GPC Attendee Survey

1
GPC Attendee Survey

• Conducted for Government Procurement Connections
  and MWH Public Relations
• January 2007

2
Table of Contents

• Section Page
• Objectives Methodology 3
• Key Findings Strategic Implications 6
• Evaluations of Past Events 9
• Reasons to Attend Ways to Improve 14
• GPC 2007 20
• Appendix 25

3
Objectives Methodology
4
Research Objectives

• Quantify the impact of attending GPC events
• Measure overall attendee satisfaction and
  evaluations of the conference
• Track participation rates of past GPC attendees,
  sub-contractors, prime contractors, and sponsors
• Measure likelihood to participate in GPC 2007
• Identify key motivations for attending and
  drivers for likelihood to attend in 2007
• Identify opportunities for improvement and ways
  to add value to sponsors and exhibitors

5
Research Methodology

• RTS Marketing Research conducted an online survey
  of past GPC attendees, sub-contractors, prime
  contractors, and sponsors
• Qualified respondents have attended either a past
  GPC conference, GPC Forums, GPC Receptions, or
  GPC Breakfast
• A total of 2070 email invitations were
  distributed, with 235 undeliverable. A total of
  288 surveys were completed, with 264 in the final
  sample for an overall qualified response rate of
  12.7.
• As an incentive to participate, all respondents
  were given the opportunity to enter into a
  drawing to win a free domestic ticket on
  Continental Airlines.
• The survey was conducted from December 22, 2006
  to January 15, 2007.

6
Key Findings Strategic Implications
7
Key Findings

• Overall, attendees are satisfied with their
  experience at GPC and are likely to attend GPC
  2007. Over three-fourths are satisfied with each
  aspect of GPC, including Forums, Receptions, and
  Breakfasts and 70 are likely to attend GPC 2007.
• Sponsors, in particular, are satisfied with their
  involvement with GPC and are the most likely to
  attend again in 2007.
• On average, attending GPC will generate 10 new
  contacts and 5 new leads or prospects. One in ten
  attendees sign new contracts or win new projects
  because of GPC.
• Networking with potential new prospects and new
  clients is the main driver for attending GPC
  nearly all attendees say this is an important
  criteria. The educational opportunities are also
  important, but play a secondary role to the
  networking function.
• I expect to identify significant contacts /
  leads relevant to my business that would lead to
  a tangible contract or sub-contract opportunity.
• The most common complaint among dissatisfied
  attendees, and even among those who are happy
  with GPC, is that the quality of networking needs
  to improve. Attendees expect to be able to meet
  influential decision-makers and procurement
  officers many attendees report that they were
  disappointed with the types of company
  representatives they met.
• We were expecting to meet people who had the
  time to work with us in connecting us with the
  right people to network with, not people who
  gives us a name and a phone number of a contact
  person, but people who are going to help us get
  in the door with some of these companies.
• Even among sponsors and exhibitors, the most
  common suggestion for how to add value to their
  involvement is to provide opportunities to
  network with more qualified prospects and leads.

8
Strategic Implications

• Marketing communications for GPC 2007 should
  emphasize first the networking opportunities for
  attendees, supplemented with messages about the
  educational opportunities. Meeting new prospects
  and new contacts is the primary draw for most
  attendees and needs to be the focus of all
  communications.
• GPC must be careful not to overstate or
  over-promise the networking available at GPC.
  Enough respondents voiced complaints about the
  event not meeting their expectations, that GPC
  must be as concerned about the quality of the
  attendees and exhibitors as it is with the
  volume. The decision-making authority and
  influence of the representatives sent to GPC by
  the sponsors and exhibitors must be monitored by
  GPC to help ensure constructive networking.
• To help improve the perceived value that
  sub-contractors and prime contractors find
  through their involvement, GPC should consider
  establishing structured events or other means for
  the exhibitors to meet with qualified leads.
• While topics such as How to do business with the
  Government will have the broadest appeal and
  need to be included in the agenda, other topics
  on more specialized areas should also be
  considered, especially those that would appeal to
  the Professional and Business Services category.
• Even in broad-based topics, attendees expect to
  walk-away with concrete, tangible suggestions for
  growing their business. Speakers must provide
  practical advice.
• In How To seminars, consider featuring speakers
  from prime and sub-contractors who can provide
  first-hand case studies to illustrate the best
  ways to Do Business with Government.

