Procurement solutions and training at 2012 GSA Expo (with related video)
“Right Solutions. Right Now.” is the theme of the GSA Training Conference and Expo 2012. It takes place May 15-17 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Federal, state and local government employees and military members who make or influence procurement decisions will find a variety of solutions and learning opportunities at the conference.
More than 700 GSA-contracted vendors, many with GSA Multiple Award Schedule and Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC) contracts, will be displaying products and services at the 2012 GSA Expo. The exhibit floor will offer more than 200,000 square feet of space showcasing a variety of items that governments buy and use. The exhibit floor will open the morning of Wednesday, May 16.
Coach and entrepreneur Bill Courtney will deliver an inspiring keynote address at the expo. He is the star of the 2012 Academy Award-nominated documentary, “Undefeated,” which chronicles the Manassas Tigers’ 2009 football season, on and off-the-field, as the team strives to win its first playoff game in the high school’s 110-year history.
A perennial underdog, the Manassas team had gone so far as to sell their home games to the highest bidder, and they were even hired out as a practice team for more successful schools. All that changed when Courtney, a former high school football coach turned successful lumber salesman, volunteered to lend a hand.
Courtney, who operates a $40 million worldwide enterprise that he started in his living room, subscribes to hard work, integrity and dedication. He believes that if you do the right thing, profits will follow. The lessons Courtney teaches about showing up, handling failure as well as success, and being committed to a goal, are applicable to any organization.
Acquisition and program managers who attend will have a chance to build their acquisition knowledge at a three-day Continuous Learning Point (CLP)-certified training class program. They can network with experts from GSA and other government agencies, and meet with GSA vendors who provide technical expertise and products and services suited for each agency’s needs.
Training topics at the 2012 expo include:
· Professional acquisition;
· Green solutions;
· State and local customer solutions;
· Product and service solutions;
· Technology solutions;
· Travel, transportation and property solutions;
· Building solutions;
· E-tools; and
· Business support.
Training activities begin on Tuesday, May 15, and continue through the afternoon of Thursday, May 17, giving attendees eight separate training sessions. A few expo course offerings include:
Sustainable Federal Supply Chain: Use of Vendor and Contractor Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in Federal Procurements
This session will provide an update on the EO 13514 question on how to use vendor and contractor GHG emissions as part of the federal procurement process.
Date: Thursday, May 17
Solutions for State and Local Customers through GSA’s Cooperative Purchasing Program
Subject matter experts will explain how GSA’s Cooperative Purchasing Program can help state and local municipal government procurement officials use their buying power, and streamline acquisition to save time and money in meeting future needs for information technology and emergency preparedness, security, and fire and rescue needs.
Date: Wednesday, May 16
SmartBUY: Transforming the Way the Fed. Government Buys Software
Learn how the SmartBUY software initiative continues to raise the bar on security and standards while transforming how the federal government develops new approaches to purchasing software.
Date: Wednesday, May 16 and Thursday, May 17
Green Purchasing Refresher
This session will provide a refresher on green purchasing requirements, including the 95 percent sustainable acquisition goal in President Obama’s Executive Order 13514 and new GSA tools for finding green products.
Date: Tuesday, May 15 and Thursday, May 17
This
video lets prospective attendees capture some of the excitement of the 2012 GSA Expo.
