TALLAHASSEE – The Be in 2 Win campaign urges Florida’s small and minority businesses to attend the 2011 Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) MatchMaker Conference, Thursday, May 19, 2011 at Florida State University’s Turnbull Conference Center, 555 West Pensacola Street, Tallahassee, FL, at 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Be in 2 Win is a call to action for Florida’s small and minority businesses to take the initiative, network, attend meetings and make business contacts for future prospects. “How many people have the skills that can do the work? Can you provide a service or product to the State of Florida? Do you have the key names of statewide purchasing agents? You find answers at any OSD MatchMaker.
“The contacts made at these meetings are so valuable I urge those just starting a business to still get on board because you may in the future become a prospective vendor,” says Chair of the Florida Advisory Council on Small and Minority Business Development Cheryl Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is also the Chair, State University System Council on Equal Opportunity and Diversity and Director, Equal Opportunity Programs and Diversity Officer at the University of North Florida.
“It’s a win, win situation for small and minority businesses. It’s a means for small businesses to network and meet state government procurement officers, university purchasing directors, and corporate buyers and contractors. It’s an opportunity to potentially form partnerships and joint ventures for certain projects.
“In the Be in 2 Win campaign, the number “2” represents the connections made between buyers and sellers, business partners, sub-contractors and between two people or entities committed to building business potential and create jobs for Floridians.”
Gonzalez urges business leaders to attend all regional OSD Matchmaker events because, as yet, the annual OSD MatchMaker and Trade Show and most other regional meetings have not been scheduled. “Businesses from as far as Key West are responding to attend the conference in Tallahassee,” says OSD Senior Manager and Certification Administrator Thad Fortune. ([email protected])
OSD Matchmaker is open to all small and minority businesses. Attendees at the 2011 MatchMaker Conference include minority, women, service disabled veterans, and other small business enterprises; state and local elected officials, purchasing personnel, private sector vendors, and stakeholders.
The number of attendees at OSD MatchMaker 2009 was 1,224. The following year MatchMaker, although held at a smaller venue was attended by 936 attendees.
Of those attending, 758 small businesses had one-on-one appointments with purchasing agents.
