“Alliance 2000 – Opportunities for Small Business Training Conference and Trade Show, will be offered this March 23 & 24 at the Doubletree Hotel, near SeaTac Airport.The conference and trade show is oriented around the needs of small businesses, as well as small disadvantaged and women and minority-owned businesses. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and network with more than 130 federal, state and local agencies and major purchasers during the conference.Fourteen federal, state and civilian agencies have combined to provide training and purchasing opportunities for small business owners. The unprecedented interagency cooperative effort is designed to provide small businesses with the tools and opportunities to do business with a multitude of government agencies and large purchasers. The lead agency for this year’s conference is the US Navy.The two-day conference includes a trade show with 130 exhibiting companies and agencies along with seminars and workshops for small businesses. Seminar topics include:- Minority and women-owned business opportunities in doing business with Washington State after I-200.- Where to find federal and state contracting opportunities for small business.- Federal and state bid opportunities on the Internet.- Washington State certification for minority and women-owned businesses.- Government credit card purchasing.- Web invoicing system.- Financing your business and contracts.- Electronic bid sets.- Technical Assistance Resources.- How to win state bids.- HUBZone contracting.- How to get on a GSA federal supply schedule.- Bonding.- Small Disadvantaged Business Program.- Marketing to federal agencies.- Prime contractors panel.The conference also features a Cybergarden which offers hands-on learning about how to register online for federal and state procurements and how to search agency web sites for bid opportunities.For more information or to register to exhibit or attend, call the conference coordinator ShoWorks, Inc. at 509-838-8755, e-mail showorks@showorksinc.com, or visit http://www.showorksinc.com/allance.”