EWU sponsors regional economic conference this week.- Spokane

The 37th Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference opens Wednesday at the DoubleTree Hotel City Center, and is being organized by Eastern Washington University’s Department of Economics.

The event, which is expected to draw more than 200 business, government and academic representatives from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, British Columbia and Alberta, features four speakers: Thomas Rice, professor and vice chairman of the Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles; Jeffrey J. Schott, senior fellow, Institute for International Economics, Washington, D.C.; Nariman Behravesh, chief economist and managing director, Global Insights, and Mark R. Drabenstott, vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and director of the Center for the Study of Rural America.

For information on the conference, which runs through Friday, call Tom Trulove, chairman of Eastern’s Department of Economics, at (509) 359-2332.

In other events this week:

Monday

# Jeff S. Potter, president and CEO of Frontier Airlines, will be honored as the 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year by Eastern Washington University’s Center for Entrepreneurial Activities at a "Celebration of Entrepreneurship" breakfast, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Marie Antoinette Ballroom, Davenport Hotel.

# Spokane Community College presents a workshop titled "Building Your Financial Portfolio on $25 a Month (Or Less)," 6:30-9:30 p.m., Lair Student Center Littlefoot Room, 1810 N. Greene. Cost is $30; pre-registration is required. Call 533-8010 for more information.

# The Small Business Development Center begins a two-session class titled "Understanding and Using Your Financials to Manage Your Business," 6-9 p.m., Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint. Cost is $50. The course continues on May 21. Call 358-7890 for more information.

Tuesday

# The Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce presents "An Employers Introduction to Labor and Industries," 7:30-9:30 a.m., Spokane Regional Business Center. The event is free, call 624-1393 for more information.

# The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce Business Development Committee and the International Trade Alliance present "Exporting 101," 8:30-10:30 a.m., North Idaho College, Edminster Student Union Building, Powder Horn Bay Room. Cost is $29. Pre-registration required.

# The Small Business Development Center offers a class titled "Creating Quality Images for Your Business Web Site," 6-9 p.m., Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint. Cost is $35. Call 358-7890 for more information.

# The Small Business Development Center begins a two-day class covering basic taxes for small and home-based business, 6-9 p.m., Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint. Cost is $55. The class continues on May 27. Call 358-7890 for more information or to register.

# Tim Mead, project manager for construction of the new addition at Sacred Heart Medical Center, will conduct a tour of the project for the Spokane Project Management Forum lecture series, 5:30 p.m., Bouten Construction trailer at 101 W. 8th Ave. at the entrance to Sacred Heart. For information, call (509) 747-8031.

Wednesday

# Catholic Charities is offering a volunteer orientation for anyone interested in volunteering, 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., Catholic Pastoral Center, 1023 W. Riverside. Complimentary lunch will be served. To register, call Karen Orlando at 358-4254.

# Hospice of Spokane is hosting a series of seminars to assist people in their estate planning. John Bjorkman, CPA, and Mike Furrer, CLU, ChFC, will present a seminar on "Financial Planning in Tough Economic Times," 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost: $5 per seminar, which includes lunch. For information, call Cara or Courtney at (509) 456-0438.

# TINCAN (The Inland Northwest Community Access Network) presents a forum on teen entrepreneurs, 4-5 p.m., Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. To register, call the BIC at 353-2800.

ThursdayJim Collins, author of "Good to Great," explains how certain companies have made the transition from run-of-the-mill performance to sustained success during a free EFGN (Entrepreneurs Forum of the Great Northwest) forum on "Creating a Regional Renaissance," 5:30 p.m., Convention Center. For information, call 624-9285 or e-mail [email protected]

# NWIE, APICS and the Spokane NAPM present the annual Top Management Night program, 5:15 p.m., Spokane Convention Center. The coat-and-tie banquet costs $25; pre-registration is required. Call 448-1711 for more information.

# The Small Business Development Center presents a workshop titled "Quickbooks Extras," 6-9 p.m., Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint. Cost is $35, call 358-7890 to register.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=051903&ID=s1351344&cat=section.business