GRO

For the 15th year, Wyoming’s business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to attend the GRO-Biz Conference and Idea Expo Feb. 22-23 at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper. 

The conference is an opportunity to network with other business owners, meet economic development professionals, and connect with dozens of government procurement representatives to help companies sell to the multibillion dollar federal government market.

“This is a great opportunity for folks interested in government contracting to network with government agency representatives and for any business to take advantage of the general business workshops,” says Cindy Unger, business adviser for the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC). 

The SBDC is a partnership among the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBDC focuses on educating small-business owners and potential owners on how to successfully start and operate small businesses. The SBDC’s main office is located at UW.

The GRO-Biz and Idea Expo is two events rolled into one. The “GRO-Biz” conference track is aimed at businesses seeking government contracts. Workshop topics include marketing to government agencies, woman-owned small businesses, invoicing, proposal preparation and Wyoming state government opportunities. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to meet and network with state and federal government contracting representatives.  

The “Idea Expo” track focuses on small-business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Workshop topics include cybersecurity, exporting, employee innovation, leadership skills, and technology transfer and commercialization. Keynote speakers will be Scott Friedman, who will discuss employee engagement and innovation; and Gloria Larkin, who will speak about government contracting.

To view the full agenda and register, visit www.regonline.com/2017grobizidea. Early bird registration through Feb. 8 is $165. After that date, the registration fee is $185.  

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least two weeks in advance. For more information, call the Wyoming SBDC Network Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) staff at (307) 234-3203 or email ptac@uwyo.edu. 

The Wyoming SBDC Network is a business advising group of the Wyoming SBDC, PTAC, Market Research Center and SBIR/STTR Initiative. The network’s mission is to help Wyoming entrepreneurs succeed. Advising and most market research activities are free of charge to Wyoming residents.

The SBDC is funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and UW.