Press Releases
December 7, 2005
Marketplace to Showcase Amazon Founder, Music From Four Tops
Conrad and Johnson Roll Out Two Day Marketplace Agenda
Fargo -- A driving force in Internet commerce and a legend in pop music will headline Marketplace for Entrepreneurs, North Dakota's largest and longest-running economic development effort, set for Jan. 17-18 in Fargo.
U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson announced today that Amazon.com founder Jeffrey P. Bezos will give the keynote address, and legendary Motown band The Four Tops will appear in concert during the two-day event.
"Jeff Bezos took a new and creative idea and turned it into a company that has reshaped the world's retail industry. The story of Amazon.com will be an inspiration at Marketplace," Senator Conrad and Commissioner Johnson said in a joint statement. "And we know that the music of The Four Tops will energize what we know will be an already enthusiastic Marketplace audience. It simply can't be missed."
Conrad and Johnson are the organizing co-sponsors of Marketplace, which hosts hundreds of exhibits, workshops and classes each year, drawing thousands of people from across North Dakota and the region.
Bezos will speak at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 18th, at the Fargodome. The Four Tops will give a special concert for Marketplace sponsors, volunteers and attendees the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 17th, at the Fargo Civic Center.
Marketplace begins the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 17th by hosting annual meetings of business and community organizations including the Northern Plains Inventors Congress and the Annual Nature and Rural Tourism Conference. It continues on Wednesday, Jan. 18th, with the opening of the exhibit floor, showcasing the innovation of North Dakota's entrepreneurs, and dozens of workshops and presentations, including the popular Career Marketplace.
Marketplace is free and open to anyone interested in learning new business skills, starting a new business or improving an existing business. Early registration is recommended, since classes can fill up quickly. Registration is available at the Marketplace Web site, www.marketplaceforentrepreneurs.org, or by calling the Marketplace office at (888) 384-8410.
"Marketplace is about new opportunity and improving our quality of life here in North Dakota," Senator Conrad and Commissioner Johnson said. "There is no greater success story for improving the lives of all North Dakotans than Marketplace."