9
Evaluation of Past Events
10
Past Attendance
Three-fourths of respondents attended GPC 2006,
but only one-third (34) attended the Forums and
only 32 attended the Reception. One-half (54)
of respondents have never attended a GPC Forum
and one-third have never attended the Receptions
or Breakfast.
Q1/Q2/Q3. Please select any of the following GPC
events/GPC Forums/GPC Receptions or Speakers
Breakfast you have ever attended or in which you
have been involved. Base 264 respondents
11
Satisfaction with GPC
Overall, attendees are satisfied with their
experience at GPC. Over three-fourths of
attendees are satisfied with each aspect of GPC

• GPC Overall 76
• GPC Forums 84
• GPC Breakfast 82
• GPC Reception 89

Satisfaction results are consistent across
company types, including industry, age of
company, and annual revenues. Further
satisfaction among individual demographics is
consistent across gender, ethnicity, and age.
Overall, sub-contractors, primes, and sponsors of
GPC found their involvement with GPC to be
valuable 85 said it was at least somewhat
valuable. Among sponsors, 73 said it was very or
extremely valuable.

• Sub-Contractors 79
• Prime Contractors 82
• Sponsors 96

Q8/Q5. Overall, how satisfied are you with your
experience with GPC? Overall, how valuable did
you find your involvement with GPC? Base n 158
respondents (Q8) n 94 prime/sub/sponsors
12
Evaluation of GPC
Overall evaluations of GPC are generally
positive. Most attendees (84) agree that GPC is
a good place to meet new prospects and partners,
three-fourths (76) agree that the GPC events
provide a lot of good practical advice, and 77
agree that attending GPC is a valuable way to
spend their time. Notably, one-fourth (27) of
attendees agree that GPC is the type of
conference that you only need to attend once.
Indeed, one-fifth (20) of those who did not
attend GPC 2006 strongly agree with that
statement, compared to just 9 of those who did
attend last year.

• Representatives from companies less than 5 years
  old are the most likely to agree that GPC is a
  good place to meet new prospects and is a
  valuable way to spend their time.
• One-third (34) of females agree that GPC is the
  type of conference that you only need to attend
  once, compared to just 20 of males.

Q10. Please indicate how much you agree or
disagree with each of the following statements
about GPC. Base 158 attendees.
13
Impact of Attending GPC
GPC is having a positive impact on the companies
that attend. Over one-half (57) of past
attendees report that they have made new contacts
because of GPC, 49 have found new leads or
prospects, and one in ten attendees (10) signed
a new contract or job because of GPC. On average,
attending GPC generates 10.5 new contacts, 5.6
new leads or prospects, and 0.4 new contracts.

• Attending multiple events as part of GPC greatly
  improves attendees chances of making new leads or
  prospects 67 of those who attended 3 or more
  of the GPC events made new prospects versus just
  48 of those who attended just one event.

Q11. Approximately, how many new contracts/jobs,
new leads/prospects, and new contacts have you
made by attending GPC events in the past? Base
169 attendees
14
Reasons to Attend Ways to Improve
15
Reasons to Attend
The desire to network with potential new
prospects and new clients is the single most
important reason that people attend GPC.
Secondarily, attendees are looking for
educational opportunities such as tools for
growing their businesses and learning more about
running a business.
I expected to identify significant
contacts/leads relevant to my business that would
lead to a tangible contract or sub-contractor
opportunity. New areas in which to grow/expand
business. Find out what agencies were offering
potential opportunities.
Q12. Please indicate how important each of the
following were in your decision of whether or not
to attend a GPC even in the past. Base 157
attendees
16
Expectations of GPC
Comments from respondents confirm many of the
findings from the ratings scales, especially the
importance of networking and educational
opportunities as drivers of attendance. However,
many comments suggest frustration from attendees
who expected to be able to meet more
decision-makers. The negative comments are
highlighted below.

