GSA applying its IT model to overhaul of services schedules

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Originally posted on FederalNewsRadio.com

The General Services Administration wants to make it easier for agencies to buy professional, management, technology and a host of other kinds of services from the schedule contracts. To that end, GSA will consolidate seven different professional services contracts into what could end up being one mega- schedule.

Tiffany Hixson, GSA's Federal Acquisition Service's professional services category executive, said the goal is to consolidate the schedules of as many as 500 vendors by November 2015.

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Back to Basics: 5 Tips on Selecting a Venue

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With back to school behind us, new routines are set and starting to feel comfortable. Most of us love a familiar routine and familiar places. That's why we may go out of our way to hit our favorite coffee shop. But this comfort in routine can make our events a bit stale.

Are you always planning events at the same locations? Are your events at the same venues that are also used by organizations in your industry? Maybe its time to step out of the comfort zone and pick a new spot to add some new life to your events.

In choosing a new venue think first about what you like best about your old standby venues. Is it the service? Décor? Food? Location? AV equipment? Then put that criteria at the top of your list for selecting a new venue. Can they meet or exceed your expectations?

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In tough times, contractors turn to creative marketing campaigns

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Originally posted on WashingtonPost.com

In the best of times, selling to the government is not an easy task. In the worst of times, it's even harder.

As federal budgets shrink and competition intensifies, contractors are battling it out not only for dollars, but also for the attention of their government customers.

That's sparked a slew of creative marketing campaigns over the past couple of years, featuring virtual conferences, 3-D animation, apps, e-books and the increased use of social media. These are not necessarily groundbreaking ideas in the Internet age, but for the world of government contracting, they mark a shift from the old way of doing business.

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Way Beyond the Beltway: Hosting Events in Hawaii

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In an age of austere budgets and travel restrictions, you may think we are out of our minds to suggest planning a meeting in Hawaii. Hear us out....

According to Gallup nearly 3 out of 10 workers in Hawaii work for the government. Location-wise it is a good draw for attendees from the pacific rim or even from the west coast. On our website we've had 14 events listed so far this year on the islands of Hawaii with another four happening between now and the end of the year.

Hawaii has a high military concentration as it is the headquarters of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM). USPACOM comprises Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force service components, all headquartered in Hawaii. The Coast Guard, providing unique services to the islands, also has a large presence. If you are looking to host a smaller event catered to the military or even a larger event that will appeal to the unique needs of that region you may want to consider some of these venues.

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Exploring New Frontiers

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NASA has taken the lead in exploring yet another new frontier - the world of virtual conferences. This FCW article highlights how the agency has cut costs with virtual world shows. Some highlights:

  • NASA hosted their first Virtual Executive Summit in October 2012 as a series of prerecorded and live sessions, activities and interactions hosted through NASA's human resources portal and Adobe Connect. Nearly 500 NASA leaders participated in the virtual events.
  • According to officials, the agency saved $750,000 in travel expenses and another $250,000 in logistics and venue costs -- for a total of more than $1 million in savings.
  • Virtual technology also allows agencies to host more events. NASA was able to do six times as many events in 2013 as it did in 2011.

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