Boulder, Colo., July 23, 2009 — Naturally Boulder Days 2009 — the nation’s only conference designed specifically for natural and organic product entrepreneurs in partnership with a city economic development initiative — returns to Boulder Sept. 2-3. This year’s conference features several enhancements that include an expanded roster of national speakers, an Opening Night Awards Dinner, a Product Fair and new one-on-one mentoring sessions with leaders and legends of the natural and organic products industry.
The 2009 conference, with the theme of “Driving Through Turbulent Times,” is expected to draw more than 400 attendees to its new venue, Boulder’s Millennium Harvest House Hotel. Registration for the two-day conference is just $199 if reserved by Aug. 1, and $250 after that date. Registration includes the Sept. 2 Awards Dinner plus lunch and a closing reception during the full day of events Sept. 3.
Attendees can witness the best ideas of tomorrow being introduced at the lively and entertaining Entrepreneur’s Pitch Slam, in which entrepreneurs have 90 seconds to present their business plans to an expert panel of judges. The Pitch Slam “Preliminaries” will take place on Sept. 2, and a group of finalists will be selected to make their pitches at the Closing Reception on Sept. 3. The Grand Prize for the Pitch Slam winner is a $180,000 national and sales brand management contract from Organic Food Brokers.
Naturally Boulder Days is a collaborative effort of the City of Boulder, the Boulder Economic Council and Boulder’s natural and organic business community aimed at strengthening Boulder’s position as a national center for entrepreneurship in the natural and organic products industry.
This year’s expanded Naturally Boulder Days agenda will showcase several nationally recognized speakers, including Dr. Frederick Kirschenmann, distinguished fellow with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, who will present the keynote address.
The Sept. 3 full day of events includes general and breakout sessions with such topics as “Leading Retailers Tell it Like it Is,” “Economic and Market Trends,” “The Necessary Revolution: Local and Regional Food Systems,” “Social Media Frenzy,” “Preparing Your Company for New Investment,” “The Entrepreneurial Spirit” and “Creative Reinvention in This and Other Times.”
At the afternoon Product Fair, attendees can visit up-close at booths of more than 50 conference sponsors and service providers to sample their wares. This year’s conference adds a unique feature, found only at Naturally Boulder — the “Biz Doctors” One-on-One Mentoring Sessions, during which entrepreneurs can discuss their business plans individually with leading industry experts.
Major conference sponsors include WhiteWave Foods, the Sterling Rice Group, Aurora Organic Dairy, Caplan and Earnest, the City of Boulder, Organic Food Brokers and Organic Vintners.
For more information or to register for Naturally Boulder Days 2009, visit www.naturallyboulderproducts.com/days/.