• A balance of workshops, networking, and contacts.
• A deal that would assist in the growth of the
  business I would represent. No smoke screens !
• A solid lead/potential for a prime contract or
  sub-contract. Many of the exhibitors did not have
  real opportunities therefore the information they
  provided was of little use to me as a small
  business owner.
• Although I have not attended a GPC event in the
  past, these would be important considerations for
  future attendance.
• At least a contract. A positive relationship with
  some new clients.
• Better insight from the primes on when and why
  their select the subcontractors so that I can
  align my business with their needs.
• Beyond the above, I expected to rub elbows with
  people of like minds. I appreciate this and all
  of the above. I thank you oh so much.
• Confidence in knowing the support I need is
  available
• Contacts and contracts
• Contacts for future opportunities, valid
  opportunities. I have come away lately thinking
  that all this is just a sham by the sponsors to
  satisfy a government requirement, and the
  government is aware of this and does not care. I
  have yet to meet someone that has attended that
  has gotten a government contract because of this
  event. I know I haven't.
• Economic literacy
• Expand and energize business opportunities from
  meeting the target market, namely government
  agencies and medical/educational institutions.
• Expected to identify significant contacts/leads
  relevant to my business that would lead to a
  tangible contract or sub-contractor opportunity.
• How Houston works... What's going on here -
  what's happening, how is it going to happen, and
  who's making it happen... And 2006 luncheon
  speaker, Mr. Farrah Gray, was so outstanding,
  even missing most of the other forums, he made up
  for that, he was so ... WOW!

• How serious are companies looking to do business
  with professional service companies like mine?
• How to begin to work with the government.
• I attended the GPC Conference representing a
  State Agency and purpose for my attending was to
  identify those vendors our agency could do
  business with.
• I believe the GPC events are powerful motivators.
  You get the chance to meet prospects. We're in
  San Antonio, but the economy appears to be a lot
  more active in Houston. Although we're a San
  Antonio company, we were welcomed. This year, we
  plan to go to most events and try to work the
  leads that will get our technology, PR and
  Marketing firm business!
• I expected to take away a wealth of knowledge and
  learn more about the GPC and it's purpose. I
  think there should be more opportunities for a
  more diverse selection of procurement
  opportunities. Other than that, I enjoyed my
  experience.
• I may have been expecting more than such an event
  could offer. I believe that there should be more
  proactive efforts to extend contract
  opportunities on-site. Decision-makers do not
  seem to attend functions of this nature and leave
  participation to those individuals holding
  positions of community development or human
  resources.
• I think perhaps a more intimate setting for MWBEs
  would be a little more beneficial for all parties
  involved. The present system just seems like
  information overload and doesn't provide an
  opportunity for companies to be properly engaged
  with primes, to help develop a quality fit or
  mutually beneficial business relationship.
• I wanted to meet some of the procurement officers
  so that my company could get some business from
  the government agencies. I want to continue to
  educate myself in becoming successful in
  government contracts. I have provided many bids
  to several agencies, but have not been successful
  yet. I plan to attend again next year.

Q13. Other than the reasons listed above, what
did you expect to take away from attending a GPC
event in the past?
17
Expectations of GPC

• I wanted to see why these government procurement
  programs are still ineffective to getting me to
  the right people that actually makes corporate
  business decisions.
• I wanted to use the GPC as a means to market and
  promote my company.
• I work in the federal Government's OSDBU Office
  for the Department of Homeland Security and I am
  always trying to meet new businesses that can
  help us protect this great country we live in!
• Increased knowledge of governmental procurement
  procedures and contacts.
• Information I did not know.
• Knowledge and networking
• Knowledge!
• Knowledge, information and networking
  capabilities
• Leads that could potentially develop into
  opportunities
• Making sure that I remain in the mainstream of
  what going on at GPC. I knew a lot of the people
  attending but always manage to meet someone new.
  I look forward to be more involved in GPC this
  coming year.
• Meeting new clients and generating new business,
  getting project leads
• Meeting prospective business associates
• More contacts opportunity
• More contracts
• More direct one-on-one with prime contractors /
  potential clients.
• More knowledge
• More knowledge about how to do business with the
  government.
• Network with decision makers.
• Networking opportunities

