Friday, April 26, 2024 from 9:00am - 4:00pm CST Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West - Plano, Texas

Connections to Contracts

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Signature Procurement Event

Connecting WBEs and Corporations

Overview
Connections to Contracts is a procurement-focused event connecting women-owned businesses with corporations and each other. It features workshops, a keynote luncheon, corporate roundtable procurement discussions, and networking. All are welcome to attend.

The goal of this event is to provide access to business opportunities between our members that eventually lead to contracts, therefore helping women-owned businesses achieve parity.

The last day to register online is Thursday, April 18. After that, on-site registration is available at a higher fee.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact WBCS Senior Director of Programs, Elizabeth Garner.

Venue
The event takes place at Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel in the Legacy Ballroom on the second floor. Address is 6007 Legacy Dr, Plano, TX 75024.


Agenda (central time)
9:00 - 9:30 ... Check In
9:30 - 10:15 am ... Workshops (Concurrent)
10:15 - 10:30 am ... Networking Break
10:30 - 11:15 am ... Workshops (Concurrent)
11:15 am - 12:00 pm ... Networking Break
12:00 - 1:15 pm ... Keynote Luncheon
1:15 - 2:00 pm ... Networking Break
2:00 - 3:35 pm ... Corporate Roundtable Discussions (4 rounds)
3:35 - 4:00 pm ... Networking Reception 

Workshop Description - How Collaborative ESG Can Extend WBE Influence
Led by: Nikki Marley, Oncor and Jen Schaumburg, Fuse Solutions

In this workshop, learn how implementing ESG best practices through collaborative partnerships empowers WBEs to amplify their social, environmental and economic impacts while fostering shared opportunities in a sustainable way. Collaborative ESG leadership demonstrates values and opens doors for responsible, mutually-beneficial growth. We'll also discuss why ESG factors are important for all businesses to consider, the current landscape, and opportunities for competitive advantage.

 

Discover strategies to:

• Set goals and select frameworks to clearly communicate contributions
• Implement initiatives through community-enhancing partnerships
• Quantify social, environmental and economic impacts using an automated reporting system
• Amplify your story and strengths by collaborating with like-minded partners
• Participate in an ecosystem that leverages women-owned entrepreneurship for mutual benefit
• Gain tools to differentiate your brand and strengthen the supplier network through continuous improvement - whether directly serving large enterprises or not

 

Walk away with peer and corporate insights on first steps to take and roadmaps to follow. Leave energized to translate purpose into measurable actions by leveraging networks and cooperation to achieve greater shared social, environmental, and economic impacts at scale.

Workshop Description - Are You Really Protecting Your Business? A Risk Readiness Workshop
Led by Jay Jordan and Aaron Salinas, Fuse Solutions

Recent Highlights of the Risk Landscape

• The new 2024 SEC cybersecurity disclosure rules mark a turning point, requiring public firms to report material incidents. But, this increased focus will impact all businesses downstream.
• 60% of small businesses that experience a cyber-attack go bankrupt within 6 months (FBI
• 59% of cyber-attacks target small businesses (Verizon DBIR)
• Ransomware damages exceed $20 billion in 2021 and by 2031, $265 billion (Cybersecurity Ventures)
• 43% of small businesses have experienced a cyber-attack in the past year (Hiscox)
• The average amount lost per business from cybercrime in 2023 was $1.3 million (Ipsos
• 71% of small and medium sized businesses were impacted by a cyber event in 2022 (NTT Security)
• Almost 1 in 3 Americans were victims of online financial fraud in 2023 (Ipsos)
• Greater spotlight on all business’s disclosures for material incidents whether you are public or not

In this no-nonsense 45 minute session, we'll level with you about the realities of cyber and operational risk facing women-owned businesses today. Through real case studies, you'll get a truthful look at impacts that even experienced companies have suffered.

 

Walk away with a risk assessment of your own resilience gaps. Get a personalized plan for bolstering protocols, budgets, and controls. Leave empowered with a plan to protect your business in today's challenging risk landscape, ready to lead effectively through whatever comes your way, and equipped to proactively safeguard everything you've built.

 

This session is a must for any women business owner whose business success demands resilience.

