Derrick Watchman, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, serves as chairman of the board for the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. Photo courtesy NCAIED
Reservation Economic Summit 2021 Moves to July
This event will bring together Indian Country with virtual and in-person options available
February 1, 2021
MESA, AZ — The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (The national Center) announced today that the 35th annual Reservation Economic Summit (RES) will move dates in an effort to better ensure additional safe, in-person programming. Originally scheduled for March 15-17, RES 2021 will now take place July 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. RES will be returning to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino for the largest and longest running national American Indian business event in the nation. The official date will be determined soon.
The themes of RES 2021 are resiliency and reinvention
“As we’ve seen in this past year, the need to be resilient and reinvent is key to managing through these difficult times” said National Center President and CEO Chris James, “The National Center has seen firsthand the way that native businesses have managed through this crisis. These businesses serve as inspiration to us as we continue to move forward with RES 2021 at a later date. When we come together in July, we hope that RES 2021 will serve as a catalyst for new partnerships, new business opportunities, and new relationships that will help Native businesses grow, develop, and thrive. We can’t wait to see you, virtually or in-person, and create new avenues to economic development in Indian Country.”
Each day of RES 2021 will feature traditional programming, breakout sessions, Native Edge Institutes, and SBA training. There will also be unique tracks for Agriculture, Economic Development, Finance, Natural Resources, Procurement, and Workforce Development. RES will feature subject matter experts and leaders across diverse fields including e-commerce, taxation, Federal contracting procurement, accessing capital, women in business, STEM, agriculture, health care, the Small Business Administration’s programs for minority and economically disadvantaged businesses, and more.
The popular RES Talks will continue this year, featuring short presentations from Indigenous business leaders of all stripes, as well as the Student Business Plan Competition hosted by American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL). The Student Business Plan Competition simulates the real-world process of seeking start-up funds for competing teams in a high school and college division. The Student Business Plan Competition will take place in the days before RES. For more information, please visit AIBL’s website at https://www.aibl.org/.
Native art and hand-made goods will be showcased at RES with the American Indian Artisan Market. This is a unique opportunity for Native American artisans and creators to sell and introduce their product and companies to thousands of Indian Country customers. Spots are limited, so reserve an Artisan Market booth fast. RES 2021 will continue the largest Native American Business Trade Show, giving vendors and attendees the chance to forge new business relationships and find new economic opportunity. Attendees can also build those new relationships in the Buy Native Procurement Matchmaking Expo with the opportunity to meet with representatives from large corporations, including Fortune 500 companies.
For more information about RES 2021, including how to register and lodging, click here. Attendees previously registered for the March date should have received information about your registration status. If you have any questions or need to check your registration status, please contact ncaied@eventpower.com.
About the National Center
The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. With over 50 years of assisting American Indian Tribes and their enterprises with business and economic development – The National Center has evolved into the largest national Indian specific business organization in the nation serving over 500 clients and providing over $4 million in contracts to its clients. The National Center has nine offices throughout the nation with its home office located in Mesa, Arizona. The National Center is actively engaged in helping Tribal Nations and Native business people realize their business goals and are dedicated to putting the whole of Indian Country to work to better the lives of American Indian people – both now…and for generations to come.