Cornelius Smith, ambassador of the Bahamas to the U.S., will meet with Detroiters in the tourism, real estate and construction industries Friday at two Booker T. Washington Business Association events.

The purpose is to promote business opportunities for people in both countries.

The forums are co-sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber and Global Automotive Alliance.

Deputy Director of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, David Johnson, and the president of the Grand Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, Gregory Moss, also will attend the events.

?The goal is to create opportunities for businesses in Southeastern Michigan ? without (those businesses) leaving Southeastern Michigan,? said Booker T. Washington Business Association President Bill Ross.

A breakfast meeting titled ?Business Partnerships with the Bahamas? will be held at 8 a.m. at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. At 2 p.m., the MGM Grand Detroit will host a presentation and networking reception.

Events will serve to identify opportunities for business partnerships between Detroit and the Bahamas, Ross said. He cited the construction industry as an example, pointing out that a partnership in the Bahamas could allow a company to work there in the slow season without moving out of state.

By Christiana Schmitz