Tips

There are few days in the life of a business that offer the sales opportunities as the OSDBU Procurement Conference. You will be able to obtain more leads and contacts in one day than anywhere else. This is a unique marketing environment, so here are some tips to take advantage of every minute:

ATTENDEES

• Study the list of exhibitors carefully before venturing into the Exhibit Hall.
• Target your potential clients and speak with them first.  Get as much information about their contracting/subcontracting procedures as possible.   Research their web sites.
• Prepare a one-page flyer indicating who your customers are and what you do for them.
• Bring lots of business cards and hand them out liberally.
• Get the contact's name, number and email address to follow up on potential business.
• Take advantage of the seminars. The information is timely and can prepare you for bidding on available business.
• Participate in the Procurement Matchmaking where representatives from Federal Government procurement and program offices and large business prime contractors will meet for 15 minutes in pre-scheduled appointments with small businesses. 
• Preview the Procurement Opportunities page to find out who is buying what you sell.
• Ask about current on-site procurement opportunities.  Many of the exhibitors have information at their booth.
• Prepare to do business!

EXHIBITORS

• Stand up and be ready to greet visitors. Don't let anyone important get past you.
• Your customers are also the other exhibitors. This is not a normal show in which you sit at a booth and everyone comes to you. You must facilitate the networking by going out to your fellow exhibitors. Take a look at the exhibitor list and make sure that someone on your staff visits your targeted customers.
• Be open to the fact that other exhibitors and attendees will also try to market to you. Trade shows normally discourage soliciting by non-exhibitors. We encourage it! The purpose of the day is to sell. Market yourself, market your product, market your service.
• Take advantage of the seminars. Procedures are ever-changing and you will learn new details that might affect the way you do business with the government. Stay ahead of the game.
  
• Participate in the Procurement Matchmaking where representatives from Federal Government procurement and program offices and large business prime contractors will meet for 15 minutes in pre-scheduled appointments with small businesses.
• List products or services that you are looking for small, minority, 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses to provide on our Procurement Opportunities page.
• Prepare to do business!