More than 200 alumni are expected to return to campus for Entrepreneurship@Cornell's 2010 Celebration event April 15-16, a two-day conference filled with symposiums, networking events, an expo and events honoring the 2010 Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year.

"Both the entrepreneurial culture and the entrepreneurial community at Cornell continue to grow each year," said John Jaquette, executive director of Entrepreneurship@Cornell. "Celebration provides the opportunity for alumni to come back to campus and meet and mix with each other, students, faculty and staff who all share their excitement for both new business and social enterprise creation."

Highlights of the event include:

• A gala dinner on April 15 honoring Lubna Olayan '77 as Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2010. Olayan, the CEO of Olayan Financing Co., the holding entity for the Olayan Group's operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, will also deliver a keynote speech at 4:30 p.m. April 15 in Bailey Hall. The speech is free.
• Symposiums from 10 schools and colleges, focusing on entrepreneurship in health care, hospitality, real estate, fashion, "green" business and information technology, among other topics. Tickets required.
• A new business and emerging technologies showcase hosted by the Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise and Commercialization (CCTEC), 1-3 p.m., April 15; tickets required.
• Final presentations in the Cornell Venture Challenge and the SustaInvest Portfolio Pitch Competition; April 15, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Ramin Parlor (Room 104), Sage Hall; free and open.
• A Technology, Business and Resource Expo, noon to 2 p.m., April 16, Statler Hotel Ballroom. This free event will include tables from more than 40 student and alumni businesses, student and campus clubs and organizations, and other resources for entrepreneurs.
• Final presentations in the "Big Idea" undergraduate business idea competition, 4-6 p.m., April 16, Statler Hotel Ballroom; free. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges, with audience input.

Celebration 2010 is underwritten by eCornell and the Student Agencies Foundation Inc. Lead sponsors include the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Johnson School and the Hotel School.

To register for the conference, visit http://www.eship.cornell.edu/events/celebration10.

Kathy Hovis is a writer/editor for Entrepreneurship@Cornell.