The 2008 Minority and Small Business Expo offers UGA departments a chance to meet and network with local service and product suppliers.
Scheduled for 8 a.m.–noon March 7 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel, the expo is the first event of its kind and provides a unique opportunity for UGA departments.
“I encourage anyone who makes purchasing decisions in the colleges, schools and units to attend this event,” said Tim Burgess, senior vice president for finance and administration. “Doing so will introduce them to new products and services and expand their list of potential vendors, which ultimately could lead to better pricing and quality of goods and services for the university, not to mention expanded utilization of small and minority vendors. Plus, the expo format truly makes this ‘one-stop shopping:’ you can interact with many vendors under one roof, without ever leaving campus.”
Opening with a meet and greet over a continental breakfast, the event allows more than 100 small and minority vendors to visit UGA department tables and speak with staffers.
“This opens up doors not just for minorities, but everyone—owners, entrepreneurs, buyers. We’ve been working on this project for a long time, and we’re very excited about it,” said Sibyl Henderson, chairperson of the Minority Action Committee of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce.
It’s a rare opportunity to partner with the community in a new way and utilize services that campus departments may not have been aware of, according to Holley Schramski, associate vice president and controller.
“It’s a good way for departments to expand their knowledge of the available vendor base,” she said.
The university partnered with the AACOC to develop this event after several discussions with the chamber’s minority business action committee.
UGA departments should e-mail ugaexpo@uga.edu or contact Jessica Guest or Sarah Williamson in Procurement at (706) 542-2361 to register for the expo.