• Possibility of meeting someone who could use my
  Janitorial Services. Taking bids for long term
  contracts.
• Prospects
• Sales leads...new contacts
• Since I am with a University we attend to meet
  new prospective vendors to do business with.
• The experience of networking with other affiliate
  organizations.
• The forum had many contacts and ways to acquire
  and participate in new ventures.
• The GPC should be able to assist diverse business
  groups in opening doors to the government
  businesses. In my past participation, I found
  that GPC is just a show rather than helping
  businesses in general.
• The next BIG THING! A new customer base a
  new vendor base
• The possibility of starting my own business
• There are people at this event that I only get to
  see at this event.
• Tried to connect with others with similar values,
  views, visions and virtues ... Too much
  selfishness among our people...
• We were expecting to meet people who had the time
  to work with us in connecting us with the right
  people to network with. Not people who gives us
  a name and a phone number of a contact person,
  but people who are going to help us get in the
  door with some of these companies. At the GPC
  the people working the booths have no idea what
  is really needed to help a small business get
  where they need to be in some of these companies.
  We believe everyone at the GPC is truly
  committed to helping. Do they really understand
  the help that is needed for most small
  businesses? It's a job for them-- it's our
  livelihood. And we need help on a monumental
  level with getting to the right people that can
  give us a little business on a continuous basis.

Q13. Other than the reasons listed above, what
did you expect to take away from attending a GPC
event in the past?
18
Ways to Add Value
Just as general attendees are looking to make
meaningful connections, as are the
sub-contractors, prime contractors, and sponsors.
Their suggestions for making their involvement
more valuable include more structured meeting
time with qualified leads and the ability to find
connections in their specific industry. They want
to know that their time spent exhibiting will
provide opportunities to talk with companies in
their industry and interested in their goods or
services.

• Sub-Contractor Suggestions for Adding Value
• As a sub-contractor - HUB Meeting Primes in
  Professional Services meets my goal.
• Assign a mentor to new companies participating in
  the program so that monthly they can have
  dialogue about how to benefit (strategically) and
  get some contracting opportunities for their
  companies.
• Committee follow-up with technical compliance
  workshops and forums.
• Due to time constraints that limit our schedules,
  we would have liked to see the booths open
  throughout the lunch hour.
• Find a way to create more networking and
  interaction between individuals
• GPC did everything correct, it's up to us to
  associate ourselves with the proper people that
  are present. I for one made sure I meet with the
  prime contractors onsite, and past out lots of
  cards.
• Have prime contractors and government
  spokespersons there who are related to my field.
  The conferences I attended were mostly geared to
  IT and sales fields.
• Have procurement officers or ROICCS available
• The meeting I attended gave me the opportunity to
  meet several General Contractors and also let
  them know we are a HUB vendor. However, since
  our line of work is so specialized, not much
  contact resulted afterwards.
• Meet meaningful contacts that can help a small
  business grow.....Not a bunch of 'glad hands'
• More immediate interaction with prospective
  clients or companies to do business with. Not
  enough partnerships or mentoring achieved early
  on.

