All breakout sessions at the 2024 State Suppliers Expo will be held on Day 2, Sept. 26, and dive deeper into the "how" of doing business with the State of Oklahoma.

Learn more about this year's lineup below. Scroll to the bottom of the page for instructions on how to register for breakout sessions.

Speakers:

• Amanda Means | Registration Specialist, OMES Central Purchasing.
• Jeannie Troxel | Supplier Relationship Analyst, OMES Central Purchasing.
• Asha Parks | Procurement Specialist, OMES Central Purchasing.

Description: Current and future suppliers will learn how to register as a state supplier, select category codes, access bidding events and submit a bid response.

Who should attend?
Ideal for companies that are new to doing business with the state.

Speaker: Lara Moore | Strategic Sourcing Manager, OMES Central Purchasing.

Description: An overview of statewide contracts. Current and potential suppliers will learn about existing contracts open for rebid and new statewide contract opportunities.

Who should attend?
Ideal for companies that are interested in getting on statewide contracts to do business with multiple state agencies.

Panel speakers:

• Glenda Caudle | Systems Support Specialist, OMES Central Purchasing.
• Darlene Saltzman | Procurement Specialist, OMES Central Purchasing.
• Demeana “Dede” Cornelius | Procurement Specialist, OMES Central Purchasing.
• Jason LaPierre | Procurement Specialist, OMES Central Purchasing.
• Ryan Gold | Procurement Specialist, OMES Central Purchasing.

Description: This panel of procurement experts will answer audience questions about the state procurement process and doing business with the State of Oklahoma.

Who should attend?
All companies.

Speakers: National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint Officers.

Description: Potential suppliers will learn about NASPO ValuePoint contract opportunities, as well as additional resources for suppliers seeking to join national cooperative contracts.

Who should attend?
All companies interested in getting on national contracts to do business with other states.

Speakers: OMES Information Services staff.

Description: Current and potential state suppliers will learn how to navigate the unique technology procurement process and hear about current or upcoming projects that align with the state's FY 2024-2026 IT Strategic Plan.

NOTE: This session is different from the State of Technology Luncheon on Sept. 25.

Who should attend?
Technology companies and IT consultants.

Speakers:

• Nathan Wald | Capital Assets Management Administrator.
• OMES Construction and Properties staff.

Description: Current and potential state suppliers will learn how to navigate the unique construction procurement process, including how to register and respond to solicitations. This session will also cover deferred maintenance and other upcoming construction projects across the state. 

NOTE: This session is different from the State of Construction Breakfast on Sept. 25.

Who should attend?
Construction companies, consultants and contractors.

Panel speakers:

• Brad Smith | Procurement Division Manager, Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
  
• Laura Bybee | Assistant Procurement Division Manager, ODOT.
• ODOT Finance and IT staff.

Description: Current and potential state suppliers will learn how to navigate transportation's unique procurement process and resources, as well as discover opportunities to partner on transportation-specific IT projects to fulfill needs.

Who should attend?
Companies that offer services related to maintenance, repair and operation (MRO), grounds equipment, State Use workshops, and IT consultants. This session is ideal for suppliers that want to engage ODOT and get advice on how to network with transportation decision-makers.

Speakers:

• David Hoffmeier | Procurement Contract Specialist for APEX Accelerator.
• Dawn Brakey | APEX Accelerator Counselor.

Description: This session provides an introduction to Oklahoma CareerTech's APEX Accelerator program and how it can help small businesses get into government contracting and find bidding opportunities.

Who should attend?
Oklahoma small businesses, all industries.

Attendees can indicate interest in breakout sessions on the Attendee Pre-registration Form. Once pre-registration is complete and your MeetMax profile is active, you can add breakout sessions to your event schedule. To do so, follow these three easy steps:

1. Navigate to the Event Segments tab.
2. Toggle the Thur, Sep 26, date.
3. Select the plus symbol on any sessions you want to add to your schedule.