CARNAHAN, BEEMER SPEAK APRIL 7 DURING CHAMBER CONFERENCE

Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan will be keynote speaker at the annual Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Business Conference at the Show Me Center April 7.

Carnahan will speak at a luncheon of the daylong conference.

Theme of the conference is "Surviving the Business Climate of the '90s."

Daryl Hobbs, professor of rural sociology and director of the University of Missouri Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, will discuss the "Changing Consumer Profile in the Cape Girardeau Marketing Area" during the opening session. Britt Beemer, founder of America's Research Group, a full-service survey and consumer-research firm, will discuss retail marketing.

To register call the Chamber at 335-3312.

Beemer, a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University at Maryville, is no stranger to area businesses. He was guest speaker during the retail market strategy session of the 1991 conference and is returning by popular request. He will speak at 9:45 a.m.

A year ago at the conference, Beemer stressed the importance of the outside look of business. He explained that research has revealed that only three-tenths of 1 percent of the people in cars that go past a business stop and walk into the store.

"That means that if 100 people see the front of your store, only three-tenths of 1 percent will see the inside of the store," said Beemer. "What this research shows is that the store has to be attractive enough outside to entice more people inside."