Keynote Luncheon
During the luncheon, we will recognize all companies who submit their WBE Spend and hear from our keynote speaker, Eric Strafel of Summi7 about The 4 Breakthroughs to Growth.

Have you experienced barriers to growth or hit a plateau? Are you struggling to pivot or reignite your business? The 4 Breakthroughs to Growth will give you insight into how to navigate some of the challenges at different stages of growth. Explore the tools and processes that will keep you on track as you scale your business or take on that next big contract. 

With the exception of sponsored tables, seating is open.

Spend Reporting
If you spent any money with WBEs in 2023, we want to hear from you. No amount is too small! Recording these dollar amounts helps us to measure our success and provides valuable insights as to who is spending and promoting supplier diversity. Spend includes three data points:

• # of WBEs you did business with in 2023
• # of dollars you spent across all WBEs in 2023
• % of 2023 Total Spend that your 2023 WBE Spend represents

If you're a WBE, email WBCS Marketing Specialist, Kayla Eckler, or submit here.
If you're a Corporate Member, email WBCS Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Nadia DiStefano, or submit here.

All Spend Reporters will be recognized at the event. All information is kept confidential. We solely publicize the aggregate of all Spend Reporters. The last day to submit Spend is Friday, April 19.  

 

Corporate Roundtable Discussions (attendees choose 4 tables to visit)
A corporate representative leads WBEs in a discussion on his or her company’s procurement process and shares insights on how potential suppliers can differentiate themselves.

How It Works
There are roundtables of 8. One seat is for the corporate member host; the other seats are for WBEs interested in learning about that company’s procurement process. WBE seats are open on a first-come, first-served basis.

Corporate members stay at their table. WBEs rotate and have the opportunity to visit a total of four tables.

Timeline
Each discussion is 20 minutes followed by a 5 minute transition.

• 2:00 - 2:20 ... Discussion round 1
• 2:20 - 2:25 ... Transition
• 2:25 - 2:45 ... Discussion round 2
• 2:45 - 2:50 ... Transition
• 2:50 - 3:10 ... Discussion round 3
• 3:10 - 3:15 ... Transition
• 3:15 - 3:35 ... Discussion round 4

List of Roundtable Hosts (as of 4-18-24)

Alcon Vision

American Airlines

Archer Western Construction

AT&T

Balfour Beatty

Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

BNSF Railway

Capital One

Caterpillar

City of Irving

Coca Cola Southwest Beverages

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

Dallas College

Dallas County

Dell Technologies

DFW International Airport

Digital Realty

Ericsson

Jack Henry

JPMorgan Chase

Lockheed Martin

Nokia

North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA)

Oncor

Oncor - Construction and Facilities Services

Oncor - IT

Parkland Health

Raytheon Technologies

Southwest Airlines

Tarrant Regional Water District

Texas Instruments

The Container Store

Toyota - Marketing

Toyota - Professional Services

Vistra

Walmart

 

Speakers

Agenda

Pricing

This event is open to everyone.

There are several admission options to meet your needs.

What If I Register and Can’t Attend?

Substitutions Welcome
If you have a conflict arise and can’t attend the event, another person may attend in your place at no charge. If you can’t find someone to attend in your place, you may cancel and receive a refund, less a processing fee.

Cancellation and Refund Policy
The last day to cancel and receive a refund is Thursday, April 18, 2024. General admission refunds are subject to a $10 cancellation fee per registrant. Refunds will be issued in the same form payment was made. Please allow two weeks for processing. Registrants who cancel will not receive event materials.

Substitutions and cancellations may be submitted in two ways:
1. via the link and reference # that are provided in your confirmation email
2. via email request to WBCS Senior Director of Programs, Elizabeth Garner

Member

$125

 

Available through Thursday, April 18

$25 more on-site
 

Register Now

Sponsor

$

 

Last day to sponsor is Friday, April 5

Each sponsorship level includes event admissions and branding. Contact Lindsay Pittard at lpittard@wbcsouthwest.org to secure a sponsorship. Review options in our 2024 sponsorship catalog

Non-member

$150

 

Available through Thursday, April 18

$25 more on-site
 

Register Now

Registrant List

Sponsors

Companies that support us