The Pierce County Economic Development Department and Purchasing Division and their partners are hosting a free purchasing forum for local businesses. Attendees can learn about new and existing business opportunities with government agencies.

Organizers say the forum will offer businesses a chance to:

Learn first-hand how to register and compete for contracts with federal, state and local government agencies;

Ask questions of a panel of government purchasing agents;

Meet one-on-one with purchasing agents; and

Meet and interact with other Pierce County business owners and managers.

Guest speakers include Deputy Pierce County Executive Kevin Phelps and Pamela M. Munoz, Director of Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Munoz’s presentation will be about how understanding the mission of JBLM is key to preparing for contract opportunities.

Date: Friday, Oct. 3, 2014

Time: 8:00 a.m. to noon

Place: Environmental Services Building, 9850 64th Street W., University Place, WA 98467 (click here for a map)

Registration: Click here to register

Other partner agencies include Pierce County, the city of Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma, Washington State’s Departments of Transportation and Enterprise Services, Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), Native PTAC , NAVSUP Fleet Logics Center (Puget Sound), U.S. General Services Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Joint Base Lewis –McChord, Tacoma Public Schools, Pierce Transit, Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council , Go Local Tacoma, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, King County Director Association School Purchasing Consortium, and the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises.