Final Report

The Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) and Broward College presented the 2019 Broward Supplier Diversity Day

on Thursday, Aug. 22. The Supplier Diversity Day was held at the OMNI Auditorium on Broward College’s

North Campus. The theme of the day was “On the Road to Success” and supplier diversity was celebrated

through an Open Q&A panel discussion, a very powerful keynote speaker, and open networking at the Exhibit

Hall.

Attendees were welcomed and greeted with opening remarks from Anthea Pennant, Broward College District

Director of Supplier Relations & Diversity, Dale V.C. Holness, Vice Mayor, Broward County, Donna Williams,

OSD Executive Director, and Rosalyn Ingram, Director of State Purchasing and Florida’s Chief Procurement

Officer, Department of Management Services (DMS). The Open Q&A: Ask the Experts portion was composed

of the following experts representing various facets of government and small business resources:

• Althea Harris- Assistant District Director, Small Business Administration • Marvin Dejean- CEO & Business Futurist, Gilead Sanders, Inc • Zaida Riollano- District Director, Strategic Sourcing & Procurement, Broward College • Robert Major- Stakeholder Manger, Office of Supplier Diversity • Conchie Fernández-Craig - Managing Partner, CF Creative • Sandy-Michael McDonald - Director Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development • Mike Bell- Government Contracting Specialist, PTAC, Florida SBDC at FAU • Terry Hardmon- Project Executive, Stiles Construction

This format allowed attendees to ask their question directly to the panelist or expert that was most relevant to

the topic. After the Q&A the attendees had the pleasure of witnessing Walter Bond, Multi-Millionaire, NBA

Legend, International Motivational Speaker/ Business Coach, and Author of Swim in action. His powerful

motivational message energized attendees, preparing everyone for a successful networking session during

the Business Exchange: Reverse Trade Show that followed.

Attendees networked at the Exhibit Hall, meeting with a variety of exhibitors including state, local, and federal

agencies. Of the attendees who completed the post-event survey, 90% agree that participating in the event

was beneficial.

Event AttendanceOverall, there were 483

registrants for the event and 225 attendees

participated. The chart to the right provides

information on those who registered but did

not attend, and the breakdown of those who

attended. Registered But Did Not Attend:

258, 53%

Small Business: 179

State & Local: 46

Attended: 225, 47%

Broward Supplier Diversity Day

Registered But Did Not Attend Attended Small Business State & Local

Attendees The 225 attendees represented 11 Florida counties. Attendees from Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties in Florida accounted for the majority of the attendees. The below map shows the geographic representation of attendees to the Supplier Diversity Exchange event.

State and Local Agency Representation

The event included a total of 27 exhibitors, including representation from various state, local, and federal

agencies.

A&P Productions Department of Transportation: District 4

Procurement

Broward College Department of Transportation: Specialized

Development Program, Ariel Business Group

Broward College Foundation Department of Transportation: Turnpike

Enterprise Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business

Development

Florida Association of Veteran-Owned Businesses

(FAVOB)

Broward County Public Schools Florida Power and Light

Broward Health Florida State Minority Supplier Development

Council

CF Creative Florida Women's Business Center

City of Miramar Business Inclusion Diversity Program Palm Beach County: Office of Equal Business

Opportunity

D. Stephenson Construction Company PTAC, Florida SBDC at FAU

Department of Corrections Small Business Administration

Department of Education: Division of Vocational

Rehabilitation

Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County

Department of Management Services:

MyFloridaMarketPlace

South Florida Regional Transportation Authority

Department of Management Services: Office of

Supplier Diversity

Stiles Construction

Department of Transportation: DBE Support Services,

Construction Estimating Institute (CEI)

Post-Event Survey Feedback

A post-event survey was sent to event attendees on August 27, 2019. Fifty-three attendees completed the

survey and reported the following feedback:

• 84% very satisfied or satisfied with the networking opportunities at the event.

• 90% agree that the objectives of the event were clearly defined.

• 90% agree that the objectives of the event were met.

• 90% agree that participating in the event was beneficial.

• 88% agree that they will likely recommend the event to friends and/or colleagues.

• Most important or beneficial take-away from the event:

o “Connecting with key participants and possible new opportunities.”

o “Learning how to become SBE certified via the DOT. I also met a small business owner who I

could possibly team with in the future. “

o “The Q & A portion.”

o “Ensuring I understand the programs available and the process of government procurement.”

o “How to become new vendors of BC and Florida.”

o “Know your core value, and research.”

o “Be sweet but go get it.”

• Biggest area of improvement for next year’s event:

o “Learn more about the local federal government requirements for procurement.”

o “Shorten the speeches, extend the business exchange.”

o “Q & A session- consider extending time allotted.”

o “It was pretty well organized. You should continue the good work.”

o “Staying on schedule.”

o “More time for Q & A and less on a keynote speaker.”

o “I was unaware of the raffle when I walked in and signed in at the registration table.”

o “More tables/larger networking area.”

o “Reduce speaker time, increase reverse trade show time. Provide lunch for agencies

participating.”

o “Need to publish the contact info for the speakers. Start on time.”

o “More businesses that are NOT in contact the areas of trade or construction.”

• Suggestions for session topics for future events:

o “Continue on education as the processes are complicated.”

o “Similar panel of stakeholders at OSD, Broward College, Broward County are always a great way

to understand the state of business opportunities available.”

o “Sub-contracting your business/Partnerships.”

o “Understanding contract terms and negotiating strategies.”

o “Need a better way of informing small businesses about solicitations or bid opportunities.

Bidsync wants us to pay for services that are free by the county.”

o “Offer targeted workshops instead of general sessions.”

o “How to become 8a certified? Developing an Impactful Capability Statement.”

• Additional comments:

o “Great event, thanks for putting it on.”

o “The best event to attend for Minority Businesses, even if you are a just start-up.”

o “This event was full of info that I needed for my business. It also gave me an opportunity to

connect with the backbone of Broward's small business support system, as well as those who

have grown their businesses through Supplier Diversity programs. This is an event ALL small

business owners should attend every year.”

o “It was a well organized, beneficial event. Small businesses will benefit from these

conferences.”

o “The Broward Business Diversity Day was a great opportunity to engage with key personnel

within our county and network with other small businesses. I felt that the event was well

thought out and put together. I would definitely recommend the event to any small business

owner.”

Event Photos

Agenda

Event Flyer