Albany Matchmaker & Expo - Thursday, September 10, 2009

The 2009 Albany Matchmaker & Expo will be held on Thursday, September 10 at The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in Albany, New York. If you are a small business owner interested in government contracting, this is an ideal opportunity to present the products and services of your company directly to the decision makers in 10-minute individual appointments. Leading up to Upstate New York's premier matchmaking event will be a free online workshop series for interested small business owners in August. Registration for the matchmaker and workshop series for small business owners is anticipated to open on July 27.

What can you expect from the Albany Matchmaker? Read what last year's participants had to say about the event...

Small business
"Great tools-appointment buyer booklet well put together and very useful. Buyers were very responsive. Great event-looking forward to next year."
     -Brigitte Connors, Meeting Industry Experts, Schenectady

Over 98% of small business owners found the 2008 Albany Matchmaker so valuable they planned to attend again in 2009.

Prime contractor
"Best event yet-Desmond is a great spot for this!"
     -Jim Hagan, Northland Associates, Liverpool

Government agency
"What a wonderful concept! I believe the small business community will gain useful knowledge regarding doing business in NYS."

     -Pauline Fox-Jordan, NYS Thruway Authority, Albany

More than 90% of buyers found the 2008 Albany Matchmaker offered helpful networking with average of 18 individual appointments and planned to participate again.

Sponsors

The 2009 Albany Matchmaker is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration Syracuse District Office, Small Business Development Center at University of Albany, New York Business Development Corporation, Business Review, and the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Matchmaker Participants

Bechtel Marine Propulsion, Capital District Transportation Authority, CHA, ConMed, Conserve, Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering, National Grid, NYS Chief Information Officer/ Office for Technology, NYS Dept. of Transportation, NYS Dormitory Authority, NYS Energy Research and Development Authority, NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, NYS Office of General Services Design and Construction, NYS OGS Procurement Services Group, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Affirmative Action Office, NYS Thruway Authority, Northland Associates, Praxair, State University of New York (SUNY), Turner Construction, Ultralife Batteries, US Army Contracting Agency (Fort Drum), US Army Corps of Engineers, US Dept of Air Force, US Dept of Air Force Research Lab (Rome), US Dept of Army Watervliet Arsenal, US Dept of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Albany & Buffalo), US Military Academy at West Point, US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, US National Science Foundation, US Property & Fiscal Office for NYS, University at Albany, Volmar Construction and Xerox. RSVP for your matchmaker table with Rachael Stanton at 315-471-9393 ext 244 or rachael.stanton@sba.gov.

Counseling Resources
Rochester PTAC, SCORE Albany Chapter, Small Business Development Center at University of Albany, US Small Business Administration, and Watertown PTAC.

Exhibitors

Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, Business Review, CHA, New York Business Development Corporation, Small Business Development Center at University of Albany, Turner Construction, and US Small Business Administration. Book your booth space today! RSVP to Bill Brigham at 518-485-7647 or wbrigham@uamail.albany.edu.

             
       Albany Matchmaker & Expo - Friday, September 5, 2008

The inaugural 2008 Albany Matchmaker & Expo provided a unique setting for small businesses to find procurement opportunities with purchasing representatives from over 35 agencies, colleges and prime contractors. The event was held on September 5th at The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center and featured more than 1,100 dynamic matchmaker appointments, often called “speed dating for business.” Over 200 small business attendees from across Upstate New York were able to present their products and services in one-on-one appointments with the decision maker of an agency, college or prime contractor. 

Participating agencies included federal, state and local agencies such as US DOT, US GSA, NYS DOT, and NYS Dormitory Authority to name a few. Prime contractors included Xerox, National Grid, KAPL, Turner Construction and many more (view complete list of matchmaker participants below). Attending small businesses were able to network with small business service providers at the expo (see list of exhibitors below) and learn about marketing tips for winning contracts, selling to New York State and selling to Uncle Sam in concurrent workshops presented by representatives from the SBA, ESD, NYS OGS, and Rochester PTAC. 

The SBA Syracuse District Office recognized three minority entrepreneurs at the matchmaker in celebration of National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week: 8(a) Graduate of the Year Award Winner James Jordan, Minority Small Business Person of the Year Award Winner Antonio Abrantes, and Minority Small Business Person of the Year Award Runner Up Tony Baird. Visit the SBA Syracuse District Office MED Week Award Winners website to learn more about the award winners.

With the success of this year’s matchmaker, plans are already in the works for the 2009 Albany Matchmaker & Expo. Be sure to check our SBA Syracuse District Office website for the announcement of the date of open registration. We expect that next year’s matchmaker will be repeat this year’s sold-out event, so do not delay in registering if government contracting is an important part of your small business success. 

If you are interested in learning more about federal certifications that can help your small business win government contracts, or about the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program, please contact Jim Quackenbush at 315-471-9393 ext. 252 or james.quackenbush@sba.gov.

Agenda of the 2008 Albany Matchmaker & Expo

Sponsors

The U.S. Small Business Administration Syracuse District Office, Small Business Development Center-University at Albany, New York Business Development Corporation, the Business Review, and the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Albany Matchmaker & Expo at The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in Albany, New York.

Matchmaker Participants
Albany County, Capital District Transportation Authority, Clough Harbour & Associates Engineering, Cornell University, Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering,  IBM, KAPL, National Grid, NYS Department of Transportation, NYS Dormitory Authority, NYS Energy Research and Development Authority, NYS Environmental Facilities Corps, NYS Chief Information Officer/ Office for Technology, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, NYS OGS Design & Construction, NYS OGS Procurement Services Group, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, NYS Police, NYS Thruway Authority Construction Management, NYS Thruway Authority Procurement Services, Northland Associates, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester PTAC, State University of New York (SUNY), Turner Construction, University at Albany, US Army Contracting Agency-Fort Drum, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Department of Air Force Research Laboratory- Rome, US Department of Army-Watervliet Arsenal, US Department of Transportation, US Department of Veterans' Affairs Medical Centers- Albany and Buffalo, US General Services Administration, United States Military Academy at West Point, US Property and Fiscal Office for State of New York, US Small Business Administration, Watertown PTAP, Volmar Construction, and Xerox.

Exhibitors
The U.S. Small Business Administration Syracuse District Office, Small Business Development Center-University at Albany, New York Business Development Corporation, the Business Review, Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, NYS Contract Reporter, NYS Office of General Services, FedExKinko's, SSA, Berkshire Bank, HSBC, NBT Bank, SEFCU, SCORE, Turner Construction, CNA Surety, and Maynard, O'Connor, Smith & Catalinotto, LLP.

2009 event: Cosponsorship Authorization # 09-0248-51. SBA's participation in this co-sponsored event is not an endorsement of views, opinions, products, or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs or cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminational basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made by request in advance to 518-485-7647.

2008 event: Cosponsorship Authorization # 08-0248-97. SBA's participation in this co-sponsored event is not an endorsement of views, opinions, products, or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs or cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminational basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made by request in advance to 518-485-7647.