AG Gaston Conference Seeks to Increase Buying Power in Black Communities

The 2015 AG Gaston Conference brings economic leaders to Birmingham to cultivate the next generation of black millionaires committed to serving their communities

Birmingham, AL (BlackNews.com) — The AG Gaston Conference will be held at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex on Tuesday, February 17 through Wednesday February 18, 2015. Economic leaders from the black business community will gather to honor the legacy established by business pioneer AG Gaston while also discussing current trends in business and strategies to cultivate the next generation of black millionaires committed to serving their community.

Event Organizer Bob Dickerson says, “The AG Gaston Conference was created to not only look back at where we have come from but to also pave a path to greater prosperity within the black community. Rather than being driven as consumers, we need to develop a mentality focused on reinvesting in black businesses and black communities.”

According to Nielson, “African-Americans have a current buying power of $1 trillion that is forecasted to reach $1.3 trillion by 2017”; however, the NAACP notes that the dollar only circulates in the black community for six hours compared to 17-30 days in other communities. Additionally, only two cents of every dollar an African American spends in this country goes to black owned businesses.

The AG Gaston Conference was established in 2004 by Bob Dickerson, Executive Director of the Birmingham Business Resource Center and Gaynelle Adams Jackson, Owner of Advance Planning Services as an effort to combat these disturbing trends and to focus on economic empowerment. The goals of the conference include motivating attendees to become more involved in their community, strengthening the resources available to entrepreneurs and addressing concerns in the workplace.

Speakers at the 2015 Conference include John Hope Bryant, appointee to President Obamas Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans and Founder/President of the Hope Coalition of America; Mark Anthony Peterson, Managing Executive for Ceyero Consulting and Michael V. Roberts, a modern day AG Gaston in the St. Louis community. The two-day conference will also address strategies to eliminate poverty in Birmingham through the enhancement of economic opportunities.

Registration for the conference is available online at www.AGGastonConference.com