Tallahassee Supplier Diversity Exchange

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1 Final Report The Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) presented the 2017 Tallahassee Supplier Diversity Exchange on Wednesday, October 4 in collaboration with the Big Bend Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week. The Supplier Diversity Exchange was held at the Agency for Health Care Administration and included a panel discussion, networking opportunities and one-on-one interviews. Attendees were welcomed and greeted with opening remarks from OSD Executive Director Hue Reynolds and Department of Management Services Secretary Erin Rock. From there, the audience took advantage of an Open House: Ask the Expert session where they could pose questions to the panel of state and local representatives. After a networking break, 34 organizations, including 18 state agencies, participated in 15-minute one-on-one interviews with small business attendees. Of the attendees who completed the post-event survey, 97.1% strongly agree or agree that participating in the event was beneficial. Event Attendance Overall, there were 120 registrants for the event and 123 attendees participated. The below chart provides information on those who registered but did not attend, and the breakdown of those who attended. Tallahassee Supplier Diversity Exchange Attended, 123, 78% Walk-in Attendees: 19 Small Business, 63, 40% Registered But Did Not Attend, 16, 10% State & Local, 60, 38% Registered But Did Not Attend Walk-in Attendees Attended Small Business State & Local

2 State and Local Agency Attendees A total of 34 state, local and federal agencies participated in the Tallahassee Supplier Diversity Exchange. Access Florida Finance Corporation Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce City of Tallahassee Florida A&M University Procurement Services Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation Florida Department of Children & Families Florida Department of Corrections Florida Department of Education Florida Department of Elder Affairs Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Department of Health Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Florida Department of Law Enforcement Florida Department of Management Services, Departmental Purchasing Florida Department of Management Services, Office of Supplier Diversity & MyFloridaMarketPlace Florida Department of Revenue Florida Department of Transportation, Procurement Office Florida Department of Transportation, DBE Support Services, Construction Estimating Institute (CEI) Florida Department of Transportation, Specialized Development Program, Ariel Business Group Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Florida Lottery Florida SBDC Network Florida State University Facilities Financial Services Florida State University Procurement Services Leon County Leon County Schools Office of the Governor Small Business Administration Tallahassee International Airport Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality Post-Event Survey Feedback A post-event survey was sent to event attendees on October 6, Thirty-five attendees completed the survey and reported the following feedback: 91% very satisfied or satisfied with the networking opportunities at the event. 97% strongly agree or agree that the objectives of the event were clearly defined. 97% strongly agree or agree that the objectives of the event were met. 97% strongly agree or agree that participating in the event was beneficial. 100% agree that they will likely recommend the event to friends and/or colleagues. Most important or beneficial take-away from the event: o That everyone really wants to help vendors find opportunities to partner with their agencies. Very warm and sincere group and very approachable. o Hue has done an excellent job and is turning things around to move forward. o Being sure that I have a strong "elevator pitch" all ready to go. o Being able to interact with everyone in one location. o Criteria/purchasing thresholds for different entities. o The amount of resources available to help small businesses that I did not know about. 2

3 o There are smaller contracts I can vie for if I network. Collaboration with sister companies whose company performs similar services is could be an option. Apply for being a vendor in several places. o That getting contracts with government agencies is attainable. Biggest area of improvement for next year s event: o Larger space. The set-up for the one on one was extremely tight. o Can't think of anything. Extremely well organized from registration all the way through the event. I'll be back next year! o More time to network. o Individual presentations by state agency for particular vendors. Recommendations to vendors for which state agencies use their services. o I believe participants would benefit if there was a class offered to new business that taught them how to register in MFMP, how to navigate through the state term contracts and how to receive notices through VBS, as well as, tips/helpful information on how to apply for a competitive solicitation. Many of the vendors that spoke to me did not even have their business entity registered in MFMP so they were not receiving any notices. o Possibly more handout information on areas covered by speakers, and/or their representative areas. o None -- this was incredibly well-organized and the 15 minute time slots for matchmaking was the perfect amount of time. Suggestions for session topics for future events: o Business development. o Managing cash flow. o A reverse trade show where Agencies can set up tables and vendors have the opportunity to walk around and meet all. o A simple "How do I get started?" panel discussion or workshop for the looking to start their own business. o How to begin or continue a collaboration with a sister vendor. What are the first steps in knowing what company is a potential candidate for needing your help in completing a service? How do collaborations work? What are some do s/don'ts? o Please bring the Department of Revenue to discuss general reporting requirements for businesses and also DFS to discuss FACTS. o Sessions with other new "successful" startups that have made it to hear their tips. o DMS needs to provide a table for vendors to register and be able to ask questions. I spent most of my time explaining to vendors how the system works. o I would say the networking opportunities that can be made from off of the prime vendors in MFMP, and other governmental agencies and where to find all the different resource information. Additional comments: o This event was amazing. Very well organized and informative. From registration to the closing remarks, everyone delivered exactly what was promised and more. The panel members and agency buyers were very knowledgeable and sincerely there to help. I'd recommend the 3

4 Event Photos Exchange to any business who wants to know more about working with Florida government. I'll be back next year! o The selection of the organizations that participated were diverse and gave me an opportunity to engage with agency reps that I didn't realize could help me grow my company. o I felt like this event educated and encouraged me to do business with the state of Florida, the city of Tallahassee and to become a better business myself by taking advantage of small business administration. It was well run and organized. I feel like our business will grow by attending. o I walked into the room not knowing what to expect. The panel clearly explained the process and they were very encouraging. The connections made during the interviews were very beneficial. I have my first appointment next week! Thank you so much for positioning us for success! o I was able to obtain new vendors for our agency to use that had a valid W-9 on file and could start work right away. 4

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