BYU Centers Team Up For Economic Self-Reliance Conference

PROVO, Utah — Mar 07, 2006 — BYU’s Center for Economic Self-Reliance will host its ninth annual conference Thursday and Friday, March 9-10, in the Wilkinson Student Center. This year’s conference is also sponsored by the BYU eBusiness Center.

The 2006 Economic Self Reliance Conference will host a series of break-out sessions and discussions lead by keynote speakers. Registration is $150 for practitioners, sponsors and researchers, and $30 for students. The e-business portion, featuring three breakout sessions and a lecture from Microsoft Executive Kevin Johnson, is free and open to students and the general public.

Conference attendees will be divided into four groups to effectively discuss how to help individuals and families become economically self-reliant. Color-coded badges will help practitioners, researchers and sponsors find and exchange ideas with those who share common interests. The fourth group, students and others interested in helping, will join the group they feel they can benefit most.

“Our goal is to hear success stories from different organizations and individuals, then brainstorm together to find solutions to problems and innovative opportunities to help those in need,” says Todd Manwaring, managing director of the Center of Economic Self-Reliance. “Our speakers and discussion sections will be very interactive. We hope participants come away with more knowledge and commitment to our cause.”

The Rollins Center for eBusiness will host the e-business portion of the conference Friday. Campus and community members are invited to attend the Microsoft lecture at 11 a.m. in room 140 of the Joseph Smith Building. The lecture, as well as several break-out sessions that will follow immediately after, are free without registering for the conference.

“Our students recognize Microsoft as a powerful player and innovator in e-business, and we’re honored to have Johnson deliver a keynote address,” says Professor Stephen Liddle, director of the eBusiness Center. “We invite all students and faculty to come enjoy this event.”

Those from the Center for Economic Self-Reliance are equally enthusiastic about the opportunity for students to learn about e-business and its potential to positively impact individuals and families who have financial limitations.

“The creativity and innovation of e-business helps train people to be entrepreneurial and to provide for and sustain their families. This work is so fulfilling,” Manwaring says. “We hope students can recognize ways in which their strengths and skills can be used to make a significant difference for good.”

For more information, or to register for the conference, visit the following Web sites for the Economic Self-Reliance Conference and the eBusiness Center respectively: http://marriott.byu.edu/conferences/selfreliance and http://ebusiness.byu.edu.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, organizational behavior and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.