Beyond Best Practices: The Cutting Edge of Entrepreneur Support

NBIA's 26th International Conference on Business Incubation will take place May 6-9, 2012, in Atlanta, Ga., and will bring together around 600 business incubation practitioners and economic development professionals to explore strategies for entrepreneur support. Participants will attend in-depth workshops, educational sessions, incubator tours and receptions, and will have many opportunities to connect with colleagues through informal conversations. Through these training and networking opportunities, attendees learn about incubator sustainability, entrepreneur support services, client funding options, industry best practices and more.

Atlanta is known as a city that welcomes economic development, as 10 companies that are headquartered there – including The Home Depot, UPS, The Coca-Cola Co. and Delta Air Lines – made the 2011 Fortune 500, a list of the largest corporations in the United States. The city is also easy to get to, as many domestic and international flights are routed through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Atlanta's weather is pleasant in May, so it should be a good time to take advantage of all the city has to offer when the conference is not in session. On nice days, you might want to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden or Centennial Olympic Park, a 21-acre park built in celebration of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. If the skies are gray and rainy, you can check out some of the city's indoor attractions, such as the High Museum of Art, the Georgia Aquarium or the Inside CNN Studio Tour. With all the city of Atlanta and the NBIA conference have to offer, you won't want to miss out!