Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Sandy-Michael McDonald
Department: Economic and Small Business Development
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO AUTHORIZE Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD) to solicit co-sponsorships greater than $30,000 for the “Broward and Beyond Business Conference,” scheduled for May 6, 2022 (“BBBC”); and authorizing the County Administrator, or her designee, to execute BBBC co-sponsorship and related agreements, subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney, and to take all other administrative and budgetary actions associated therewith.
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Why Action is Necessary
In accordance with the Broward County Advantage Marketing Program, Board approval is required to seek co-sponsorships in excess of $30,000.
What Action Accomplishes
A. Recognizes the conference as an annual County sponsored event, approves staff in the Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD) to solicit co-sponsorships to support the BBBC event.
B. Authorizes the County Administrator to execute any sponsorship agreements related to BBBC.
Is this Action Goal Related
Yes
Previous Action Taken
None
Summary Explanation/Background
THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC AND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (OESBD) RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
The Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD) is responsible for enhancing Broward County's economy by recruiting new and supporting existing industries and creating new employment opportunities for residents. Working collaboratively with key partners, OESBD’s mission is to promote job growth, diversify the County's industrial mix, and expand the local tax base. This item supports the Board’s vision of “a vibrant economy with a diverse, skilled workforce, in a County offering unique advantages that attract all types of businesses to create equitable, countywide prosperity”, through the value of “ensuring economic opportunities for all people and businesses in Broward.”
The Broward County Board of County Commissioners developed the County Business Enterprise (CBE) Program to increase participation of small businesses in county projects. The Business Opportunity Act was amended in May 2018 to establish a minimum goal of at least 25% CBE participation for all eligible (non-DBE/ACDBE/SBE) county procurement contracts. This event will support Broward’s small businesses, encourage certification, and provide an opportunity to learn how to do business with the county.
At its last event in May 2019, the County hosted a successful BBBC event, with over 740 attendees and almost 50 exhibitors. This is a signature County event and resource for small businesses. Considering all that has happened since the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency, our small business community is in even greater need of support and access to resources, which this conference provides. In addition, the proposed 2022 BBBC allows for targeted outreach to build capacity, to inform startups, entrepreneurs, and existing small businesses (that are not certified) about the small business participation goals on county projects, and how they can grow and develop their business. The 2022 program will also feature capacity building opportunities for MAP Broward projects. BBBC was consistently growing (pre-COVID), and quickly establishing itself to become the leading conference in South Florida for small businesses, and OESBD is excited to re-ignite that trend.
The 2020 and 2021 BBBC events were canceled due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the deposits paid for the canceled events will be utilized to put on the 2022 BBBC in May of 2022.
This item, if approved, will provide the required Board authorization to OESBD so it may seek co-sponsorships for the 2022 BBBC in excess of $30,000, and will authorize the County Administrator, or her designee, to execute co-sponsorship agreements (subject to review for legal sufficiency by the Office of the County Attorney), and to take necessary actions to facilitate these co-sponsorships.
The event will be free of charge to all attendees.
Source of Additional Information
Tatyana R. McCall, OESBD Community Relations and Outreach Manager, (954) 357-8076
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
None.