Held on the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus, this class is a two-day BRE immersion that includes presentations, video, individual and small group work, and lots of peer discussion. Highlights include practicing interviewing techniques at real businesses, guest experts who provide BRE tips and stories, and getting to know other economic developers, while expanding your network.

Again this year, there will be a special focus on business succession and transition research, methods and case studies. There are 50,000+ business owners in Minnesota that will be exiting their businesses in the next several years, which is a BRE issue. For the first time, we will have a guest session on entrepreneurship with Extension's new state specialist in entrepreneurship, Neil Linscheid.

You will have the opportunity to think about the best BRE approach for your situation. For more information about the BRE course, visit our website: http://z.umn.edu/BREcourse

Certification

Everyone who completes the course receives a certificate of accomplishment from UMN Extension. Also, certification from Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI)is available to individuals completing the course. BREI is an international association that promotes and educates about BRE. Those eligible may choose to receive the BREI certification and one-year membership for $75.

Dates and location

November 14 - 15, 2023
University of Minnesota
125 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108-6068

Fees

Enrollment closes at 4:00 p.m. CDT, November 8, 2023.

• Individual (per person): $575
• Community members/teams*:
  • 2 person team: $950
  • 3–5 person team: $1,300
• Full-time student: $110 — email your transcript to Michael Darger prior to registering

*The discount is only for groups from a town or city, county, school district, or other groups of contiguous communities, or an organizational team from a business, nonprofit, or university. If registering a team, you will need the name and email address for each participant in order to complete the enrollment process.

Instructor contacts

Michael Darger
darger@umn.edu
612-625-6246

John Bennett
jbennett@umn.edu
218-343-6742

Registration help

ext-reg@umn.edu

Refund policy

No refunds will be issued for cancellations after registration closes (November 8, 2023 at 4pm). Cancellations prior to close of registration will be fully refunded.

Please start your registration by either logging in with an existing University account -or- by registering as a new user below.