OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – The State Suppliers Expo is returning to the Oklahoma City Convention Center later this month to help Oklahoma companies network with the state government.
The event will be held Sept. 25-26 at the Convention Center.
Attendees will be able to visit with state leaders from across all areas of government, create opportunities to partner on projects, sign up as state bidders and gain insight on navigating state purchasing processes, according to Oklahoma Office of Management & Enterprise Services officials.
“This event is a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with local businesses and see how they can help us meet the needs of our state,” said Amanda Otis, state purchasing director. “Working closely with the private sector means the state can complete projects more efficiently and provide better services to Oklahomans, and the expo helps us find the best partners to make our community stronger and more successful.”
The State Suppliers Expo has brought local businesses and the state together for the past three years, creating enduring relationships. Attendees of the 2023 State Suppliers Expo have conducted roughly $4.8 million in business with state agencies, including $4.2 million spent with Oklahoma companies.
The 2024 State Suppliers Expo will feature the following new elements:
- This year’s participants can look forward to a two-day event – with one day focused on networking and the other featuring a full lineup of breakout sessions focused on the “how” of doing business with state entities.
- Construction companies are invited to a State of Construction Breakfast hosted by Nathan Wald, Capital Assets Management administrator, who oversees the state’s Construction and Properties team.
- Technology companies are invited to a State of Technology Luncheon hosted by Joe McIntosh, state chief information officer, who will moderate a panel discussion about the impact of emerging technologies on the health and human services sectors of government.
- The new Oklahoma Business Matchup segment invites the first 160 pre-registered companies to meet with their choice of state contacts in prescheduled 15-minute meetings.
- Local small businesses are invited to an Oklahoma Small Business Contracting Opportunities breakout session, hosted by Oklahoma CareerTech’s APEX Accelerator program.
- All companies are invited to a National Contract Opportunities breakout session, hosted by the National Association of State Procurement Officials, to learn how to do business with multiple states.
“This is a free event for you to bring your game face, visit several state agencies in the same room, and promote yourself all in one day,” said 2023 attendee David Crawford, CEO of TruCleanz Distribution, a Native American and veteran-owned business that provides medical equipment out of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. “As a small business entrepreneur … I have a very small promotional budget, [and the State Suppliers Expo] gives me a chance to promote myself to many agencies at once without a large cost.”
Businesses of all sizes and industries can attend the expo at no charge. Pre-registration for the 2024 State Suppliers Expo is open through Sept. 13.
Go to oklahoma.gov/stateyourbusiness for the latest updates and more information.
