SBA
Expo ‘05
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
I am a small business owner. What are the advantages
to attending SBA
Expo ’05 either as an attendee
or an exhibitor?
2. What are the registration
and exhibit fees?
3. What do I get with my
attendee registration fee?
4. Can I register as an attendee
on-site?
5. When I register
as an attendee for SBA Expo ’05, am I automatically
registered in Business Matchmaking?
6. What is
the cancellation policy for attendees and
exhibitors?
7. When I
rent an exhibit booth, what do I get as
an exhibitor?
8. How will
I know if my online registration went through
successfully?
9. Who can I call
if I am having technical problems with
the online registration process?
10. Will
my registration information be shared with
any other entities?
11. Does
the SBA have a special rate for government
employees?
12. How do
I know if my business qualifies as a small
or large business?
13. What
is the dress code for the events?
14. I am
coming to Expo from out of town. Will I
need to rent a car to attend all the functions?
1. I am a
small business owner. What are the advantages
to attending SBA Expo ’05 either
as an attendee or an exhibitor?
As an attendee, SBA Expo ’05 provides a great opportunity for small
business owners to network with other small businesses, large businesses
and the federal government. The Business Sessions enable small businesses
to interact with experts and gain valuable tools about managing and growing
a small business. The Business Matchmaking component of the conference “matches” small
businesses with federal, state, and local government agencies and large
corporations that have contracting opportunities for goods and services
in one-to-one meetings. In addition to attending, Small businesses may
also register to exhibit their goods and services to the public, including
other small business owners, corporations, government agencies and trade
organizations during the Expo for a nominal fee.
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2.
What are the registration and exhibit fees?
|
Full Event Registration |
|
| General Registration Rate |
$400.00 |
| ($400
until 3/24, $450 until 4/21, $475 on-site) |
|
| Government Rate (must provide Gov. ID during
on-site registration) |
$325.00 |
| Student Rate (must provide current school
ID at registration) |
$150.00 |
| |
|
| Daily Event Pricing |
|
| Tuesday (4/26) Only |
$150.00 |
| Wednesday (4/27) Only |
$150.00 |
| Thursday (4/28) Only |
$200.00 |
| |
|
| Event Only Pricing |
|
| Tuesday, April 26 |
Luncheon
Reception |
$60.00
$100.00 |
| Wednesday, April 27 |
Luncheon
Reception |
$60.00
$100.00 |
| Thursday, April 28 |
Luncheon
Gala |
$60.00
$150.00 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Exhibitor Pricing |
|
|
| Small Business Exhibitor Fee |
|
$425 |
| Large Business Exhibitor Fee |
|
$750 |
| Government Exhibitor Fee |
|
$475 |
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3. What do I get with my attendee
registration fee?
Depending on whether attendees choose event-only, daily or full registration,
all registered attendees have the opportunity to partake in the Expo events,
visit the expo floor, attend Business Sessions and participate in the Business
Matchmaking program. During the luncheon and reception events, attendees
may enjoy complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages. In addition,
transportation will be provided between the Hilton Washington and any off-site
evening receptions.
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4. Can I register as an attendee on-site?
Conference attendance is limited. If the conference has not sold
out prior to April 26, on site registration will be offered. However
to guarantee
a space, we encourage attendees to register in advance.
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5. When I register as an attendee for
SBA Expo ’05, am I automatically registered in Business Matchmaking?
No. The Expo registration allows registrants to participate in
Business Matchmaking. However, because of the popularity of the
program and complexity
in “matching” small businesses to procurement representatives,
registrants must complete an additional registration to schedule their
meetings. Once a registrant successfully registers for the Expo and
chooses the option to participate in Business Matchmaking, they will
be given a
link to the Business Matchmaking registration Web site.
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6. What is the cancellation policy for attendees
and exhibitors?
Attendee Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your registration online by entering
in your confirmation number in the designated space on the
registration link at the Web site. Or fax a written cancellation
request to SBA (703) 684-0015. The cancellation policy is as
follows: Any cancellations requested by April 6, will incur
a $50 cancellation fee. Any cancellations requested between
April 7 and April 19 will incur a $100 cancellation fee. After
April 19, no refunds will be given; however, you may make name
substitutions. No-shows will not be refunded.
Exhibitor Cancellation Policy
Exhibitors may cancel their exhibit booth by faxing a written cancellation
request to SBA at
(703) 684-0015. Cancellations may also be processed on-line by entering
your confirmation number in the designated space on the registration link
at the website. Cancellations requested by April 6th, will incur a $150.00
fee. Cancellations requested between April 7th and April 19th will incur
a cancellation fee equal to 50% of exhibitor registration fee. After April
19th, no refunds will be given. There will be no refunds for No-Shows.
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7. When I rent
an exhibit booth, what do I get as an exhibitor?
. Pipe & Drapery
for the back and sides for your booth
. 6
foot draped table, 2 chairs & wastebasket
. 2 “expo floor-only” personnel
badges
. Identification
Sign displaying company name (7in X 44 in)
. Listing
in the Exhibitor Directory distributed on-site
to all Expo floor attendees
If you are interested in attending all the
SBA Expo ’05 events beyond
access to the Expo floor, you will be required to purchase an attendee
event, daily or full registration, as applicable.
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8. How will I
know if my online registration went through
successfully?
Once your online registration is complete,
you will receive an e-mail confirmation with
your confirmation number. With the confirmation
number, you may make
any necessary edits, such as updating an address or correcting a misspelled
name.
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9. Who can I call if
I am having technical problems with the online
registration process?
Please contact SBA Expo ’05 Registration
directly (800) 818-5319 and reference SBA in
your inquiry.
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10. Will my registration
information be shared with any other entities?
SBA Expo ‘05’s registration company,
Epsilon Registration, LLC, a sub-contractor
to SCORE (an Expo cosponsor), is collecting
and retaining
information for registration purposes only. The information will not be
sold or re-distributed for any other purpose.
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11. Does the
SBA have a special rate for government employees?
Yes, the government employee rate for attendee
full registration is $325 and the government
rate for an Expo booth is $475. In addition,
the special
room rate at the Hilton Washington for Expo attendees is equivalent to
the Washington, D.C., per-diem rate.
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12. How do I
know if my business qualifies as a small or
large business?
The SBA has established a size standard for
specific industries. As of February 2004, the
general size standards for small businesses
are as follows:
. 500
employees for most manufacturing and mining
industries
. 100
employees for all wholesale trade industries
. $6
million in annual sales for most retail and
service industries
. $28.5
million in annual sales for most general & heavy
construction industries
. $12
million in annual sales for all special trade
contractors
. $750
thousand in annual sales for most agricultural
industries
If you are still unsure whether you are a small business, the following
Web site provides more detailed information about specific size standards: https://eweb1.sba.gov/naics/dsp_naicssearch2.cfm
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13. What is the
dress code for the events?
The dress code for all the events at the Hilton
Washington is business attire. The evening
receptions on Tuesday and Wednesday are business
casual
attire. Thursday night’s reception is semi-formal attire.
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14. I am coming to Expo
from out of town. Will I need to rent a car
to attend all the functions?
All events except the evening receptions
on Tuesday and Wednesday are located in the
Hilton
Washington. Transportation will be provided
from the Hilton
for all Expo attendees for the two off-site evening receptions. To get
to the Hilton, you can take a taxi, metro and/or shuttle on to the events
depending on which mode of transportation you are using to get into the
city. Visit www.hilton.washington.com or
call the hotel directly at (202) 483-3000 to find out specific directions
and costs.
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