14 tips for attending a government expo or trade show
July 18, 2012 by cs
Federal, state and local government agencies frequently host trade shows or expos to publicize their contract opportunities and attract new vendors. Wonder whether you should attend a government-sponsored business expo? What should you expect if you go? How should you prepare? Are you disappointed in the last trade show you attended?
These are the kinds of questions often posed by businesses we’re helping as a part of the Albany Small Business Procurement Program. Fundamentally, businesses want to know how they can gain a competitive advantage by attending an event sponsored by a government agency. The answer lies as much in preparation and follow-up as it does in actual attendance.
These kinds of events are what you make them. If you go to just listen, you may come away disappointed. If, on the other hand, you go to make something happen, you can come away with some good contacts,valuable insights, and solid business leads.
Here are a few tips …
- Establish some objectives for yourself – what do you hope to accomplish by attending? State this in concrete, quantifiable terms.
- Think about the specific kinds of opportunities you want to go after and be prepared to explain how you represent the solution to the government’s contracting objectives.
- Identify who is going to be in attendance and research in advance as much as you can about who will be there and those persons you want to meet. Think about why they are going to the show and what they want to accomplish there – align yourself with their objectives.
- Familiarize yourself with all details of the show so that you can envision how you are going to use the structure of the show to accomplish your objectives.
- Be prepared with marketing materials, including business cards, brochures and/or product/service fact sheets, product samples/portfolio, and a detailed capabilities statement. (Don’t have a capabilities statement? See our article on this subject here.) Tailor at least one of your handouts to the expo or show itself.
- Be prepared to talk about pricing. You may not need to, but be prepared just in case someone asks.
- Begin to envision how your competitors at the show can be potential partners as a result of the show.
- Develop and be prepared to deliver a 30-second “elevator speech” which explains in layman’s terms exactly what you are an expert at doing. Don’t be shy to explain what’s special about your company and why your products/services are the best. (If you need help constructing an elevator speech, see our article at http://www.albanysmallbiz.org/2011/04/whats-an-elevator-pitch-and-why-you-need-one.)
- Remember that buyers don’t have time to waste. Buyers want specific information, and buyers want to know what’s special about you (that’s your competitive advantage).
- Preparation is essential. It’s better not to go than to go unprepared – you never have a second chance to make a good first impression.
- Dress to impress. And wear comfortable shoes!
- At the show, listen to how your competitors are selling themselves and learn as much about their marketing as possible. Also learn from their mistakes.
- Understand that follow-up after the show is critical. Gather all the business cards you collected, write follow-up notes or emails – promptly. Set-up follow-up meetings/conference calls, if possible and appropriate. Send more marketing materials.
- Write yourself a report on lessons-learned. Review this report before planning to participate in another event.
We will be glad to elaborate on this topic and provide you with additional advice. You can find our contact information by clicking right here.
HUBZone boot camp planned for Macon on May 1st
April 19, 2012 by cs
If you want to find out how your business can apply for federal HUBZone certification status, then Macon State University is the place you need to be on Tuesday, May 1, 2012.
The Small Business Administration’s HUBZone Program promotes economic development and employment growth in distressed areas of the country by providing preferential access to federal contracting opportunities. These preferences go to small businesses that maintain a principal office in one of these specially designated areas, employ staff who live in a HUBZone, and apply for and obtain HUBZone certification.
In order to qualify for the HUBZone program, your business must be located in an area designated as a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone. You may determine if an address or a particular area is designated as a HUBZone by visiting http://map.sba.gov/hubzone/maps and typing-in the address of your principal place of business. If the resulting map indicates that your business is located in a HUBZone, you may be eligible to receive a preference in the award of federal contracts, but you must first become HUBZone certified.
In addition to being located in a HUBZone, there are additional requirements you must meet in order to be certified. Certification is a complex process, but the process could well be worth your time because of the resulting federal contracting preferences.
In order to guide you through this process, the Georgia District Office of the SBA is hosting an all-day workshop on May 1st that is designed to help you understand the details of HUBZone eligibility, the step-by-step application process, and much more.
In addition, the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) will be conducting a session at this event to help you understand the fundamentals of government contracting, including how to identify and take advantage of HUBZone set-aside contracting opportunities.
Advance registration is required to attend. You can register by clicking on this link: http://events.sba.gov/eventmanagement/EventRegistration.aspx?id=e0148925-cc87-e111-b0b2-02bfa56e2a24.
The SBA’s HUBZone Boot Camp will be held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Macon State University, 100 College Station Drive, Macon, GA 31206. A map and directions are located at http://www.maconstate.edu/maps.
More details on the SBA’s HUBZone Program and the certification application process may be found at https://eweb1sp.sba.gov/hubzone/internet/general/application-guide.cfm#Welcome.
A flyer describing the May 1 event can be downloaded by clicking here.
