‘DOING BUSINESS WITH PUBLIC ENTITIES’ WORKSHOP SET FOR TUESDAY, OCT. 21, AT UNK OCKINGA

UNK- The annual “Doing Business with Public Entities” workshop will be on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney Ockinga Seminar Center.
           The workshop gives small businesses the opportunity to meet the buyers and decision makers in purchasing departments from city, county, state and federal agencies in the Kearney area. Two workshop sessions are being offered– one from 9 a.m. – noon and a second one from 1 – 4 p.m. 
       “This has been a very successful program that usually rotates between Omaha and Lincoln as host cities,” said Scott Knapp of the Nebraska Business Development Center.  “So this is a good opportunity for companies to make contacts without having to travel to Omaha or Lincoln. The event is free, but advance registration is strongly encouraged. 
       “I would term this as kind of a reverse trade show,” Knapp said. “It is a chance for a business to talk to the agencies in a short time span.” 
           The workshop is sponsored jointly by the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Nebraska Procurement Technical Assistance Program at the Nebraska Business Development Center and the Lincoln Public Schools. 
           “This is a great way for area businesses to provide information on their products and services,” Knapp said. “It is a chance to get feedback from those agency representatives on how they do their purchasing.” 
           Among the agencies participating are the General Services Administration, Grand Island Public Schools, Great Plains Minority Suppler Development Council, Hastings Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, Metropolitan Community College, National Park Service, Northeast Community College, Offutt Air Force Base – 55^th Contracting Squadron, State of Nebraska Building Division, Department of Roads, Game and parks Commission and the Purchasing Bureau; U.S. Small Business Administration, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the VA Medical Center. 
       To register, contact Mary Graff, NBDC-PTAC, 6001 Dodge St., RH 308E, Omaha, NE 68182 or FAX 402.554.6260 by Thursday, Oct. 16.