Black Enterprise Event Organizers Hope To Stimulate Job Prospects
DORAL (CBS4) - Black Enterprise Golf and Tennis Challenge was held in Doral this weekend and in this economic climate, organizers hope to provide networking opportunities for their participants.
Alfred Edmond Jr., Senior Vice President, said this year's event has attracted more than 11-hundred participants of all walks of life.
"You have to find a way to distinguish yourself and one of the biggest mistakes unemployed people make is to isolate themselves they don't want anyone to know. They want to close in," said Edmond. "What you need to do is to get out. Opportunities are out there you need to go find them they're not going to find you."
Participating and teaching a class at this year's event were two women who were laid off from Corporate America. Angela Davis and Marcelle English started their own company called Jersey Girl Sports. They teach women about sports.
English says they came up with the idea as they were watching football together.
"We were sitting in a sports bar watching to in a pre-game warm up we turn into each other and this is what women want to talk about – we want to talk about the players the hotness but we also want to talk about the game," said English.
Participants said they've found inspiration and support at this event. It's a shot in the arm for them to continue moving forward in this difficult economy.
"It's an impedance to do something different to think about yourself or your business or your potential in a different way," said Vickie Hooper.
Consultant Laurene Williams, said this event has allowed her to create business opportunities.
Williams said, "It allows you to be in conversation that you wouldn't normally be in or learn from people who are in a higher level than you, you can start translate those conversations to opportunities and those opportunities into real things like jobs."
Black Enterprise is celebrating its 18th year in providing golf, tennis, and spa experience. Since 1994, the annual event's unique combination of business and leisure has drawn more than 1,000 attendees from around the country.
