Expo goes high-tech to show its serious side.

Byline: Jason Thomas

Jul. 3--Days before President Bush delivered his speech last year during Indiana Black Expo's Summer Celebration, his White House staff was busy with a homework assignment.

They asked Expo President Joyce Rogers about the organization's mobile prostate cancer unit -- one of only two in the country. They learned about its annual health and job fairs.

Rogers hopes a marketing initiative under way will have people thinking the same way as Bush's staff: that Indiana Black Expo is more than its annual Summer Celebration.

Expo staff will have the perfect audience this week: Summer Celebration opens Thursday for an 11-day run and is expected to draw more than 300,000 people. The annual celebration of black American culture highlights the arts, entertainment, business, health and youth issues.

The Bush staff said, "'Wow, you guys do so much more than just (Summer Celebration)," " Rogers said recently as she prepared for this year's event. "That was kind of cool. It really was."

It is a message that has been lost on many because …