Meetings

The Urban Land Institute Southwest Florida District Council will host a breakfast meeting on "Infrastructure 2008: A Competitive Advantage" on Thursday, May 22. The meeting will be held at the Three Oaks Banquet & Event Center located at 20991 Three Oaks Parkway in Estero. Registration and networking begins at 8 a.m. with the presentation starting at 8:30 a.m. This is the second of ULI's annual reports on international infrastructure. While last year's report examined broad issues facing countries and regions globally, this year's update focuses on the importance of infrastructure to a city or county's economic competitiveness. Globally, it looks at Western Europe, Asia and North America with special attention to fast growing urban regions in China and the United Arab Emirates. The cost of the meeting is $45 for ULI members, $55 for non-members, $35 for young leaders, $25 for government members, and $25 for students. For additional information or to register, call the ULI Southwest Florida District Council at (800) 321-5011.

The Department of Energy will convene a plenary panel on alternative and renewable energy at 8 a.m. on Thursday, May 29 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando. This plenary panel is one of the highlights of the Spring 2008 National SBIR/STTR Conference.

The DOE panel will feature presentations by some of the nation's finest minds that are engaged in aiding in the development of alternative and renewable energy.

This interagency, integrated panel will discuss the importance of developing renewable and alternative energy technologies and will brief attendees on opportunities for future funding available to small businesses engaged in innovative research and development.

The 2008 SBIR/STTR National Spring Conference, co- hosted by NASA, the Florida SBDC Network and the Florida Small Business Development Foundation, celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the SBIR Program and 50 Years of NASA Space Exploration. It brings together federal program administrators from the 11 SBIR participating agencies, investors, lenders, university and federal laboratory representatives, prime contractors and others who provide assistance to earlystage ventures. A $2.2 Billion appropriation is set aside for the SBIR program this year. To register for the conference or to obtain more information on conference activities, individuals should visit www.sbirflorida.org.