LOS ANGELES – Networking opportunities with who’s who in Corporate America. A popular exhibit fair with a wide range of corporate and diverse business exhibitors. Engaging speakers who inspire entrepreneurs to elevate their game. One-on-one matchmaking, bringing together corporate members looking for products and services and the minority business enterprises (MBEs) capable of meeting those needs.
Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council’s (SCMSDC) Minority Business Opportunity Day (MBOD) on April 23 and 24 in Pasadena will offer these and much more. “With the theme, ‘Business Transformed,’ MBOD 2018 is a can’t miss event for vendors and suppliers, including small, minority and other diverse entrepreneurs, interested in transforming their businesses,” according to SCMSDC President Virginia Gomez.
“MBOD 2018 will be exhilarating and exciting with a new venue in Pasadena, endless networking with corporate buyers and decision makers and dynamic speakers who have a track record in helping leaders achieve their business goals and increase their influence in business,” she adds.
MBOD, the council’s biggest networking event of the year, is widely known for helping business owners make new contacts and generate business leads. The two-day event will include the following:
Monday, April 23, Westin Pasadena
• A new seminar series and pitch competition from 2 to 6 p.m. will feature corporate representatives who will share innovative best practices, followed by SCMSDC-certified suppliers who will compete to give their best one-minute pitch.
• A welcome reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. where business owners and corporate representatives have a chance to network and mingle in a relaxing, outdoor setting.
Tuesday, April 24, Pasadena Convention Center
• MBOD begins with a welcome breakfast at 8:30 a.m. featuring Terry Tornek, the mayor of Pasadena, and Charmaine McClarie, a senior executive coach who has worked with leaders in 27 industries across five continents. Her experience coaching leadership acumen, communications and executive presence will help attendees put their best foot forward when they work MBOD’s exhibit fair.
• An exhibit fair featuring exhibits by corporations and MBEs begins at 10 a.m. with opening ceremonies and continues through 4 p.m. (excluding a lunch break from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.). Corporate exhibitors represent a wide variety of industries, ranging from automotive, technology, and entertainment to banking and manufacturing. The Construction Hardhat Pavilion, a special forum for suppliers who offer construction and/or construction-related products and services, also makes a return appearance (see below for sponsors and exhibitors to date).
• Luncheon speaker Neal Sales-Griffin, entrepreneur and CEO of CodeNow, a nonprofit that teaches coding to low-income high school students, (and possibly the next mayor of Chicago), takes the dais from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. to share his recipe for success and passion for helping others.
• One-on-one matchmaking will take place between 2 and 4 p.m. and provide certified MBEs an exclusive 10-minute introduction to corporate members to discuss potential business opportunities. Appointments are not guaranteed and are based on the products and services as requested by corporate members.
• For diverse firms that are not certified, a certification workshop will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. featuring representatives from certifying agencies who will share the ins and outs of certification and the documentation needed.
• A closing reception from 4 to 6 p.m. will provide attendees one last networking opportunity before MBOD ends.
Corporate sponsors to date include: Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Co., Toyota, Chevron, Anthem, The Walt Disney Company, Turner Construction, Comcast NBCUniversal, Northrop Grumman, American Honda Motor Co., Charter Communications, AT&T, Time Warner and ZEESMAN.
Other participants and sponsors include: American Red Cross; Asian Business Association LA; Blair, Church and Flynn Consulting Engineers; CIS Insurance Services; Business Resource Group; California American Water; California Water Association; CB Technologies; Décor Interior Designs; DENSO; Department of General Services; Diversity Professional; Employer’s Choice Online Inc.; En Pointe IT Solutions; Enterprise; Express Scripts; Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Golden State Water Company; Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co; Johnson Controls; Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Orange County Transportation Authority; Philatron Wire and Cable; Prime Wheel Corporation; Sony; SuperbTech; Swinerton Builders; and Technology Integration Group.