SIDNEY -- Sidney will be hosting numerous visitors from across the state in the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities event May 1-2.

The event, named "No Wrong Door," empowers community members by showcasing tools and resources designed to fuel community growth and prosperity, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Rural Prosperity Nebraska website.

Charlotte Narjes, University of Nebraska Extension Rural Prosperity Educator, said 2024 is the seventh CEC conference.

"Well, the conference, we first held it ... this is the seventh one we had. The first was at McCook, Nebraska. We call them 'unconference.' We meet actually in businesses and other facilities so you really start seeing. We talk about being entrepreneurial but we start seeing the businesses that are working so hard to create a livelihood in their community," she said.

The conference will be a combination of tours, "walk and talk," and break-out sessions at the Worldwide Trophy Adventures building. Meetings will also be held in local businesses, meeting with entrepreneurs where they work. 

"So if you're shopping in Sidney on Tuesday or Wednesday and you see a group of people talking, that's what we're doing. We're actually meeting in the business," Narjes said.

Local keynote speakers will include Keirsten Richards, Melissa Norgard and Drew Enevoldsen.

She said Sidney was chosen because the program was seeking a western Nebraska location and the amount of activity in the Sidney area.

"We were looking for someone in the western part of the state, and Jaime Bright is an Extension Educator in this region, and Alisha with E3 they put in an application and there's just so many things going on in Sidney," she said.

E3 Navigator Alisha Juelfs said hosting the conference is an opportunity to promote the region.

"I think its a good opportunity for us to show what Cheyenne County and Western Nebraska has to offer. A lot of these resource partners come from all over Nebraska. Some have never been to this side of the state before, and its really exciting to show them how we've been successful in very non-traditional spaces. We are having our main hub on the second floor of the original Cabela's brick building. It's now by Worldwide Trophy Adventures. Its very nontraditional conference and its a great example of our community leaders coming together and making a space work, not just for this but all businesses in Sidney and Cheyenne County have a lot to offer," she said.

Juelfs said there are really unique stories in many Cheyenne County businesses.

The CEC "No Wrong Door" starts 11 a.m. May 1 with welcomes by Mayor Brad Sherman and City Manager David Scott.