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Business Connect director Simona Caldwell outlines how local firms can compete for major-event contracts
Summary
Simona Caldwell, director of Business Connect at the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, told Pasadena in Focus that the program helps minority- and women-owned firms access procurement opportunities for major events; application windows run about three months and include a vetting and pitch process.
Simona Caldwell, director of Business Connect with the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission (LA SEC), told Pasadena in Focus that the program aims to connect local minority- and women-owned firms to procurement opportunities for major events such as the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend.
"So my role as a director of Business Connect is to be a connector, an advocate, a supporter of all the local businesses involved in the program and beyond," Caldwell said, describing the program's outreach and support role for small firms.
Caldwell said Business Connect was brought to the LA SEC in 2020 to prepare for the Super Bowl in 2022 and began as an NFL program. She said host committees for major events typically run their own procurement programs and that Business Connect works with those committees to share registration and procurement information with the local business community. "One of the things that they can do is go to the LA SEC website," she said, directing listeners to lasec.net and the Business Connect entry under a "legacy and community" menu.
On eligibility and timing, Caldwell said the program focuses on businesses providing goods or event production services and that a firm generally must be at least 51% minority- or women-owned (or belong to another underrepresented group) and be the direct provider of the goods or services. She said businesses should be based in the Los Angeles region and be in good standing with state and city requirements. "The submission period is usually about 3 months," she said, and the vetting process can take several more weeks, followed by a "pitch day" for shortlisted businesses. "Just last quarter, we had over 300 businesses apply," she added.
Caldwell encouraged businesses to use local chambers and business organizations to prepare for procurement opportunities and said applicants who have questions can reach out directly via the contact information listed on the LA SEC website. The segment closed with Caldwell urging local firms not to "be shy" about applying and to take advantage of available resources.
The interview provided practical next steps for Pasadena-area business owners who want to pursue contracts for large sporting and entertainment events in the Los Angeles region.
