Something for everyone at 2009 GSA Expo
Green products galore, training opportunities and inspiring military displays — it’s all at the General Services Administration’s (GSA) 15th annual International Products and Services Expo in San Antonio, Texas. The expo, which is being held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, takes place June 9-11.
With free training sessions and vendor displays, the expo will especially benefit state, local and federal government employees and military members who make or influence procurement decisions. At the expo, acquisition and program managers and other government administrators can:
- Network with hundreds of GSA and other agency experts;
- Continue building knowledge and skills through Continuous Learning Point (CLP) certified training classes;
- Meet with GSA vendors who can provide specific technical expertise;
- Bring their national or regional staff together for a meeting at one of the complimentary meeting rooms.
GSA is the federal government’s primary acquisition agency, and the expo is its primary customer event. As many as 750 companies that hold current contracts with GSA will have exhibits at the expo. Last year’s meeting drew more than 9,000 attendees.
Exhibitors that are displaying environmentally friendly products are designated in the program guide. Vendors have self-certified that any of their organization’s products on display qualify under guidelines in Executive Order 13423.
One of the U.S. Army’s MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) armored vehicles will be on display at the 2009 expo. Companies that offer products and services that support the U.S. troops in the field will be exhibiting near the armored unit.
The event offers timely opportunities for developing acquisition skills and knowledge while meeting annual continuing-education requirements under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) and Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA). Federal program experts will lead the training sessions, and the training is CLP-certified.
Training topics that will be covered at the expo include:
- Professional Procurement
- Green Solutions
- State and Local Customer Solutions
- Product and Service Solutions
- Technology Solutions
- Travel, Transportation and Personal Property Solutions
- Building Solutions
- Business Support
The “Solutions for State and Local Governments through GSA’s Cooperative Purchasing Program” is one course that should be of interest to non-federal attendees. The session is part of the expo’s Strategic Programs & Initiatives series.
Experts will show how GSA’s Cooperative Purchasing Program can help state and local government procurement officials leverage their buying power and streamline acquisitions to save time and money.
With the recent enactment of Public Law 110-248, the Local Preparedness Acquisition Act, state and local governments now have access to GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule 84, which includes alarm and signal systems, facility management systems, firefighting and rescue equipment, law enforcement and security equipment, marine craft and related equipment, special purpose clothing and related services.
One of the courses offered in the expo’s Green Solutions program is “Green Buildings and Practices,” which is part of the Strategic Programs & Initiatives series. The session will show how the GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings (OFHPGB) is transforming building and organizational performance in new construction and existing buildings. The OFHPGB is fundamentally rethinking the federal workplace, focusing on the relationships between the physical environment, individual and group behavior, organizational performance and strategy. The office is working to track building performance for mandated reductions in energy and water consumption. OFHPGB promotes facility resiliency to eliminate the use of fossils fuels in new federal construction projects by 2030 through designing within a site’s water and solar budget.
“Performance Based Acquisition Skills — Core Competencies,” is another expo course that offers universal appeal. The session will help administrators in structuring all parts of a successful performance-based acquisition, from identifying the need through writing solid performance outcomes and metrics.
Attendees at the “Negotiating With Confidence to Meet Agency Needs” course will learn that strong negotiation skills are based on confidence, conviction and preparation. The course is part of the expo’s Acquisition Skills — Core Competencies program, and is being staged through the Federal Acquisition Institute.
For more information about the 2009 GSA Expo and free online registration, visit WWW.GOVINFO.BZ/23553-145.
AT A GLANCE
2009 GSA Expo
June 9-11
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas
Exhibit Floor Hours:
Wednesday, June 10
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 11
8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
