Nearly a thousand small business owners expected at Sept. 22 SBAM Matchmaking Summit
September 18, 2015
Almost one thousand entrepreneurs from all across Michigan are hoping to snag business opportunities with buyers from large companies when they attend the SBAM Matchmaking summit taking place 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tues., Sept. 22 at Burton Manor in Livonia.
The Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) program are partnering to host the event that connects large purchasers with qualified Michigan suppliers in a number of categories. Buyers confirmed include Barton Malow, Consumers Energy, the Detroit Tigers, DTE Energy, Michigan State University, Meijer, Wayne State University and more.
This summit will feature a mixture of informational programming and pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings. Speakers include SBAM President and CEO Rob Fowler, 11th Congressional District U.S. Representative David Trott, Dan Malone, Senior Vice President of Distribution Operations and Engineering and Transmission at Consumers Energy; Robert A. Richard, Senior Vice President, Major Enterprise Projects at DTE Energy; and Jennifer Nelson, Chief Operating Officer, Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
A Purchaser Panel called “A Buyer’s Perspective: How to Win New Business” will feature Teresa LeFevre, Vice President, Supplier Diversity Manager, Comerica Bank; Charen Buyce, Director, Indirect Global Procurement, Amway; and DeAndre Berry, Director, Purchasing & Supplier Diversity, Detroit Tigers. The panel will be moderated by PMBC Managing Director Trevor Pawl.
A Trend Talks program includes Making Time for Politics with Tony Stamas, Vice President of Government Relations, SBAM; Fraud: Can You Trust the People You Work With? with Bill Kowalski, Principle, Rehmann; Small Business Energy Efficiency with Robert Mihos, Manager of Small Business Energy Efficiency, Consumers Energy; Small Business Technology Trends with Chad Paalman, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, NuWave Technology; and How To Complete A Great PMBC Summit Application with Colin Dillon, Supplier Relations Specialist, Pure Michigan Business Connect.