WARWICK – More than 500 small businesses from across the Northeast and 80 federal agencies and prime contractors are expected to attend the Small Business Opportunity Summit today through Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings, 801 Greenwich Ave., Warwick.
Sponsors and facilitators include the U.S. Department of Defense and its Northeast Regional Council for Small Business Education and Advocacy, the Rhode Island Chapter of the NCMA, the R.I. Procurement Technical Assistance Center (R.I. PTAC), and the R.I. Economic Development Corporation.
Keynote speakers will be U.S. Sen. Jack Reed; Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, who is to speak at the Northeast Regional Council “Matchmaker” luncheon and during the opening comments for Industry Day; and Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. of NOAA, U.S. undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmospheres, who is to speak at the Industry Day keynote luncheon.
Other speakers include Raymond F. Lopez Jr., CEO of the Arlington, Va.-based Engineering Services Network and a former Navy commander, who will share ESN’s experiences and successes as he talks about how to do business with the U.S. government during a Matchmaker networking session at 2 p.m. today. ESN, a service-disabled-veteran-owned company, has a strong track record in winning federal contracts in engineering, IT security, financial management, testing and evaluation, and strategic and program management. Founded in 1995, it has grown to 170 employees and $21 million in annual revenue.
For more information or to register, visit www.dodneregional.org or call the R.I. Procurement Technical Assistance Center at 278-9100.
