Wednesday,April 20, 2004
The Show Place Arena
14900 Pennsylvania Avenue
Upper Marlboro, MD
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

"A national conference fostering business partnerships between the Federal Government, its Prime Contractors, and small, minority, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses."

OSDBU Conference Home
Conference Agenda
Conference Details
Conference CCR Registration Forms
Sponsors and Exhibitors
Tips
Procurement Opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities
One-on-One Counseling

Tips - how to get the most out of the day

There are few days in the life of a business that offer the sales opportunities as the OSDBU Procurement Conference.  You will be able to obtain more leads and contacts in one day than anywhere else.  This is a unique marketing environment, so here are some tips to take advantage of every minute:

ATTENDEES

  • Target your potential clients and speak with them first.  Get as much information about their contracting/subcontracting procedures as possible.   Research their web sites.
  • Prepare a one-page flyer indicating who your customers are and what you do for them.
  • Bring lots of business cards and hand them out liberally.
  • Get the contact's name, number and email address to follow up on potential business.
  • Take advantage of the seminars. The information is timely and can prepare you for bidding on available business.
  • Participate in the One-on-One Counseling Sessions where representatives from Federal Government procurement and program offices and large business prime contractors will meet for 15 minutes in pre-scheduled appointments with small businesses. 
  • Ask about current on-site procurement opportunities.  Many of the exhibitors have information at their booth.
  • Prepare to do business!

EXHIBITORS

  • Stand up and be ready to greet visitors. Don't let anyone important get past you.
  • Your customers are also the other exhibitors. This is not a normal show in which you sit at a booth and everyone comes to you. You must facilitate the networking by going out to your fellow exhibitors. Take a look at the exhibitor list and make sure that someone on your staff visits your targeted customers.
  • Be open to the fact that other exhibitors and attendees will also try to market to you. Trade shows normally discourage soliciting by non-exhibitors. We encourage it! The purpose of the day is to sell. Market yourself, market your product, market your service.
  • Take advantage of the seminars. Procedures are ever-changing and you will learn new details that might affect the way you do business with the government. Stay ahead of the game.
  • Participate in the One-on-One Counseling Sessions where representatives from Federal Government procurement and program offices and large business prime contractors will meet for 15 minutes in pre-scheduled appointments with small businesses.  
  • List products or services that you are looking for small, minority, 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses to provide on our "Procurement Opportunities" page. 
  • Prepare to do business!