Meet buyers from the City, State and Federal Government Agencies and major corporations like H-P

Visit http://houstongpc.com/ to register. Complete GPC survey and win a H-P Digital Camera.

A brief history of GPC.

When the Economic Development and Monitoring Section of the Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance office was established, one of the first items on the agenda was to survey MWBE owners to determine their most critical areas of need. The top two responses were 1) Access to contracting opportunity information and 2) Networking and Contacts.
What better way to meet these two objectives than to provide a forum where MWBEs can interface with contracting and procurement representatives from each City department in order to learn about their respective contracting opportunities? Thus, City Connections was born.

The first event, held May 1996, was on a small scale, in the center ballroom of the George R. Brown Convention Center. At the following year’s event, state agencies, banks and resource agencies, free workshops and seminars, and the Awards Luncheon were added.
In 1998, the name changed to Government Procurement Connections, as our scope expanded to include representatives from the City, County, State, and Federal governments, making GPC the first intergovernmental contracting fair in the nation.

Government Procurement Connections further evolved to include the Port of Houston, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Houston Independent School District, and a host of government contractors and other exhibitors interested in providing direct access to small and MWBE business owners. Face to face networking sessions provide excellent opportunities for quality interaction.
The future is bright for GPC. Commitment, dedication, and the hard work of a number of government and resource agency employees and business owners spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S for Small, Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business owners in Houston.

Government Procurement Connections has evolved into a collaborative effort between local, state and federal government entities. This unique event marks an exciting new day in inter-governmental cooperation and information accessibility regarding government contracting opportunities.
A host of elected officials have thrown their support behind GPC, recognizing that small and minority and women business owners play a valuable role in our economy, and must be provided with the information and resources that will help them become more competitive.

Participants at GPC will have the opportunity to meet with more than 200 City, County, State and Federal representatives involved in purchasing, construction, and professional services contracting. This year’s event will also include METRO. Representatives from banks and other organizations committed to assisting Small and Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (S/MWDBE) firms will also be represented during the Contracting Fair. In addition, some governmental agencies and private sector firms will award contracts “on the spot.”
Dynamic speakers will present informational seminars geared toward educating participants about the responsibilities of owning and operating a business, and other timely topics. Another highlight of the day is the Awards Luncheon, which recognizes outstanding contributions to S/MWDBE development. Tickets to the luncheon are available for $60 per person.

IACCGH Founding President Dr Durga Agrawal to be honored March 30th at GPC


Government Procurement Connections, one of the nation's largest annual intergovernmental contracting fairs, will take place in Houston March 29th-30th, 2005.
The main event is a March 30 all-day business fair at the George R. Brown Convention Center. More than 3,000 small business owners and 500 purchasing representatives are expected to attend the event. Business owners will also have an opportunity to make contact with the procurement officials.

GPC 2005 is free and open to the public.

The GPC is a 13-year alliance with the city of Houston, Harris County, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, state of Texas, Houston Federal Executive Board and the Port of Houston Authority.

For More Information, log onto: www.houstongpc.com

This year, our Founding President Dr. Durga Agrawal is being honored by GPC with a 'TrailBlazer Award'. This award will be presented to him at the Awards Luncheon on March 30th. IACCGH has reserved one table for members who may be interested in attending the lunch. The cost is $60 per head.

Please contact the Chamber either at 713-624-7131 or by email at iaccgh01@aol.com to make your reservations.

IACCGH has a booth at GPC and offers our members the opportunity to network by volunteering at the booth. If you wish to display your literature at the IACCGH booth, please contact the chamber immediately.