More than 100 businesses and agencies are expected to be part of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s second annual Business Opportunities Fair on April 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
This year’s fair will offer a breakfast keynote presentation by Soheila R. Lunney, co-author of “The Procurement Game Plan: Winning Strategies and Techniques for Supply Management Professionals.”
In addition to her keynote address, Lunney will present a breakout session, “Ethics in the Supply Chain,” and will be available to autograph copies of her book during the fair.
The fair, which is open to the community, is intended to provide business-to-business and business-to-government matching and networking opportunities.
“Last year’s event, also in the Kovalchick Complex, was a tremendous success for both visitors and represented businesses,” Robert Bowser, Supplier Diversity Council chairman and director of Procurement Services and Central Stores at IUP, said.
The event offers networking opportunities for existing businesses and information on how to do business with IUP, the Department of General Services, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and the federal government, according to Bowser.
In 2011, IUP purchased more than $2.3 million in goods and services locally.
But, the fair also provides opportunities for those starting or switching careers or starting new businesses to gain advice and consultation through networking and the breakout and matchmaking sessions, Bowser said.
Sponsoring the event is IUP’s Supplier Diversity Council. Financial sponsors are Aramark, Environmental Land Surveying & Solutions Inc., Environmental Service Laboratories Inc., the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and Renda Broadcasting.
David Werner, interim president of IUP, will give opening remarks.
Fourteen businesses will participate in the matchmaking sessions, which allow participants to have one-on-one, private meetings to discuss business opportunities. They are Aramark, California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro University, IUP, Mascaro Construction, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, PASSHE, Peoples Natural Gas, Simplex Grinnel, Slippery Rock University, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and West Chester University.
Admission to the exhibition area in the Kovalchick Complex’s Ed Fry Arena and participation in the breakout and matchmaking sessions are free and open to the community, but reservations to attend the sessions must be made before the day of the event by emailing rfmoreau@iup.edu.
Pre-registration for exhibitors is required by April 13 at a cost of $225 for new vendors and $175 for those returning from last year’s fair, plus $35 for each additional representative. Late registration will be accepted until April 15, but a $50 late registration fee will be added to the cost. Only those registered may attend the keynote breakfast presentation or be part of the vendor displays.
More information about registration and fees is available by calling IUP’s Office of Procurement Services at (724) 357-3077 or by emailing ad-buyer@iup.edu. Online registration is available at www.iup.edu/businessopportunitiesfair.
The keynote presenter is president of Lunney Advisory Group LLC. She is an advisory board member of several organizations and served on the board of directors of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Institute for Supply Management from 2005 to 2011.
Before founding Lunney Advisory Group, she was vice president of procurement for Education Management Corp. She also was director/deputy to the chief procurement officer at Bayer Corp., where she held various positions with increasing responsibilities in research and development, logistics, customer service, materials management and procurement. She is the sole holder of a U.S. patent relevant to polyurethane technology and author of several publications in addition to the book she recently co-authored.
Lunney obtained a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from University of East Anglia in Norwich, Great Britain, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from National University of Iran.
After a postdoctoral assignment at Clemson University, she joined the faculty as a lecturer. In 1983, she joined the University of Arkansas as an associate professor. She began work at Bayer in 1986.
Lunney is a frequent speaker on supply chain management at professional organizations and conferences.
Speakers in addition to Lunney, and the titles of their breakout sessions, include the following:
-- Tony Palamone and Rich Hoover from IUP’s Small Business Development Center: “Know Your Customer: Marketing in Today’s Economy”
-- David Pinkosky, development specialist with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission: “Federal Contracting 101”
-- Kim Auchenbach, director of strategic planning at PASSHE: “Doing Business with PASSHE.” Auchenbach has more than 20 years of business experience, including procurement, bidding, project and personnel management, computer and business process training and business process design. In her current role, she leads efforts to meet contracting needs, including collaborative procurement and support of strategic initiatives, within PASSHE and for the Office of the Chancellor.
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