GETTING THE MOST OF YOUR WBENC CERTIFICATION______ Back To Main Page


Making The Most of The First Annual WBDC Conference & Business Expo

by Ana Maria Manresa

The WBDC First Annual Conference will provide a great wealth of resources for both WBEs and Non-WBEs.  The conference will provide workshops, matchmaker events, networking events, receptions, conference luncheon and our business expo.  All these events have been developed for the purpose of understanding and maximizing opportunities available for women business owners interested in doing business with corporations and the federal government.  If you are among the many WBEs who will be attending the conference, you will want to take advantage of all the resources being provided for both WBEs and Non-WBEs. 

Workshops

There are workshops for business owners to help gain a better understanding of how to do business with major corporations by improving approach and developing the right strategies.  There are also workshops for corporations designed to provide additional insight and resources for their Supplier Diversity Programs.

• CUBE - Business Growth Strategies
• Marketing Your WBENC Certification
• Doing Business with Office Depot
• Disaster & Hurricane Preparedness
• How To Close a Deal
• Do You Have a Book in You?
• Detecting Corporate Supplier Diversity Fraud
• Business Case for Supplier Diversity

Matchmaker Events

Our corporate sponsors and partners as well as local WBEs will participate in hosting matchmaker meetings for our WBENC Certified WBEs.  Matchmaker sessions will be held throughout the conference on Thursday and Friday.  These events will give selected WBEs an opportunity to present their business products/services to interested buyers in a one-on-one format.

Office Depot Vendor Open House

Office Depot will host their Vendor Open House event in conjunction with our conference and expo.  This is another opportunity to pitch your product or service directly to Office Depot buyers.

Networking Events

The conference will host two networking receptions, a networking luncheon and several opportunities for networking in between functions.  Also, don't forget to stop by the WBDC booth.  We'll be there and happy to help you find needed resources.  Please review the schedule of events for details.

Business Expo

Our business expo will be on Friday, September 26th and host our corporate sponsors, national and Florida WBEs.  This is great opportunity to meet corporate buyers, make new business relationships, re-establish contact with fellow WBEs and other contacts.  It's not too late to sign up for a booth, click here.

For information on any of these resources, contact Ana Maria at anamaria@womensbusiness.info