SBA Presents 8th Annual Southern California Small Business & Government Contracting Conference; Top SBA Official To Attend

Forum to educate, guide and assist small businesses in working with federal, local, and state governments

SANTA ANA, Calif.  – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s aOrange County / Inland Empire District Office is partnering with the Orange County/Inland Empire SBDC to present the 8th Annual Southern California Small Business and Government Contracting Conference.  The conference will take place on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at the Irvine Marriott and provides a forum for growth opportunities through business development.

Ms. Althea “Allie” Coetzee Leslie, SBA’s Deputy Administrator will be the keynote speaker.  In her role, Ms. Leslie is responsible for managing the agency and developing its programs which includes helping to set small business contracting policy and holding federal agencies accountable to reach their small business contracting goals.

More than 450 attendees and over 35 buyers converge at the conference which includes a variety of presentations, procurement forecasts, panel discussions, and workshops on important topics for government and corporate sector contractors. The conference features two strategic matchmaking sessions, connecting buyer and seller discussing potential contracting opportunities in a one-on-one setting.  A few of the invited buyers include Northrup Grumman, Clark Construction, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, General Services Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and more.

The conference is targeted to include SBA 8(a) business development program certified firms and other federal and state socio-economic contracting categories including woman-owned small businesses, veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone certified businesses, small/minority business enterprises, and other small businesses not covered under any of these designations.

Registration for the conference includes a continental breakfast, morning plenary session and a seated banquet lunch.  General admission is $95.  Registration closes Thursday, April 12, 2018. To find more information about the event or to register, please visit

http://www.sbasmallbusinessconference.org . Questions related to registration and general information about the event should be directed to Sandra Anguiano at (714) 560-7446 or sandra.anguiano@sba.gov .  For donor and exhibitor questions, please contact Katrina Payne-Smith at (657) 278-3195.  Buyers and participating agencies with questions should contact Karen Burgess at (714) 560-7451 or karen.burgess@sba.gov .

SBA’s participation or support in this activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products, or services of any person, entity, or cosponsor. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.