• More interaction with companies Structured
  networking event
• More telecommunications related business
  opportunities.
• Overall the arrangements were quite good.
  Industry specific round tables with the buyers
  could be of additional help.
• Separate or minimize the number of
  seller/exhibitors. The presence of the sellers on
  a buyers tradeshow confuses the attendees on
  which booth they need to stop by. In my
  experience, those seller/exhibitors were not even
  happy that attendees are stopping by their booth
  since they were there to sell to the other
  exhibitors.
• The companies that I met with (3) had no interest
  in doing business with me. They already had
  their furniture needs met by others and were not
  interested in changing. One of the vendors I met
  with had their corporate offices in Dallas and we
  are a Houston company.
• The one-on-one with HISD was a total dead end - I
  felt like I was filling their schedule without
  there being any real opportunity.
• The process to get certified with the City of
  Houston was daunting and I am still not certified
  after months of interest. I was recently turned
  down verbally on a very small technicality which
  I hope to resolve in the near future.
• Verify that the vendors actually follow through
  on their promises to attendees and have real
  opportunities for small businesses and not just
  attending the GPC to get their numbers up.
• Very few Prime Contractors were there in relation
  to other subcontractors. We found the GPC
  focused more on trinkets than actual networking.

Q6. What could GPC have done to have made your
involvement with GPC more valuable to your
company?
19
Ways to Add Value (cont)

• Prime Contractor Suggestions for Adding Value
• Find ways we can be of service by providing
  training to employees
• For all registered small businesses - if GPC were
  able to download on to a CD to provide to each
  participating prime - the name of the small
  businesses, area of expertise, certifications
  they have, how long in business, category of
  small business type. This would be very helpful!
• Have more government people that can answer
  direct questions than just their to give you a
  4-page directory of contacts
• It would be helpful to have attendance by more
  small business firms that are familiar with
  government type contracting.
• Make sure that those we meet with truly do have a
  need for our services.
• The corporations should have the right
  representatives at their booths during the expo
  that have bonafide upcoming contract requirements
  that are ready with RFQ packages. This means the
  company representatives who would be familiar
  with the contract requirements, a decision maker
  and the end user would be an ideal match. These
  corporate representative can quickly identify the
  type of supplier that is familiar with the
  product or services required. This information
  should be advertised before and during the expo
  to assure the small businesses have their
  representatives attend who are familiar with the
  contract requirements. Many times the right
  representative from the corporation is not
  present at the expo and many referrals are given
  out which in some cases are not productive for
  the small business or the corporation. The method
  is 'Getting the small businesses to the RIGHT
  person the FIRST time!'
• To more individualize sessions, each one of the
  contractors has different needs and unique
  talents, lumping a bunch of disclaimers like
  stating that usual small business owner is
  earning 6,000,000 a year is extremely erroneous.

• Sponsors Suggestions for Adding Value
• I am the founding member of IACCGH and its past
  president. This certainly has helped our members.
• I thought GPC was very involved in assisting me
  get to know others and include me.
• I usually participate with the one on one. This
  helps vendors learn more about the company and
  the company benefits by increasing their data
  base with new clients.
• It was very valuable to the University of Houston
  Small Business Development Center
• More communication leading up to the event
• More time available for workshops
• Send follow-up 'thank you's' to Company Execs for
  allowing staff members to participate. Not just
  the general efforts, but a personal act of
  appreciation.
• Target publicizing of the event to specific
  companies/industries. The aerospace prime
  contractors/govt need a different set of skills
  small-business types than do many of the
  commercial businesses in Houston.

Q6. What could GPC have done to have made your
involvement with GPC more valuable to your
company?
20
GPC 2007
21
Likelihood of Attending GPC 2007
Overall, 70 of past attendees are extremely
likely or very likely to attend again in 2007.
This level is consistent across demographic
categories and across company size.

• Sponsors are the most likely group to participate
  again in 2007 90 are likely to attend this
  year.
• Those who have attended Forums, Receptions, or
  the Breakfasts in the past are significantly more
  likely to participate than are those who have
  only attended the main conference.

Its a good place to be. Wouldnt miss it for
anything. Because of all of the contact that
are in one place at one time. This makes it the
right place to be.
Q14. GPC 2007 occurs on March 26 and 27 at the
George R Brown Convention Center. Overall, how
likely are you to attend?
22
Reasons Unlikely to Attend in 2007
Nearly one-half (45) of those who are not likely
to attend the 2007 conference state that they
already have a conflict for that day, or their
schedule is too unpredictable to commit to
attending yet. Others who are unlikely to attend
explain that they were disappointed with the
conference or did not make enough contacts to
justify the time away from work.

