Alliance Northwest Agenda
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Alliance Northwest Evening Reception (Separate registration required) To register, click here.
Join Alliance Northwest speakers & exhibitors for this low-key, pre-event networking session at a NEW venue inside the Fairgrounds! Grab a drink and an appetizer and come mingle with us! *Evening reception is $25.
Thursday, March 5, 2020 – Alliance Northwest
7:00 a.m. – Sign in & Registration
7:30 a.m. – Welcoming Remarks Presentation of Colors
National Anthem by Gayla Duerr, Welcoming remarks by Congressman Denny Heck, Thurston Economic Development Council and Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center
8:30 a.m.—9:20 a.m. – Veteran Business Opportunity Panel
Featuring representatives from federal, state, and local government agencies sharing upcoming opportunities and certification news including:
• Alfie Alvarado, Washington State Dept of Veterans Affairs
• Stephen “Dale” Allen, Director of Contracting US Veterans Affairs
• Erin Lopez, Business Diversity Initiatives Manager, Washington State Department of Enterprise Services
• Jeannet Santiago, Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Exhibit Hall Opens
Visit the 100+ exhibitors and meet the who’s who of federal, state, and local government contracting. Exchange business cards, capabilities statements, and cultivate new relationships.
9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. – Breakout Sessions
- Joint Venture Best Practices: Top 10 things every business needs to consider before partnering on a government contract
By Adam Lasky, Partner, Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP
This session will discuss best practices around the SBA’s All Small Mentor Protégé program and joint ventures in general. Changes to the SBA program will be discussed as well. Every business in or thinking of entering into a J/V agreement needs to hear this session! - Doing Business with the State of Washington
Erin Lopez, Diversity Initiatives Manager; Charles Wilson, Public Works Diversity Program Manager; and Kim Kirkland, Information Technology Procurement Supervisor with Department of Enterprise ServicesWashington State spent nearly $5 billion with the private sector for fiscal year 2018. Come learn from Department of Enterprise Services about the state’s centralized bid system, upcoming opportunities, and tips and tricks for using state websites for market research.
Understanding the NEW Consolidated GSA Schedule
Kenyon Taylor, Small Business Specialist, GSA
Understand the basics of doing business through one of the government’s larges contracting vehicles: the GSA Schedule. Significant changes were recently implemented that combined all the GSA Schedules into one. Learn how to do market research on current schedule holders and find out if schedules are a good fit for your firm.
10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. – Breakout Sessions:
- HUBZone Update & Best Practices
Facilitated by John Dicus, Opportunity Specialist at SBA
Hear updates on recent major changes to the HUBZone program followed by a facilitated discussion with successful HUBZone certified firms. - CMMC – The Moving Target Comes Into Focus
Michael Hamilton, CI Security
The Cyber Maturity Model Certification is the latest iteration of the Department of Defense effort to obtain supply chain security – first as a voluntary self-assessment and now a required third-party audit and certification process against a capability maturity model. Any firm doing business with DoD will need to be certified. The speaker will describe the model and how tiered compliance works, timelines, and how to prepare, and describe the process of engaging an accredited third party for examination. - Searching Beta.Sam.Gov and other Market Research Tips
Marnie Tyson, PTAC Counselor, Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center
Still learning to navigate the new Beta.Sam.Gov for federal contracting opportunities? Hear from a daily user about the new system along with best practices for searching effectively.
11:45 a.m. – Lunch, Networking, & Keynote
Dr. Donna Peebles, Associate Administrator, Office of Business Development, US Small Business Administration
SBA Regulatory Changes and Impacts
Information about SBA’s Business Development Program Initiative and synopsis of recent and relevant regulatory program changes to government contracting programs that will impact small businesses.
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Exhibit Hall Reopens
1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. – Breakout Sessions:
- Proposal Writing For Success
Mona Carlson, Nova Group
Mary Jo Juarez Washington PTAC
Improve your win rate in a fun and interactive workshop. Facilitated by two experienced government proposal writers and reviewers, Mary Jo and Mona will share tips for your future proposal writing success. - Behind the Curtain of Federal Small Business Set-Asides
Yuri Dyson, Robert Rice, Pete Van Steyn & Randy Miller, Procurement Center Representatives; Small Business Administration
Explore how federal agency small business goals are determined and what happens if an agency does not meet them? How can small businesses or large primes use this info to be of value to these agencies? Learn how the market research phase performed by federal buyers is a crucial opportunity for small businesses to influence set aside decisions. Learn how SBA’s Procurement Center Representatives are involved in maximizing federal agencies’ use of small businesses. Subcontracts: Pointers and Pitfalls
by Masaki (“Saki”) James Yamada & Brett M. Hill, Partners Ahlers, Cressman & Sleight PLLC.
In this workshop Saki and Brett will inform you on what they believe are some of the top subcontract provisions, such as provisions that will help ensure payment, that both subcontractors and general contractors should know about when working with Washington’s government agencies
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. –Match-making Sessions
Pre-scheduled 8 minute meetings between businesses and agencies/primes. See the Match Making page to learn more about how to schedule your meetings.
4:00 p.m. – Exhibit Hall Closes, Event concludes