Contact: Jeff Fishburn
OnPR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
503-802-4408
jefff@onpr.com
http://twitter.com/jefffishburn
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, Software Association of Oregon, Oregon Business Association and the Portland Business Alliance collaborate to connect candidates with entrepreneurs’ issues
PORTLAND, Ore. –March 16, 2010 – The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN), Software Association of Oregon (SAO), Oregon Business Association (OBA) and the Portland Business Alliance are presenting the 2010 Gubernatorial Candidate Forums. Tech America will be a supporting organization for the forums.
Oregon’s economy is facing great challenges. The state is struggling with serious budgetary shortfalls and that is exacerbated by an unemployment rate that is hovering above 10 percent. With the recent passage of measures 66 & 67 many Oregonians question what the impact will be for Oregon businesses. Policies that support and encourage business growth and economic development are a top-of-mind priority for many Oregonians. These candidate forums are intended to provide an opportunity for members of the business community to ask the candidates from each party what they would do to help support business and economic growth in Oregon.
“This is a critical time for economic development in Oregon. We need to position the state as a place where companies can thrive on all levels,” commented Linda Weston, president and executive director of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. “Economic growth and job growth within the state will depend on it.”
The two gubernatorial candidate forums will be held prior to the primaries and will be moderated by Laural Porter of KGW News (twitter.com/lauralkgw). Check-in begins at 4:00PM. The programs will begin at 4:30 PM and will run to 6:00 PM. Tickets for each event are $20 for members of presenting or supporting organizations and $40 for non-members. We encourage attendees to pre-register online using the links below.
Both forums will be streamed live over the web. Individual web stream tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance, but business community members outside of the Portland area may attend a satellite event in their local area at no charge.
The Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate forum will take place on Wednesday, April 7 at Portland General Electric’s auditorium located at 121 SW Salmon St, 2WTC in Portland. It will feature Democratic candidates Bill Bradbury www.bradburyfororegon.com and John Kitzhaber, www.johnkitzhaber.com.
Bill Bradbury John Kizthaber
The Republican Gubernatorial Candidate forum will take place on Tuesday, April 27 at the Multnomah Athletic Club 1849 SW Salmon St. in Portland. It will feature Republican candidates Allen Alley www.allenalley.com and Chris Dudley www.chrisdudley.com.
Allen Alley Chris Dudley
Tickets are required for onsite attendees and individual live stream access. Registration is recommended for satellite venues.
For more information about the forums, or to register for any of these events, please go to:
Democratic Candidates Forum: www.sao.org/event/dgp
Republican Candidates Forum: www.sao.org/event/rgp
Follow the discussions on twitter: #pdxGDP & #pdxRGP.
About the Oregon Business Association
Engaging Oregon businesses—large and small, urban and rural—to find collaborative solutions that make Oregon a great place to live and work. Oregon Business Association advocates for long-term enhancement of Oregon’s business environment and quality of life, providing bipartisan, statewide business leadership that strives to ensure Oregon’s long-term prosperity. Our members include businesses of all sizes and industries throughout the state – from our largest farm to two Fortune 500 companies. For more information about OBA, visit www.oba-online.org.
About the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and to improving the business climate for emerging companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about OEN, visit www.oen.org.
About the Portland Business Alliance
The Portland Business Alliance is Greater Portland’s Chamber of Commerce representing more than 1,400 businesses in the region. Our mission is to ensure economic prosperity in the Portland region by providing strong leadership, partnership and programs that encourage business growth and vitality. For more information about the Alliance visit www.portlandalliance.com.
About the Software Association of Oregon
The Software Association of Oregon is the only Oregon-based trade association dedicated solely to supporting the success of our state's software and technology Industries. Over the last 20 years, the SAO has helped connect leading industry innovators with the people, ideas and networks of our state, building a foundation that fosters innovation, creative thinking and Oregon’s famous entrepreneurial spirit. For more information about SAO please visit www.sao.org.