• Because it's up to my director if she'll let me
  attend.
• Have attended the GPC since 2003 but never gotten
  any business from it. In addition, it takes time
  out of our core business to attend this
  conference with no return on our time or
  investment.
• I feel that many corporations only use this
  function as a public relations effort.
• I have just opened a new business and will
  probably not be able to get away.
• I have to limit my valuable time to events where
  I think I will have the most success. Right now
  WBEA seems to be the best fit. I attended the
  SBA Business Matchmaking event in 2006 and found
  it to be very well organized and very beneficial.
  I made one contact with whom I am doing business
  as a result of the event.
• I have not received anything other than a few
  leads. I know most of the HR and small business
  contact people. But nothing has resulted in a
  contract or job lead that panned out.
• It did not give me any meaningful contacts that
  we have been successful in doing meaningful
  business with.
• My enthusiasm has waned....
• Only attended last year to receive an award on
  behalf of my company
• Our company did not see any benefits from our
  booth 2006
• Our line of work---Environmental Rooms---is very
  specialized. Either we find the work or G.C.s we
  have worked with will contact us. However, it
  doesn't hurt to get out and meet new G.C.s.

• Some of the vendors do not directly involve my
  business, i generally go through general
  contractors.
• Telecommunications business opportunities seem to
  be confined to very large businesses instead of
  small businesses.
• The company has not seen this as a valuable
  resource for lead generation or maintaining
  relationships with existing clients.
• The GPC has not been beneficial to me. The
  Forums are too basic and repetitious. The
  government contacts are usually from Washington.
  D.C., and are hard to contact after the GPC
  concludes. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REAL BUSINESS
  LEADS FOR ME, AND I FEEL THE GPC HAS BEEN A WASTE
  OF TIME.
• There seems to be a lack of substance among the
  attendees although there's plenty of show.
• Those representatives I spoke with did not
  presently have any need for my services.
• Unless there is a drastic difference, I have
  already heard most of the presentations that
  really matter to my 'bottom-line.' Afterall, how
  many 'How to Do Business With.....' do people
  expect you to sit through. Especially since the
  presenters are employees that do not have to 'do
  business with..'. It sometimes feels as though
  they are simply ensuring they have something to
  put on their annual performance evaluation
  without real concern for moving businesses to the
  next level. If this was their concern, why do
  they not challenge their major primes to present
  the workshops with 'specifics' on how to do
  business with them on their upcoming projects.
  That would add meat to these presentations.
• Very little value was noted last year.
• What's changed?

Q15. Why do you say that?
23
Preferred Topics for GPC 2007
Topics on doing business with government and
educational institutions attract the most
widespread attention among likely attendees.
Among topics that are focused on particular
industries, the Oil Gas Energy industry would
attracts the most attendees. Notably, among those
who are not yet likely to attend, a topic on the
Healthcare industry would attract their attention.
Q16. The following are possible topics for GPC
2007. Please indicate which of the following you
are most likely to attend if you were to attend
GPC 2007. Base 264 attendees
24
GPC Golf Outing
Only 4 of past GPC attendees have participated
in the GPC Golf Outing in previous years. This
year, 12 report they are likely to participate
if the event is held on a Sunday
afternoon. One-half (55) of past participants
and 10 of those who have never participated
indicate that they are likely to take part in the
2007 GPC Golf Outing.
Q18/Q19. Have you participated in the GPC golf
outing in the past? If the GPC 2007 golf outing
takes place on a Sunday afternoon, how likely are
you to participate? Base 247 respondents
25
Appendix
26
Attendee Profile
A,B,C,D indicate significant differences at 90
confidence
27
Attendee Profile
A,B,C,D indicate significant differences at 90
confidence