HISTORIC TECHNOLOGY FAIR TAKING PLACE IN HARLEM
First-ever technology fair to target businesses in the New York City Empowerment Zone
Borough of Manhattan Community College, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, and WNET (Channel 13) are collaborating to bring the first-ever major technology fair to Harlem, aimed at businesses in the New York City Empowerment Zone.
The event, The Harlem Business Technology Resource Forum – is scheduled for May 16, and will introduce approximately 200 Harlem and Washington Heights businesses to technology opportunities to which many of them currently have limited access. It will take place at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, at 135th Street and Lenox Avenue, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The majority of businesses in the area are minority-owned, and range from small to medium shops and stores; professional offices, such as law, accounting, and architecture firms; and not-for-profit associations, including churches. The Tech Fair will focus on the use of information and telecommunications technology as a means of increasing efficiency and effectiveness, reducing expenses, and developing new revenue streams. Vendors of software and telecommunications technology will be on hand to demonstrate the capabilities of their products.
“One of the goals is to minimize the substantial gap that exists in the use of technology between mainstream and minority populations,” said Rodney Alexander, director of the BMCC Institute for BusinessTrends Analysis. “We hope that this technology fair will encouraging businesses to explore ways to add value through efficiency, and expand their customer base by conducting business over the Internet.”
The program will feature workshops covering topics of particular interest to area businesses: Technology for Non-Profits and Churches in the Digital Age, Tech Tools for Professionals, E-Commerce & Global Markets, and Basic Technology Solutions for Small Businesses. The sessions will encourage merchants, entrepreneurs, and professionals alike to profit from available software programs and e-commerce solutions to meet their business needs.
BMCC President Antonio Pérez and Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce President Lloyd Williams will open the forum; Joel Dreyfuss, a senior writer at Bloomberg News, and a former editor at PC Magazine and Information Week, will deliver the keynote address.
The New York City Department of Employment, the New York City Department of Economic Development, and the New York Software Industry Association are also assisting in the coordination of this historic event.
