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Home > About BNE > Press Room > 2006 Archive > August > Buffalo Old Home Week

"Where Life Works" Career Fair Highlights Buffalo Old Home Week

Friday, August 25, 9:00 to 2:00 at the Pearl Street Grill, Third Floor Conference Room

Buffalo, NY - A grassroots effort to recruit former Buffalonians back to the Queen City is underway. Local volunteers and activists have joined forces with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, and countless other organizations to host Buffalo Old Home Week (August 24-27, 2006 * www.buffoldhome.com).

This event last took place in 1907, during Buffalo?s heyday. Now, 99 years later, this celebration of Buffalo and its many treasures is back and will be held on August 24-27, 2006.

"The goal of this annual event is to turn our many 'Buffalo Expatriates' into 'Buffalo Repatriates'," explains Marti Gorman, who heads up the dedicated group of organizers under the auspices of Revitalize Buffalo. Central to this effort is addressing the all too common misperception that there are no jobs in Buffalo.

"Almost every Expat who has contacted us is passionate about coming home, but most are convinced that it?s impossible to find a job or make a living here," says Gorman. "That's why we incorporated the "Where Life Works" Career Fair as a signature event on Friday, August 25." In addition to featuring a Job Fair to connect participants with the firms that post the more than 1,000 job openings currently listed on www.iambuffaloniagarajobs.com and elsewhere, attendees will also be encouraged to relocate their business to Buffalo or to start their own business here.

"After all, why work for someone else in Chicago when you can work for yourself in Buffalo?? asks Career Fair Chairman Christopher Smith. ?The Career Fair will provide attendees with the resources they need to move to Buffalo and be their own boss.?The entrepreneur panel will feature local small business owners who have successfully started their own businesses in Buffalo and want to dispell some of the myths about operating a business in the area.

?These are entrepreneurs who have paid their dues in the trenches and want to help others launch their dream of self employment,?"says Smith. Key local resource organizations like the BNE, the BNP, the Small Business Development Center (Buffalo State), among others, will be on hand to provide information about incentives and access to support.

Kent Keating, Chairman of Kanoodle.com is the Career Fair keynote speaker. He will share his reasons for founding his company in Buffalo and explain why he intends to keep it here. "The story of Kanoodle in Buffalo is a powerful one and Kent is a wonderful Buffalo Booster," said Susan Brownell Ervolina, Director of Workforce Development at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. "His insight and experience will be invaluable to job seekers and small businesspeople alike"

"Buffalo Niagara's reputation as a blue collar town is being replaced by that of a region offering diverse economic opportunities for business creation, development and career fulfillment," explains Therese Hickok, Director of Marketing and Communications at Buffalo Niagara Enterprise. "It truly is a city where life works." HSBC, Buffalo News, Clever Method, Gaymar, Verizon, M&T Bank, and other companies will be on hand to discuss their available opportunities at the career fair.

Buffalo Old Home Week organizers are working closely with Hickok and the BNE to target high tech companies looking to relocate. Buffalo sits on an Internet backbone and thus offers access to extraordinary bandwidth. "Any company that requires significant Internet bandwidth needs to take a very serious look at Buffalo, which also offers below market commercial space and a highly qualified workforce in a low cost of living/high quality of life environment - the best of all worlds!" says Smith.

"The low cost of living and easy airport access also make Buffalo very attractive to virtual workers who can do business anywhere,?"adds Smith. "It can be cheaper to live in Buffalo and work in Boston, New York or DC - and the commute can actually be shorter than if you lived in these metro areas!"

?We aim to reposition Buffalo as a thriving and emerging market that is home to a burgeoning cultural, technical, and economic renaissance," says Gorman. "We want to turn Expats into Repats because repatriates have the 'Four E's' that are absolutely essential to fueling the Buffalo renaissance: Energy, Enthusiasm, Experience and Expertise. These qualities empower all of us to see the opportunity all around us and to capitalize on it!"

"But you don't have to be an Expat to participate in Buffalo Old Home Week," clarifies Gorman. "A good mix of Expats, Repats and locals who have never left this City of Very Good Neighbors will make this a great event this year, and an extraordinary one in 2007, the centennial." She encourages everyone to register for Buffalo Old Home Week at www.buffoldhome.com and upload their resume to http://www.iambuffaloniagarajobs.com.

"By the end of this unique four-day event, we hope to have shown expatriates and locals alike what 'New Buffalo' is all about."

To register for the"Where Life Works" Career Fair, go to http://www.buffoldhome.com/register.html
Or send an e-mail to info@buffoldhome.com
Or call 716-903-7155
Go to http://www.buffoldhome.com/CareerFair.html
To submit your resume online and for more information about the Where Life Works Career Fair, go to: http://www.buffoldhome.com/CareerFair.html