January 28, 2000
The City of Fresno will host the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce 20th Annual Business Conference in September. Alex C. Torres, President of the CHCC made the announcement at the Fresno Convention Center's newest Exhibit Hall.
The business conference, expected to draw more than 2,000 representatives from Hispanic chambers, Fortune 500 corporations, small business owners and others, will be held September 21-24. Torres said "2000 Business Conference" will be the largest in the CHCC' history.
"Fresno is the center point and a rapidly growing geographic area for California," Torres said. "As such it was selected as the site to host the CHCC's 20th Annual Business Conference.
"We look forward to bringing together Hispanic business leadership and others from throughout California to address the social, political and economic issues of the day. Fresno will play a significant role in helping launch the CHCC and Hispanic businesses throughout California into the next century," Torres said.
"The support we have received from the local officials, business and community leaders has been extraordinary," said Frank Franco, Vice President for the Central Region and Chair of the Fresno 2000 Business Conference.
Torres noted that this is an unprecedented time for business and for Hispanic business in particular.
"Our business community is growing at twice the rate of the national average and our consumer base is nearly $400 billion nationwide," he said. "Fresno is the ideal site to bring the state together to celebrate our growth and influence."
"We intend to do everything in our power to have presidential candidates participate in a town hall meeting, whoever the nominees are of each party," said Julian Canete, coordinator for the state conference. "On the West Coast, this is a premier conference."
Invitations also have been extended to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, Gov. Davis, US Secretary of Energy, Bill Richardson and US Small Business Administration Director Aida Alvarez.
"Invitations have already been mailed," Cantee said, following a recent news conference outside the new Fresno Convention Center Exhibit.
Present at the Fresno news conference were: Mayor Jim Patterson; Council members Daniel Ronquillo, Henry Perea and Sal Quintero; Assembly member, Sarah Reyes; Supervisor, Juan Arambula; President Elect Central California HCC, Olivia Hastings; Chairman of Fresno's Chamber of Commerce, Larry Willey and the Fresno Visitor's & Convention Bureau.
"This past October, the 19th Annual Business Conference, held in Santa Barbara CA, was a great success," said Emily Mora, Director of Communications for the CHCC. "It brought together Hispanic Chamber representatives, leadership and corporate participation from Fortune 500 companies. It was a great opportunity for business of all sizes to share and exchange information."
About California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce is the largest regional business association of its kind in the country, with more than 50 Hispanic Chambers of Commerce throughout the state, and representing the business interests of over 600,000 Hispanic owned businesses. For more information about the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, please contact Emily Mora at 408/437-0150.
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