Eighty business people participated in a half-day workshop at Georgia Tech on May 16th, taking advantage of expert instruction on how to market to the federal government.

“Victory in Procurement: Marketing to the Government” was co-sponsored by American Express OPEN and The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.

The workshop was led by Denise Rodriguez-Lopez, an American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracting.  She provided practical guidance to participants on how to put together both a two-minute elevator speech as well as a written Capabilities Statement.  When put to use, both of these marketing techniques are designed to effectively convey an entrepreneur’s experience and expertise.  Attendees also received a sample Capabilities Statement, written instructions for constructing an elevator speech, and worksheets for creating a marketing strategy.

A panel, consisting of successful business leaders and government decision-makers, provided workshop attendees with insights into how the government contracting process works.  The panelists included Tina Baker, president and CEO of the Cadence Group; Lesa Adeboyé, CEO and founder of  The Alliance Group, Inc.; JoAnn Braxton, Business Development Specialist with the Georgia District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration; and Gwen Miles, Small Business Specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The panelists interacted with the audience, providing feedback on marketing techniques that work and crtitiques of individual elevator speeches that were crafted by workshop participants.

Information also was provided to participants on the services provided by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center and the professional education courses offered by The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.

To download a copy of the workshop presentation, please click here.