MONTPELIER, Vt. — A partnership of state and federal entities is teaming up to provide small businesses a unique opportunity to discover their true love: More customers.The Vermont Agency of Transportation and Department of Economic Development, the U.S. Small Business Administration; and the Vermont Small Business Development Center are presenting their fourth annual Strategies for Winning Government Contracts event on Feb. 1.The highlight of the day is the matchmaker sessions that allow Vermont businesses to introduce their firms and products in one-on-one, ten-minute appointments with various state and federal agencies as well as large companies who already contract with the government.We like to call it, speed dating for businesses, said Greg Maguire, who runs the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center, formerly the Government Marketing Assistance Center, at the Vermont Department of Economic Development.Being a small or mid-sized business looking for new customers is a lot like trying to find romance: Its all a matter of opportunity and time, Maguire said. This event gives businesses the opportunity to make lots of contacts with potential customers in a very short period of time.Businesses can meet with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; General Services Administration and Postal Service; the University of Vermont; Vermont National Guard; Agency of Transportation and Departments of Information and Innovation, Buildings and General Services, and Environmental Conservation.Its not only a chance to get contracts with government agencies, but with private enterprises, said Lenae Quillen-Blume, State Director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center, a program of U.S. Small Business Administration. Companies like Fletcher Allen Health Care, Husky Injection Molding, General Dynamics, Goodrich Aerospace, and Dubois & King engineering.Participants can also get hands-on help and practical advice on getting government contracts from experts like Maguire; the Small Business Administration; and the Vermont Global Trade Partnership.This event is really an example of one of Gov. Douglas core economic development strategies: Working with partners like the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center and the SBA to strengthen and grow Vermonts existing businesses, said Mike Quinn, Vermont Commissioner of Economic Development.Vermont is a small state, but many businesses still have trouble navigating how to do business with their state and federal government agencies, said Senator Patrick Leahy, whose office helped coordinate the event. Small businesses and government procurement officials have a great opportunity in this event to meet one another face to face and make connections that could help their businesses grow while helping these agencies line up good, reliable suppliers.The $35 fee also includes breakfast and lunch, with a keynote lunch address from Melissa Dever, Vice President of engineering for Competitive Computing and an enterprise systems architect with over 25 years of applications engineering experience. Governor Jim Douglas will be on hand to deliver opening remarks.The Fourth Annual Strategies for Winning Government Contracts event takes place on Thursday, February 1st, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Conference Center in Burlington.For more information, visit: www.vtsbdc.org(link is external) or call Colleen Montague at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, (802) 828-2715.-30-
“The current level of sales from the German market is higher than last year, which makes us extremely happy. Air connectivity has a great influence on the growth of tourist traffic, so this year we expect the continuation of the establishment of additional airlines from Germany. The tourist market is changing more and more, so an increasing number of German tourists are turning to sustainability, ie products and offers with a built-in nature conservation component. Therefore, it is in this segment that we see great potential and opportunity to strengthen our position in the future in this extremely important market for us. “, said State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism Tonči Glavina. CNTB Director Kristjan Staničić is in Munich to meet with Michael Hinterdobler, Bavarian Government Envoy and Assistant Minister for International and European Affairs, Prince Leopold Von Bayern, Konig owner Ludwig Kaltenberg, who owns the Kaltenberg brand, and Evelyne. Menges, a member of the City Assembly of Munich. The fair was visited today by State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism Tonči Glavina and President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Luka Burilović. The head of the CNTB Branch Office in Munich, Nera Miličić, pointed out that she was especially honored to host the Sinj Alkars in Munich and the promotion of the Sinj Alkars at the largest Bavarian tourist fair, f.re.e. A special novelty at this year’s fair is the refreshed visual appearance of the CNTB stand, which, on the eve of the upcoming European Football Championship, has been enriched with elements of red and white squares. Visitors to the fair taste the occasional cocktails Alkar and Srce Jadrana, while the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Tourist Board, under the brand “Vina Croatia – vina mosaica”, also serve top Croatian wines. This year, from 19 to 23 February, the Croatian National Tourist Board will present its domestic tourist offer at the f.re.eu fair in Munich, one of the most important fairs on the German market. On the eve of the fair, a large tourist delegation from Central Dalmatia, more precisely about 70 Alkars, Alkar boys and members of Sinj city music, paraded through the city center on Marienplatz and aroused the enthusiasm of many passers-by in the Bavarian capital. We remind you that last year a record 3 million tourist arrivals and more than 21 million overnight stays were made from the German market, which is an increase of 3 percent in arrivals compared to 2018.
“Alka is a symbol of patriotism and I am proud that we presented a part of Croatian culture and tradition included in the UNESCO list of intangible heritage to the Bavarians, who are our most numerous guests. The solemn procession of Alkar and Alkar boys together with Sinj city music, between the three medieval gates of Munich were a special attraction for residents and visitors of Munich, but also the pride of many Croats living in Bavaria., pointed out Miličić, adding that the Sinj Alka and the Bavarian Kaltenberg Knights’ Games are part of the European cultural heritage, so the agreed cooperation between the Sinj Alkars and the Knights of Kaltenberg is all the more gratifying. Within the stand of the Croatian Tourist Board, a total of 24 co-exhibitors present their offer at the fair, including the Dubrovnik-Neretva, Split-Dalmatia and Vukovar-Srijem counties (Slavonia cluster), the Zagreb and Dubrovnik tourist boards, as well as numerous business and tourist entities. Sinj’s alkari are a special attraction at the fair and the main town square in Munich. After the Alkar parade in the center of Munich, the fair hosted the program of the Knights of Alkar Society and City Music of Sinj, through which the Split-Dalmatia County was presented, with the aim of popularizing the UNESCO protected knight competition, but also Central Dalmatia and Croatia as a tourist destination. “Presentation at the fair in Munich is extremely important to us because the Germans, and especially the inhabitants of the southern provinces such as Bavaria, have been the largest share in the total tourist traffic of Croatia for years. This year’s performance at the fair was enriched by a large presentation of Alkar and our 300-year-old unique event Sinjska Alka, and we also met with key strategic partners such as FTI Touristik, the third largest tour operator in Europe and IDRiva Tours, a tour operator specializing in bringing of German guests to Croatia who forecast growth in demand for Croatian destinations “, said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić, adding that in the current part of 2020 the German market has grown by 25 percent in arrivals and 18 percent in overnight stays compared to the same period last year, while in 2020 it is expected total turnover growth from the German market ranging up to 3 percent.
The Tipperary side travel to take on Blackrock in the Division 1B Play-Offs this afternoon.Peter Silk is a member of the club committee.He says Cashel have reason to be confident they can get a good result in Stradbrook.