| Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference History |
Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference Dates:
1993: 2nd Congressional District Contracting Exposition
1998: 26 May - 2nd Congressional District Economic Opportunity EXPO 1998
2000: 9 August - 2nd Congressional District Economic Opportunity EXPO 2000
2002: 6 - 7 August - 2nd Congressional District Economic Opportunity EXPO 2000 and Veterans' Enterprise Opportunities Conference
2004: 3 - 4 August (Cancelled) - 2nd Congressional District Economic Opportunity Exposition 2004 and Veterans' Enterprise Opportunities Conference - due to redistricting
2006: 12 - 13 September - Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2006
2007: 28 - 29 November - Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2007
2008: 3 - 4 December - Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2008
2009: 20 - 21 May - Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2009, Stephen F. Austin State University Campus, Nacogdoches, TX
2010: 19 - 20 May - Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2010, Stephen F. Austin State University Campus, Nacogdoches, TX
2011: 11 - 12 May - Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2011 on Disaster Contracting, Hudgins Hall, Angelina College, Lufkin, TX
Tentative Dates for the Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference in the future are:
2012: 16 - 17 May - Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2012, Stephen F. Austin State University Campus, Nacogdoches, TX
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History of the Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference:
With the establishment of the Angelina College Procurement Assistance Center (ACPAC) on 1 July 1992, with the assistance of Congressman Charles Wilson of the former 2nd Congressional District, and funding by Angelina College and the Defense Logistics Agency; it became apparent that if its main mission was to be accomplished, a Contracting Opportunities Conference needed to be held to support the counties of the 2nd Congressional District.
In 1993, the first Contracting Exposition was held. It was located in the Angelina College Cafeteria and had various federal agencies and prime contractors available to meet with the businesses of the former 2nd Congressional District (19 counties). It was not until 1998 that the conference was held again.
On 26 May 1998, the 2nd Congressional District Economic Opportunity EXPO 1998 was held at the Lufkin Pitser Garrison Civic Center. The event was hosted by Congressman Jim Turner of the former 2nd Congressional District and Angelina College Procurement Assistance Center. EXPO 1998 had twenty nine exhibitors and over one hundred attendees. Based on the success and the support received, the next event was scheduled for 2000.
The 2nd Congressional District Economic Opportunity EXPO 2000 was held on 9 August 2000 at the Lufkin Pitser Garrison Civic Center. During this event not only were federal, state, and local government agencies and prime contractors resent; but a series of classes were held for small businesses on "How to Sell to the Government". EXPO 2000 had thirty eight exhibitors and had over one hundred visitors to the event. With this event, it became a biannual EXPO.
The next event was held on 6 - 7 August 2002. This would be the first year that an Economic Opportunity Exposition and a Veterans Enterprise Opportunities Conference would be conducted. Based on the staff of ACPAC and with the support of Congressman Turner, it was decided that a concerted effort would be made to reach out to Veteran Small Businesses and Veterans in general. Therefore, the first day of the event consisted of presentations for Veterans and Veteran Business owners by the Veterans Administration and the Texas Veterans Commission. The following day EXPO 2002 was held with forty one exhibitors and over two hundred people attending the two days of events.
As planning began for the fourth and final 2nd Congressional District Economic Opportunity Exposition and Veterans' Enterprise Opportunities Conference to be held on 3 - 4 August 2004, it was decided not to conduct the event with the redistricting of Texas Congressional Districts.
In 2005, with Angelina College Procurement Assistance Center no longer having its coverage the same as its sponsoring Congressional District (formerly the 2nd Congressional District and now parts of the 1st, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 17th Congressional Districts); it was decided that a contracting conference needed to be held again to bring federal and state agencies to the Deep East Texas area. Therefore, planning began for a conference to held in 2006 by ACPAC, focusing on the counties of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments.
On 12 - 13 September 2006, the Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2006 was held. It consisted of three major events: Veterans to Business Conference 2006, the HUD Federal Labor Standards for Contractors and Subcontractors Workshop, and the Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Exposition 2006. The event was hosted and funded by Angelina College and the Angelina College Procurement Assistance Center. With a reduced coverage area, only twenty four exhibitors participated in the events. However, over three hundred people attended the various events, with an increase in Veteran involvement. With confidence that ACPAC could organize and fund the event, it was decided that DETCOC would become an annual event.
Setting the Wednesday after Thanksgiving as the time frame, the Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2007 was conducted on 28 - 29 November 2007; with the Veterans to Business Conference 2007, Texas Veterans Land Board Workshop, and the Contracting Opportunities Exposition 2007. Twenty eight exhibitors participated in the event and two hundred seventy six attendees.
The Deep East Texas Contracting Opportunities Conference 2008 was held on 3 - 4 December 2008 at the Lufkin Pitser Garrison Center. The event consisted of the Veterans to Business Conference 2008, Texas Veterans Land Board Workshop, Marketing Workshop, and the Contracting Opportunities Exposition 2008. The event had twenty eight exhibitors and one hundred twenty two attendees over the two day period.
On the 20 - 21 May 2009, the 9th scheduled Contracting Opportunities Conference was held at the Baker Pattillo Student Center at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Based on an agreement reached between Angelina College Procurement Assistance Center (ACPAC) and the Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) Procurement and Property Services combined efforts to host DETCOC 2009. This resulted in having twenty nine exhibitors and one hundred forty seven attendees.
The second event held at the Pattillo Student Center at SFASU DETCOC 2010 was held on 19 - 20 May 2010; with pre-conference training on the 18th of May. Additionally, this is the first time the event allowed small businesses to display during the EXPO portion of the event. This event had twenty six exhibitors, eleven vendors, and forty-four attendees. It should be noted this was the first year that funding was not made available to advertise.
The Angelina College Procurement Assistance Center (ACPAC) is a non-profit organization that assists the businesses of East Texas (Texas Forest Country) in competing for and wining government contracts from the federal, state, and local government agencies. ACPAC, which serves as a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), is funded in part through a cooperative agreement from the Department of Defense (DOD) through a program that is administered by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The content of any written materials or verbal communications of the PTAC does not necessarily reflect the official views of or imply endorsement by DOD or DLA.
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