Here’s what the schedule for the day looks like:
HUBZone Boot Camp Agenda – May 1, 2012
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:15 – 10:15 HUBZone 101 and Q and A
10:15– 10:30 Break
10:30 – 11:15 How to complete a HUBZone application session
11:15 – 12:15 Panel Discussion on best practices
12:15 – 1:30 Lunch break
1:30 – 2:30 Doing Business with the Federal Government
2:30 – 2:45 Break
3:00 – 3:45 Other Certifications
3:45 – 4:00 Close out
Government marketing workshop offered May 16th
April 17, 2012 by cs
In partnership with American Express OPEN, the Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is proud to offer a three-hour workshop entitled “Victory in Procurement: Marketing to the Federal Government.”
Designed for small business owners, this event will teach you how to effectively pitch your business to the government and provide:
- Insights into how to select which government agencies to target and how to get meetings with them,
- Tips and tactics for improving your elevator pitch and capabilities statement,
- Sample elevator pitches and capabilities statements,
- Advice from a panel of government buyers and successful small business owners,
- Interactive, roll-up-your-sleeves round-table exercises where you’ll hone your new-found skills.
The event will be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at the Tech Square Research Building (TSRB), located at 85 Fifth St., NW, Atlanta, GA 30308. The workshop will take place from 9:00 am until 12 noon.
Pre-registration is required. Click here to pre-register. Due to space limitations, walk-ins on the day of the event will not be allowed.
A flyer describing this event can be downloaded by clicking here.
Fort Valley State to hold small business expo Mar. 28th
February 12, 2012 by cs
Fort Valley State University’s 5th Annual Small Business Expo is being held on March 28, 2012. The Rural Business Outreach Institute plays host to this event each year.
The theme for this year’s event is “Staying Ahead of the Competition.” There will be four primary educational tracks: 1) Business Capital, 2) Technology, 3) Government/Legal, and 4) Business/Professional Development.
This event will be held at the Pettigrew Center on Fort Valley State’s campus at 1005 State University Dr., Fort Valley, GA 31030.
For details click here. To register, please email Ms. Kristie L. Kenney at ude.usvfnull@kyennek or call 478-825-6127.
Perry, GA the place to be Nov. 15-17 to learn about business opportunities at Robins Air Force Base
October 14, 2011 by ei2admin
The Robins AFB and the Air Logistics Center will be holding its annual “Requirements Symposium” on Nov. 15-17, 2011 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter, Perry GA.
This is a unique 3-day event where senior leaders and managers at Robins Air Force Base share their current and future business requirements and organizational vision of the future. This insight into requirements at Robins AFB and the Air Logistics Center allows aerospace industries and businesses to appropriately plan for capabilities to support the needs at Robins AFB and the Warfighters they service.
The base and WR-ALC spend approximately $4.1 Billion dollars each year. By attending, you can see if you can help provide what is needed.
The agenda looks like this:
- Tuesday, November 15 – Optional Golf Tournament at Robins AFB Golf Course
- Tuesday, November 15 – Pre-symposium registration at Museum of Aviation Century of Flight Building
- Tuesday, November 15 – Contractor Vendor Booths, Century of Flight Building
- Tuesday, November 15 – Evening Social, Century of Flight Building
- Wednesday, November 16 – Thursday, November 17, 2011 – Symposium at Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter
On-line registration for this event opens in July. Watch this site — http://www.wrcoc-aic.org/Page8.aspx — for details.
Archives of previous years’ Symposium events may be found at: http://www.wrcoc-aic.org/Page9.aspx
Middle Georgia supplier fair Sept. 7 & 8
June 27, 2011 by ei2admin
The Governmental Purchasing Association of Georgia (GPAG) is holding its 2nd annual Supplier Fair at the Perry National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA on Sept. 7 and 8, 2011.
The cost of attendance is $175. There will be classes, government representatives, and lots of vendor present. For
more information go www.gpagfair.com.
For questions concerning the Supplier Fair you can contact Nancy Rooks at ude.wsgnull@skoorn , Supplier Fair Attendee Recruiter or Becky Daniel at ten.ebchnull@leinad.ykceb , Supplier Fair Co-Chair, or Jack Millet at ten.htuosllebnull@tellime , Supplier Fair Co-Chair.
Columbus, GA warfighting products conference set for Sept. 13-15
June 1, 2011 by ei2admin
The Federal Business Council invites all businesses to exhibit at the Annual U.S. Army Maneuver Warfighting Conference. This premier event is scheduled to take place at the Iron Works Convention and Trade Center in Columbus, GA, September 13 – 15, 2011.
This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your products to a knowledgeable audience of decision makers throughout U.S. Army Warfighting branches. The 2011 event is expected to attract nearly 4,000 key players, including senior level officers, end-users, procurement officials, and everyone in-between. In addition, the exhibit hall attracts thousands more from the nearby Fort Benning.
The goal this year is to provide specialized and refresher training to key U.S. Army personnel and bring together the Warfighter community to receive top-notch training and exposure. This event has a great history. In previous years, there have been globally recognized vendors taking up more than 400 conference spaces (80,000 sq ft) representing the spectrum of Warfighting technologies. Many companies exhibit year after year.
The Maneuver Warfighting Conference is hosted by the U.S. Maneuver Center of Excellence with input from the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, which has played a large part in our nation’s Warfighting efforts. Your participation in this event is vital in helping to accomplish their mission and communicate the importance of the newest technology in relation to security, education, training, and awareness for the U.S. Warfighter.
