Minority Supplier Development Council to Host 'Business is Personal' Expo, August 5

OAKLAND, Calif., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern California's largest and most successful annual minority business opportunity expo will be held in San Jose this year on Thursday, August 5, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.  The Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC), the non-profit that pioneered the first NorCal minority business expo of its kind 32 years ago, is welcoming all Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs), corporations, organizations, and the general public to join them for an event focused on business opportunities, strategic networking, and the generation of wealth and economic growth in Northern California.

At the Council's 2009 Expo, MBE attendees, representing more than $1.3 Billion in annual revenue, were made aware of over 300 potential business opportunities from some of the most prominent corporations in Northern California and nationwide, including Brocade, Chevron Corporation, Cisco Systems, Kaiser Permanente, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.  This year, the Expo will continue to connect MBEs with opportunities and corporate decision-makers through a variety of outlets, including one-on-one matchmaking sessions, 'in booth' sourcing/seller sessions, and networking.

In 2010, the Council is challenging attendees to confront the stereotype that business isn't personal in order to assist business owners and employees in taking their company to the next level.  Throughout his 20 years working in first corporate procurement and later non-profit minority supplier development, NCMSDC President Scott A. Vowels has learned that business, if anything, is personal.  "Value propositions," he said, "aren't developed on a white board in a staff meeting. They're formed based on customer feedback.  As business leaders, we should seek constructive criticism, take it personally, and act accordingly. This could mean a major shift in the products or services we provide or a new way of communicating value.  The best way to measure value is simple and, like many things in life, utterly personal: true value is measured through the satisfaction of the people we serve."

2010 Expo tickets are available for purchase until July 30 at www.ncmsdc.org.

About NCMSDC

Founded in 1978, NCMSDC is a non-profit dedicated to promoting minority participation in the procurement process.  NCMSDC's mission is to provide MBEs in Northern California and Hawaii with nationally-recognized certification and to connect corporate members with NCMSDC-certified minority suppliers.

SOURCE Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council