11/13/07
The Chicago Transit Authority joins co-sponsors the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Metra, and Pace to present the 11th Annual Transportation Symposium & Business Exchange. The symposium will take place on Wednesday, November 28 at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, 720 S. Michigan from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Transportation Symposium & Business Exchange brings together vendors and contractors with the transit industry's leading suppliers, contractors, purchasing representatives and officials from each of the Chicago area's major public transportation agencies.
Presentations and activities at the symposium include: agency procurement forecasts for 2008, open business discussion with procurement administrators, a procurement workshop, vendor exhibits and a networking reception. Also, through the one-on-one business exchange, vendors and contractors will have an opportunity to meet with architects, engineers and professional service firms.
Companies, including disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) firms, will have an opportunity to meet with the procurement and DBE representatives from each agency. In 2006, CTA launched an online vendor registration and certification process to improve efficiency and help reduce administrative costs, as well as attract more vendors to participate in the CTA procurement process.
Vendors are able to explore partnerships that could broaden business opportunities in the public and private sectors. The symposium also provides a forum for CTA, RTA, Metra and Pace to assist vendors in exploring the benefits of supplier diversity.
The CTA founded the symposium, which was originally the Strategic Alliance Initiative, in 1994. As a result of the event's popularity, the RTA, IDOT, Metra and Pace were invited to join the symposium and have served as co-sponsors for the past ten years.
To register for the 11th Annual Transportation Symposium & Business Exchange, call the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) at 312-666-5910 or visit their web site, www.haciaworks.org to register online. There is a $75 fee to register in advance. Registration on the day of the event is $95.
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