HOUSTON, Aug. 12, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Business officials from counties, cities, school districts, colleges, universities, and other governmental agencies are invited to gain an advantage by attending the VIP Advantage, The Cooperative Purchasing Network (TCPN) Vendor Exhibition and Conference, Sept. 8-9, 2005, at South Padre Island Convention Center.
Registration is only $25; a registration form is available at http://www.tcpn.org/VIP/docs/PARTICIPANTREGISTRATIONFORM.doc. For more conference information, call the VIP Advantage line at (877) 884-7695.
Nearly 50 workshop sessions will be offered, including topics required for certification hours, such as Ethics in Purchasing, Best Practices in Contract Management, Job Order Contracts, Supply Management and more. The keynote session will feature Laura Fowler, Henslee Fowler Hepworth and Schwartz, LLP, speaking on the Top Ten Most Misunderstood Parts of Cooperative Purchasing. All sessions will offer continuing education units.
More than 50 booths showcasing TCPN contract-holders commodities and services will be on display to demonstrate the value and savings available through TCPN.
Hotel room rates are $80 or less to meet state government guidelines.
There will be opportunities to meet with vendors to visit about the advantages of purchasing with TCPN contracts. A golf tournament is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 7, and a reception for Thursday evening. For more information, go to http://www.tcpn.org/vip.
TCPN provides competitively bid contracts from more than 100 vendors for governmental entities and educational institutions that join as members. Purchasing products and services through TCPN saves time and the cost of requesting competitive bids, as agencies can use the competitive contracts already bid and legally established through TCPN. There is no membership fee to belong to TCPN; signing an interlocal agreement establishes membership. For more information about TCPN, go to http://www.tcpn.org or call toll free (888) 884-7695.
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