A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.
By Natasha Stahla, Wyoming Entrepreneur Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) procurement specialist
"Why should I attend the 2012 GRO-Biz Conference and Idea Expo?" Sally, Laramie
This year's GRO-Biz Conference and Idea Expo was not your typical business conference.
The combination of the two events complimented each other well. The conference featured two tracks -- the Idea track involved general business sessions and the GRO-Biz track focused on government-related sessions. The collaboration made for a remarkable small business owner's conference.
To view some of the presentations click on the following link http://www.slideshare.net/wyendotbiz.
The workshops ranged from Amy Russian's, "Maximize Your Tradeshow ROI," to "Roadmap to Government Success," by Amy Lea and Jeff Sneddon, Wyoming Entrepreneur PTAC. Another presentation from the conference that is beneficial for a business doing government contracting is "Proposal Preparation," by Dutch Van Stockum, Western Area Power Administration contracting officer.
These are just three of the informative sessions from the conference. Additionally, the networking and match-making sets this conference aside from all others. Contracting officers from more than 50 government agencies attended this year to meet with small business representatives. Owners can meet with contracting officers all day or attend workshops at next year's event.
The following are a couple of comments from the 2011 conference attendees:
"I was able to meet face-to-face with purchasing representatives from the Office of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service and the National Guard," said Drew Izatt, Silver Star Communications in Freedom. "I also met with other Wyoming businesses including communication and engineering companies. Our company is already pursuing opportunities in conjunction with these new relationships. "
"What a wonderful experience. I wanted to find out about working with the local federal and state government offices. My questions were answered, plus I met many wonderful people and made several business contacts," said Linda Burnett, Powder River Shredders, of Wright. "By attending many of the breakout sessions, I gained extra knowledge, garnered some new ideas, and found comfort in listening to stories of how many successful businesses started out and grew."
If you were unable to attend this year's conference hopefully this information will be of encouragement. For more clips from the latest conference, visit http://www.slideshare.net/wyendotbiz.
For more information about next year's conference or to be added to the mailing list, email Natasha Stahla at nstahla1@uwyo.edu or call 1-866-253-3300.
A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments is available at http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.typepad.com/blog/.
The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, e-mail wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.
