Growing a successful organization takes more than attending meetings and crunching numbers, especially in today's business environment.
That's why OCTA hosted more than 400 business leaders in the public and private sector Wednesday, Oct. 10 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Orange for its 2013 Annual Business Expo, a day of networking, cultivating relationships and building partnerships.
"We're once again excited to bring together businesses both small and large and public sector agencies for what will be a very productive afternoon," OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson said in his opening remarks. "The work we do to improve transportation in this county could not be done without the support of diverse business interests in Orange County."
As one of the fastest growing industry segments, small and diverse business enterprises highlight the changing landscape of Orange County commerce. Johnson presented OCTA's first Business Community Leader award to recognize an individual who demonstrates "outstanding leadership and support" to advance business in Orange County.
Selected by a committee of representatives from OCTA, Disneyland Resorts and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Kim-Yen Huynh received a plaque commending her efforts over the past five years to help people in diverse communities become familiar with transportation projects.
In 2012, OCTA issued more than 2,500 contracts for goods and services to the private sector, and more than 20 percent of those were awarded to small and diverse businesses. That totaled to $20 million last year in contracts to small and diverse businesses.
However, OCTA also understands that these businesses may face challenges when working with the public sector, particularly if it is their first time, OCTA Chairman Greg Winterbottom shared. "Our goal today is to help you understand how we work, to introduce you to others in both the public and private sector, and to forge relationships that will benefit all of us in the long run," he said.
The half-day exhibition of more than 50 organizations, including Southern California Edison, the Port of Long Beach, the California Department of Transportation and Metrolink, provided an opportunity for vendors to find information on how to best do business with public agencies. Hundreds of participants moved from table to table, speaking with representatives and making the face-to-face connections that are critical in building strong business relationships.
Director Al Murray was in attendance and stated, "We have come together to learn the process and mechanics of doing business with public agencies. But just as importantly, it's also about going 'beyond business' by networking, cultivating relationships and seeking partnerships to optimize your scale and better position your business to be even more competitive."
The keynote speaker for the event, MuniServices Senior Vice President Doug Jensen, also shed light on competitive business strategies in his presentation on going "Beyond Business As Usual," in which he analyzed how the Internet and social media continues to shape commerce.
Following the keynote presentation, participants had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with representatives from 16 large public agencies about their ongoing capital projects. The highly popular session allowed vendors time to ask specific questions and exchange business information with agency representatives, and continue the conversation at the reception later that afternoon.
In a survey taken at the expo, 96 percent of respondents said they would be interested in participating in next year’s event and 93 percent agreed or strongly agreed that participating in the expo was helpful in building business relationships.
"The relationships formed today at the 2013 Annual Business Expo can pave the way for tomorrow's contracting opportunities," Johnson said. "Thank you for attending and making the most of this event to go beyond business."
