Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Jump Start: News of the business week to come

A look ahead at business events coming up

By Times Staff
Published January 28, 2008

TOURISM FEST: Just in time for the Gasparilla festivities, tour operators today pair up with Sunshine State hotels and attractions to cut deals at Florida Huddle in the Tampa Convention Center. The annual event rotates around the state and is in the Tampa Bay area for the first time in years. Local and state tourism officials will face questions from international journalists likely to ask about visa and passport hassles that have been splashed across U.K. and European newspapers. Check out more at www.floridahuddle.com.

Investors wanted: About two dozen Florida entrepreneurs will make their pitches to investors at Florida Venture Forum's annual conference at St. Petersburg's Renaissance Vinoy Tuesday and Wednesday. The meeting includes a luncheon speech by Gov. Charlie Crist and panels on the state of venture capital investing in Florida. Over the past 16 years, presenters at the conference have raised more than $1.4-billion from private investment funds. Local companies scheduled to present include Advantica EyeCare of Clearwater, Field Forensics of St. Petersburg, Health Integrated of Tampa, Innovision Management Co. of Largo, Intezyne Technologies of Tampa and Persystent Technology Corp. of Tampa. More information at www.flvencap.org.

BIGGER REFUNDS? On Tuesday, the Florida Public Service Commission will consider whether to reopen a case that requires Progress Energy Florida to refund its customers $143-million. The Office of Public Counsel petitioned to reopen the case because it wanted the utility to refund more money. Also, the commission will consider changes to Progress Energy Florida's plans to buy power from an "E-grass" plant, one of the power company's efforts to diversify its source of electricity generation. More at www.floridapsc.org.

NOT SO SURE ABOUT RATE CUT: The certainty expressed last week that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at the end of its two-day monetary policy meeting, which starts Tuesday, is gone. Last week, the Fed announced an emergency 0.75 percentage-point cut to a key interest rate, bringing it down to 3.5 percent.

NUKE HEARINGS: On Wednesday, the Florida Public Service Commission begins three days of hearings on Florida Power & Light's plans to build two nuclear reactors at its Turkey Point power station. The utility owned by FPL Group of Juno Beach will likely face environmental opposition, as well as questions about the cost of the new nuke plants, which the utility has estimated could range from $12-billion to $18-billion. More at www.floridapsc.org.

[Last modified January 25, 2008, 21:54:23]