has helped tremendously,” Kauffman said, “I think we would have gotten there eventually, but I think the incubator has accelerated that – and I’m talking accelerated by years.”

That statement underlines Hansen’s assertion that business incubators are a vital part of the economy.

“There is a much higher success rate for businesses that have been incubated than those that have not,” Hansen said. “Of course, our end goal is to grow the region, do economic development here and try to grow the number of jobs.”

For more information on attending or purchasing a booth at the 2011 National Security Technology Conference & Expo, visit arrowheadcenter.org.

WRITER: Justin Bannister, 575-646-5981, jbannist@nmsu.edu

CONTACT: Sara Sanders, 575-646-7036, npirayes@nmsu.edu

Having trouble finding a job? It may be easier to create one instead. New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center is already helping a handful of students get their ideas off the ground, plus there’s room for more.

Earlier this year, the Arrowhead Center created Studio G, the first business incubator in New Mexico targeted toward college students at any level from all academic disciplines. Since February, two clients, one profit and one nonprofit, have joined the operation. Studio G has space to accommodate five more clients.

“It’s important to really get students to think outside the box as to what they want to do with their career,” said Sara Pirayesh Sanders, entrepreneurship director for the Arrowhead Center. “I think the most important thing we provide is mentorship, aimed at helping students grow businesses.”

She said a recent study showed companies coming out of an incubator are 84 percent more likely to succeed than those that do not.

“I’m really excited about this,” said Brittain Catron, an MBA student at NMSU working to bring “The Jimmy Hook,” a utility hook designed by his grandfather, to market. “I know it’s tough out there and the chances of new businesses flourishing are small, but this program will hopefully help me make fewer mistakes along the way.”

Catron’s background is in chemical engineering, not business. He said Studio G is helping him figure out how to start a company, fill out the necessary government forms and contact suppliers as well as product designers.

“This is really nice, because I can learn how to do all this as a student and I don’t need a lot of funding to back me up,” he said.

Studio G’s other tenant is La Semilla Food Center, a nonprofit business working to build a sustainable food system in the Paseo del Norte Region of Southern New Mexico and West Texas.

Studio G is open to current NMSU students and those who have graduated within the past five years. The application process is ongoing, with innovative ideas more likely to be selected. Applicants should have at least a two-person operation. After an applicant is selected, they will receive workspace, phone and Internet lines, a conference room and other administrative resources needed to start a business. In return, students must be willing to dedicate 10 hours a week to their operation.

The selection process is competitive, with a limited number of spaces available. Students interested in applying or learning more about the program should call 575-646-7036 or email npirayes@ad.nmsu.edu. Additional information is available at http://www.studiognmsu.com.

Las Cruces Bulletin photo by Chris Mortensen

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

Las Cruces Public Schools is reporting that all 112 freshmen in its early college high school will be returning to begin classes in its new building on the New Mexico State University campus.

A community group of educators and business leaders called The Bridge pushed for the creation of an early college high school as a national best practice for academically focused students to take classes at a university or college campus environment. Early college high schools enjoy a 95 percent graduation rate, nationally.

LCPS opened the new school last July before construction began on its building at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. Dona Ana Community College provided classroom space for the first group of students.

The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) prepares students to graduate with both a high school diploma and a two year college degree in four years. APECHS students completed their first college-level dual credit course, ninth- and 10th-grade honors English classes and posted district-leading attendance rates. “I like that we’re a small community and we all know each other,” said student Marina Calderon. “We’re like a big family. Here we all communicate with each other, and we’re all under four teachers. Our school motto is ‘We are the Trailblazers.’ So without the teachers taking that risk for the first-year students, we wouldn’t be anything.”

Four of its initial 116 students left the school because of moves or transfers. Most APECHS students are the first in their family to attend a college class and those “at risk” for not completing high school nor pursuing a college degree. Their average grade point average is 3.167. Almost one-third of the students had higher than a 3.5 GPA, and almost two-thirds held higher than a 3.0.

In a comprehensive high school, the freshman year is when almost half of the total dropouts in a class occur. Based on the most recent countywide dropout rate of 49 percent, statistically 27 of these students should have dropped out in a traditional environment.

The new $18 million APECHS campus reflects a 16 percent savings on cost per student, or $42 million in savings to the district. The cost per square foot of the 64,260-square-foot campus is half that of the new $100 million Centennial High School, which is also under construction.

