I hate to throw a shameless plug on the heels of a brilliant guest post and Rob's superb profiles from the Pop!Tech Conference, but these events are pretty outstanding in their own right and deserve a mention here...

New Ventures will be holding its flagship events this November and December, the Investor Forums. A brief Investor Forum FAQ to enlighten you:1. What are they?
These conferences bring together investors, policymakers, development professionals and entrepreneurs to advance the sustainable enterprise agenda and showcase thirty innovative SMEs that will enter the New Ventures portfolio.
2. Where are they?
Investor Forums this year will span four of the world's most influential emerging markets - India, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil.
3. Where can I get exact dates/locations/registration details?
See our events page for up to date info.
4. Why should I care / what does this have to do with the BoP?

• See Dr. Jaiswal's post below: "SMEs have shown better record in understanding the needs of BOP customers and fulfilling them effectively." New Ventures companies are not only environmentally sustainable, they are in and of the local community - they know the needs of the BoP and respond directly to BoP demands.
• They are or employ the BoP as producers... see the post on Conserve HRP for a vivid example of this - SMEs frequently hire unskilled labor, giving them employment and on the job training that will boost their skill set for a future career.
• See our Earthtrends article on SMEs for a broader overview

This year's events should be the best yet - the companies represent some of the fastest growing green sectors like renewable energy, clean tech and organic ag - and a host of leaders in the field will be presenting panel discussions on the latest green/BoP business trends. Drop me a line if you have any questions and we hope to see you there!