Please call (800) 878-2940 for available marketing opportunities.
Marine Corps’ Albany base sponsors small business trade show Aug. 4 & 5
May 28, 2011 by ei2admin
If you’re interested in learning about what and how the Marine Corps Logistics Command buys, then you ought to consider being at the Albany Civic Center on Aug. 4 and 5, 2011.
The Albany Marine Corps base is hosting a two-day trade show specifically focused on procurement and acquisition that support of Warfighter requirements.
The Command is looking for exhibitors and attendees specializing in:
- Logistics
- Industrial Electronics
- Communications
- Information Technology
- Engineering
- Parts Obsolescence
- Repair/Maintenance
- Storage
- Warehousing (including Supplies)
- Material Handling
- Green Initiatives
- Construction
- Structure Ventilation/Controlled Environments for Workers
On Thursday, Aug. 4th, an anticipated 100 exhibitors — representing both small business and large business as well as local, state, and federal government agencies – are expected to be on hand at the Albany Civic Center. Opening ceremonies will begin at 8:00 a.m.
Mid-day on Thursday, attendees will gather for lunch across the street from the Civic Center at the Albany Hilton Garden Inn to hear featured keynote speaker, Lieutenant General Frank A. Panter, Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics, Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps.
Following lunch, activities will resume in the exhibit hall at the Civic Center from 1:30 until 4:00 p.m.
On Friday, Aug. 5th at the Albany Civic Center there will be eight (8) workshops running concurrently, each repeated on the hour at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00 a.m. Workshop topics include: The Mission and Function of the Marine Corps Logistics Command Centers (including Distribution Management, Maintenance Center, and Supply Management); Expert Services for Entrepreneurs; Acquisition Courses for Contractors; the Federal Logistics Information System and the Internet Bid Board System; Construction Requirements of the Marine Corps Logistics Base; Small Business Program Updates; Getting on GSA Schedules; and Doing Business with the Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM).
There is a registration fee of $100 to attend this two-day event. The registration fee includes access to all events both days, including one lunch ticket for Aug. 4th.
Companies wishing to exhibit at the event must make arrangements and pay a fee in advance. The exhibition fee for large businesses is $550, and the exhibition fee for small businesses is $450. Each of these exhibitor registration packages covers two attendees and two lunch tickets. (Exhibitors must set-up at the Civic Center on Wed., Aug. 3rd, between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. Exhibit teardown takes place on Thurs., Aug. 4th between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.)
Pre-registration is required to attend this event. The deadline for registration is Thursday, June 16, 2011. Complete details may be found at: http://www.logcom.usmc.mil/sbpo/files/trade-show/2011/Key-Information.pdf.
- The Industry Exhibitor registration form is at: http://www.logcom.usmc.mil/sbpo/files/trade-show/2011/Industry-Exhibitor-Reg.pdf
- The Industry Attendee registration form is at: http://www.logcom.usmc.mil/sbpo/files/trade-show/2011/Industry-Attendee-Reg.pdf
- The Government/Non-Profit registration form is at: http://www.logcom.usmc.mil/sbpo/files/trade-show/2011/Govt-Reg.pdf
Warner Robins Air Force Base holds small business event June 22
May 27, 2011 by ei2admin
If you are interested in learning about the tools needed to pursue business with the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC), the place to be is Warner Robins, GA on June 22, 2011.
(For a list of recurring products and services procured by WR-ALC, please consult: http://www.robins.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081216-015.pdf )
The event will begin at 8:00 am with opening remarks by Major General Robet McMahon, Commander of WR-ALC.
Presentations are scheduled to be made by the Small Business Administration’s Procurement Center Representative (PCR) as well as staff of the Air Force Reserve Command’s Small Business Office and the WR-ALC’s Office of Small Business Programs.
Additional presentations will be made by the Small Business Development Center, the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), and the General Services Administration. GTPAC’s director Chuck Schadl will be providing instruction on how to do research on contract opportunities in the government marketplace.
The event will end at 12:00 noon.
Attendance is free of charge, but is limited to the first 240 persons who pre-register. To register, contact Ms. Crystal Storie at lim.fa.snibornull@eirots.latsyrc or (478) 926-5873. You must pre-register to attend, and no more than 2 persons per company may attend.
The event will be held in the Robert L. Scott, Jr. Theater, Museum of Aviation Eagle Building, Robins AFB, Georgia. For a map and directions, please click on this link: Museum Layout & Directions
Free business finance workshop June 13th
April 27, 2011 by ei2admin
Courtesy of the Small Business Development Center, you can come hear Terry Crispen of Borrego Springs Bank speak about small business financing on Monday, June 13, from 2 until 4 pm.
Most companies need working capital to conduct their day-to-day business. This program discusses the use of working capital term loans to finance these
operations.
You will want to attend this informative program if you are considering starting a new business venture or have the need for additional working captial for your existing business.
CALL TO REGISTER 229 420-1144 OR CLICK HERE to go online to register! This event is free, but you must register in advance.
This event will be held at 125 Pine Ave. in Albany.