Atlantic City is playing host to the annual Federal Aviation Administration’s Small Business Procurement Opportunities Training Conference this week, bringing small-business owners and procurement officers together.
Conference events at the Trump Taj Mahal Conference Center will run through Thursday afternoon, including sessions from basic contracting processes to more advanced projects in air traffic control, systems engineering, construction and security.
Small-business owners from around the country will have an opportunity to meet with their regional small business liaisons from the FAA today at 4 p.m., and can set up various one-on-one appointments with procurement officials and industry representatives throughout the conference.
The FAA reports it obligated $3.8 billion in goods and services during fiscal 2010, and 30 percent of the procurement dollars went to small businesses.
New Jersey Department of Transportation commissioner James Simpson and state Sen. James Whelan (D-Northfield) presented welcoming remarks Tuesday morning. Other important sessions include a keynote address from the FAA’s chief acquisition officer, Patricia McNall, and a panel of executives from the seven key contractors working on the Systems Engineering 2020 project. Dan Courain, vice president of air traffic services for ITT, which has a division in Clifton, will be part of the panel.