“This is the way we need to think about education for the future of our city, our county, and our state,” said LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds. “The early college high school model is extremely effective in other parts of the country. In fact, 10 percent of incoming juniors at UTEP are graduates from El Paso’s five early college high schools.”

APECHS is the first early college high school in New Mexico. “We are so proud of the students and staff of this school,” said Kari Mitchell, one of the founders of The Bridge and its current board vice president. “They’ve done an incredible job this year, and we are looking forward to having these well prepared, highly motivated students become part of our county’s future workforce.”

APECHS is a collaborative effort between LCPS, DACC and NMSU.

“These students really rose to the challenge of excelling in their first college-level course this year,” said DACC President Margie Huerta. “They are going to lead the way for the rest of the state. They are proving how important it is that we continue to offer dual credit courses for high school students to give them a real jump start into their college education.”

Discussions are currently under way for more early college high schools in the Las Cruces, Gadsden, and Hatch districts. There could be as many as four countywide opened over the next five years.

Writer: Justin Bannister, 575-646-5981, jbannist@nmsu.edu

Contact: Dawn Hommer, 575-646-5213, dhommer@nmsu.edu

New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center has agreed to work with White Sands Missile Range to pursue potential business development opportunities in the fields of national security, space and aerospace, alternative energy initiatives and technologies with both military and civilian applications.

“This agreement between NMSU and White Sands Missile Range will not only allow collaboration between two of the largest economic development engines in Southern New Mexico, but also establish the groundwork for new and exciting economic development opportunities,” said Garrey Carruthers, NMSU’s vice president for economic development and dean of the College of Business.

The memorandum of understanding will help the Arrowhead Center and WSMR work in concert in pursuit of potential business development opportunities. The goal is to complement assets, expertise and capabilities of both entities. The collaboration will support the Arrowhead Center’s mission of economic development and WSMR’s mission of research, development, testing and evaluation.

The Arrowhead Center specializes in accelerating economic development within New Mexico, providing enhanced directed learning experiences for students and diversifying the funding base for NMSU. Since its inception in 2004, the Arrowhead Center has completed more than 200 business research projects involving more than 300 graduate and undergraduate students.

NMSU and WSMR have informally worked together for the past few years. This move allows that relationship to continue more effectively.

Las Cruces Bulletin

Bulletin Staff Report

About two dozen Mexican investors will meet with local business owners and industry experts during the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces’ Reverse Trade Mission Friday, March 18, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave.

According to the Hispano chamber, the objectives of the mission are to showcase the potential growth areas in the Las Cruces region to foreign investors; introduce foreign investors to existing businesses in the area and provide an opportunity to expand their product lines and create joint-ventures; introduce foreign investors to entrepreneurs in the Las Cruces region; and to create new jobs in the Las Cruces area.

“This is a first for the Hispano chamber, but it’s an event we plan to hold every year to remind foreign investors of the opportunities our area has to offer,” said Peter Ibarbo, Hispano chamber board member and chair of the chamber’s Economic Development Committee. “We are expecting 25 investors from Mexico to come to the area and tap into local resources and expertise in a mutually beneficial, business-to-business setting.”

Investors will explore local industries related to hotel and tourism development, café and restaurant development, product distribution center development, maquiladora supplier development, alternative energy infrastructure development and real estate development.

The day will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a lunch session for the investment delegation featuring welcoming remarks from John Munoz, Hispano chamber president, and Ken Miyagishima, Las Cruces mayor. Introductions by Las Cruces Economic Development entities will be given by Kevin Boberg of the Arrowhead Center and Christine Logan of the City of Las Cruces Economic Development Department.

A pre-qualified business-to-business session with potential business partners and associates will take place from 2:30 to 5:25 p.m. From 5:30 to 6 p.m., local attorneys will speak on tax and fiscal issues regarding bi-national business activities and business immigration visas.

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce has been invited to give the opening remarks for the 6 p.m. dinner, to be followed by a presentation on the Spaceport America supply chain by Wayne Savage, chair of the Commercial Space Committee for the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. Odes-Armijo Caster of the Albuquerque- based Sacred Power Co. will talk about solar energy initiatives and developments in New Mexico.

Individual ticket prices are $17.50 for Hispano chamber members, which includes full access to business-to-business sessions and dinner, and non-member ticket prices are $25 for access to the business-to-business sessions only, $35 for business- to-business sessions and dinner and $27.50 for dinner only tickets.

To learn more or to purchase a ticket, call Ibarbo at 621-5240 or email peter@ibarbogroup.com.