THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505120206
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
About 1,000 Inc. 500 executives and their guests will be in Portsmouth Friday for a feast of Southern delicacies and a look at what's cooking in Portsmouth.
The reception honoring the entrepreneurs of the 500 fastest growing companies in the United States will be held at Portside. The waterfront marketplace area will be closed to the public from 4 to 10 p.m.
The business people will be attending a three-day Inc. 500 Conference at Norfolk's Marriott and Omni Waterside hotels.
The theme of the Portsmouth reception, ``Southern Exposure on the River,'' will be manifested in the menu prepared by The Max restaurant employees.
The menu will include Berkeley Plantation fried chicken, early settlers Brunswick stew, bourbon sweet potatoes, James River cornbread muffins, ``heavenly'' coleslaw as prepared by Mrs. Thomas Jefferson, Land of Promise baked beans, Smithfield ham and buttermilk biscuits, J.R.'s pit-cooked barbecue, Nansemond County peanut pie, pecan tarts, lemon chess pie, petits fours and a host of other delicacies from Southern cookbooks.
The visitors will take trolley rides from Portside to the Children's Museum, carriage rides through Olde Towne and tours of the waterfront on the Carrie B. Bill Deal and Fat Ammon will perform at Portside.
The State of Virginia and Forward Hampton Roads, the regional economic development arm of the area cities, are hosting the conference.
``This conference has been a good example of regional cooperation'' said Matthew James, head of economic development for Portsmouth. ``The five cities worked collectively to sponsor the event and hopefully there will be some future benefits. The delegates come to Hampton Roads and have good time. When they're ready to expand their business, hopefully they'll choose one of the five cities that they visited here.''
James said the conference will give ``a tremendous amount of exposure to Portsmouth, especially on the evenings that we're hosting the delegates. We're offering them the opportunity to see the renovations we've made, while experiencing some nice Southern cuisine,'' he said.
The events and exhibits of the conference are designed to showcase the attributes of the entire region. In addition to the Portside party, activities will include a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, saltwater fishing at Lynnhaven Inlet and a tour of Norfolk Naval Base.
Twelve winners of the Virginia Small Business Awards also will attend the conference. They include Thomas Nixon of Portsmouth's Mid-Eastern Industries, Inc. by CNB