Maximize Your Attendance

The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center | Nashville, TN | December 9 - 11, 2019

Maximize your Experience!

Schedule Your Business Opportunity Sessions (BOS)

The Business Opportunity Sessions provide high-level insights to the PDM’s procurement opportunities. Click "See Matches" on the "My Meeting Maker" tile in the Events Dashboard. The "My Matches" page will summarize the business opportunities that best match with the small business' capabilities. Based upon the matches, the small business should select the Business Opportunity Sessions that align with the matched opportunities.

Schedule Your Networking Roundtables (NRT)

After scheduling your BOS, select your NRT. The NRTs are small group networking conversations between 1 PDM and as many as 3 small businesses simultaneously. From your dashboard click on "My Matches", view and select the desired NRT.

Note: NRTs are 20-minutes long.

Attend other activities

Luncheon. An open-seating luncheon during which Procurement Decision Makers (PDMs) and Participants can engage and casually network while having a meal without the restriction of seating assignments. A color-scheme is used to identify each Community of Interest (a.k.a. business lines) throughout the NVSBE meeting areas as well as luncheon areas of the Exhibit Hall. The color-scheme is:

• Information Technology and Services: Green
• Medical Supplies and Services: Red
• Specialty Supplies and Services: Yellow

Receptions. Each reception provides an atmosphere for Procurement Decision Makers (PDMs) and businesses to engage in a free-form exchange in the Exhibit Hall.

Exhibit Hall. A large and diverse assembly of products and services are showcased in this year’s expo. Experience live, hands-on product demonstrations with extended hours to conduct talks and market research directly with manufacturers, distributors and product representatives.

Let's Connect. Use the "Let's Connect" feature to engage with VA Procurement officials outside of event scheduled sessions. This feature allows users to propose Ad-hoc meetings where a less time stringent meeting can occur.

Be Prepared:

Dress to impress – Remember NVSBE provides many opportunities for professional networking, as such small businesses are encouraged to observe professional or business casual attire during NVSBE.

Be on time – Allow enough time to arrive promptly to each of your scheduled sessions.

Have your business cards and capabilities statement – Remember to have plenty of business cards and copies of your capabilities statement on-hand to facilitate networking, and networking follow-ups.