Left to Right seated: Mr. Gershan Major, First Vice President, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Khaalis Rolle, President, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Magic Enterprises; Her Excellency Nicole A. Avant, United States Ambassador; Mr. Steve Stoute, Translation LLC. Left to Right standing: Mr. Philip Simon, Executive Director, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Barry Malcolm, Managing Director, Scotiabank Bahamas Ltd; Mr. Ian Thompson, Business Manager, Retail Credit, Bank of The Bahamas Ltd; Mr. Dionisio D'Aguilar, Immediate Past President, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Gregory Butler, Director of Youth, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture; Mr. Randy Butler, CEO, SkyBahamas Airline; Mr. Mike Bryan, Vice President and Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Mr. Timothy Zuniga-Brown, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy.

Nassau, Bahamas - The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Embassy co-hosted the 6^th annual Bahamas Business Education and Development Seminar at the British Colonial Hotel on May 5, 2010 at the British Colonial Hilton. Her Excellency Ambassador Nicole Avant invited NBA legend and successful businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson, top-ranked music executive Steve Stoute and Federal Reserve Vice President and monetary policy specialist Mike Bryan to speak at the conference, which attracted over 300 participants.

Businessman and NBA legend Mr. Earvin "Magic" Johnson and U.S. Ambassador Nicole Avant at the press availability held immediately following Mr. Johnson's keynote address at the Bahamas Business Development Seminar on May 5.

Mr. Johnson, who is leading the #1 brand in Urban America as the Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, addressed the conference’s theme of “Business Unusual: Creativity and Innovation” throughout his keynote remarks. He told small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs that “Success calls for hard work and no excuses.” Mr. Johnson captivated the audience while describing his journey towards creating a multi-billion dollar empire which includes 100 Starbucks, 13 24-hour Fitness Sports Clubs, Canyon-Johnson (a billion dollar real estate fund), Yucaipa Johnson, (a $500 million dollar private equity fund), MAGIC Workforce solution (a staffing company) and SodexoMAGIC (a food and facilities management company). Mr. Johnson encouraged audience members to believe in themselves, create solid, tested plans and “create an atmosphere for volume.” His words electrified conference participants, who publically thanked the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Embassy for enabling small-and-medium-sized business owners to learn from Mr. Johnson’s incredible experiences.

Marketing and music executive Steve Stoute addresses business professionals at the 6th Annual Bahamas Business Development Seminar. Mr. Stoute is the founder and chief executive officer of Translation LLC.

Marketing and music mogul Steve Stoute delivered a frank and refreshing message to Bahamian businesses: don’t be afraid to take risks. Mr. Stoute, the founder and chief executive officer of Translation LLC, is the driving force behind one of the leading and most influential brand marking firms in the country. He recounted his own success story, starting as an aide to top stars. He told the audience “starting at the bottom gave me a good vantage point; I could see what the guy ahead of me was doing wrong and improve on it.” He encouraged entrepreneurs to “get up every day and knock on the same doors until one of them opens up.” Mr. Stoute expressed his interest in doing business in The Bahamas, and encouraged Bahamian government leaders to focus on easing the path toward small business growth and foreign investment.

Mr. Khaalis Rolle, President, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Businessman and NBA legend; U.S. Ambassador Nicole A. Avant and Bishop Neil C. Ellis, Sr. Pastor, Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church pose for a photo.

Vice President and senior economist at the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank Mike Bryan presented an overview of the global financial crisis that provided his audience with a better understanding of this financial phenomenon that has been consider the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1920s. Mr. Bryan also presented a lecture on the global financial crisis to students at Sojourner Douglas College later that evening.

Seminar participants agreed that this year’s event was the best yet and provided an excellent venue for businesspersons and potential entrepreneurs to get a broad overview of business opportunities in The Bahamas, and how to successfully run their businesses in challenging economic circumstances. The conference stressed the importance of diversifying the Bahamian small/medium business sector, especially in downtown Nassau, in order for the Bahamian economy to strive and survive.