Conference gives new chance to showcase V&T project

"Unlocking Nevada's Future" is the metaphorical slogan for the upcoming fourth annual Governor's Economic Development Conference being held on Aug. 17 and 18 at the Reno Hilton.

Prominent on the conference's agenda are topics like "retention and expansion of business," "global issues" and "economic insights."

According to Bob Shriver, executive director of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, in addition to capitalizing on the talents of three speakers who are experts in their respective fields, the conference will provide "networking opportunities for business, education and government professionals to discuss important economic issues facing the state."

It is also intended to afford conference attendees an opportunity to peddle their wares.

As a tireless promoter of the V&T reconstruction project, the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation will participate in the conference as an exhibitor. Lured by the prospect of interfacing with senior level decision-makers for a number of large business concerns, four of the Foundation's trustees will be available to answer questions and distribute a new informational computer CD recently completed by Dan Dominy, the project's official cinematographer.

The CD will integrate elements of the Foundation's Web site into a brand new format. Conference attendees and potential project partners can leave the two-day event with a quick and informative reference that encapsulates, in an easily digestible format, key aspects of the reconstruction effort.

We are especially pleased that Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt, in her role as chairwoman of the Nevada Commission on Tourism and Economic Development, appears on the CD to express her support for the project. Identifying the V&T Railroad as one of Nevada's greatest historic resources with the potential of becoming one of the state's most vital assets, the lieutenant governor emphasizes the importance of promoting history in the search for new tourism dollars.

Although the Foundation's representatives will not be participating in the Made in Nevada portion of the conference featuring a reception and an opportunity to view products manufactured by companies throughout the Silver State, in reality there is no product more endemic to Nevada than the Virginia & Truckee Railroad.

An invention of necessity created by Western ingenuity, the V&T Railroad, when reconstructed, may one day become Northern Nevada's most important tool for economic diversification.