This release is courtesy of the NMSDC.     

On October 23—26, the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) will host the 2016 NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.

This annual event is the nation’s premier forum on minority supplier development. For four days, more than 6,000 corporate CEOs, procurement executives and supplier diversity professionals from the top multinational companies, as well as leading Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American business owners and international organizations, will convene to re-energize their collective efforts to develop and advocate for more vigorous participation by minority-owned firms in global corporate supply chains.

The theme of this year’s NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange is “Minority Supplier Development: Investing in the Future.” During the event, more than 20 educational seminar sessions and interactive workshops will engage attendees with details of the latest commercial advances, and strategies and techniques to prepare for economic developments in the coming years.

Opportunities on Sunday, October 23, include “Boot Camps” for Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), which offer strategic advice on customer relations, business management, and establishing collaborative relationships with other companies. On Monday, October 24, there will be a one-day Business Opportunity Exchange with more than 700 exhibit booths and opportunities for establishing business-to-business ties. Networking scenarios abound at this event as well as at the NMSDC Matchmaking Event for corporate members and certified MBEs on Tuesday, October 25, and in the Connect Zone business lounge.

Wednesday, October 26, will see the Conference wrap up with a black-tie Awards Banquet and Reception, honoring the NMSDC Corporation of the Year, Corporate Innovation, Corporate Excellence in Access to Capital, and Supplier, Minority Supplier Development Leader and Regional Council of the Year.

According to Joset Wright-Lacy, president of NMSDC, “The 2016 Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange will give forward-thinking corporate executives and minority business owners the tools to cope with shifting economic winds, and to take advantage of the as-yet unimagined opportunities for commerce presented in the near–and more distant–future. As the U.S. nears the point where minorities comprise greater than 50% of the population, the need for strong minority-owned businesses in national and global supply chains will be vital to the health of our economy.”

The economic impact generated by the Conference itself is considerable: $7.5 million total, including an estimate of more than $1 million in state and local taxes and 1,400+ jobs supported. A survey of last year’s Conference attendees shows that 73% of the over 6,000 attendees spent more than $1,000 each in the Conference city.

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