In 2020, we are proud to celebrate 17 years of impact and how the many public agencies that come together each year to plan and host the annual Regional Contracting Forum has grown to serve a broader, more diverse and inclusive annual event representing all phases of the public procurement process.
Our community includes entrepreneurs, public procurement buyers, elected public officials, capital project managers, equity and social justice practitioners, business owners and other stakeholders. We host one of the largest government-led outreach and networking forums in the Puget Sound Region, honor the investment of time by attendees through no-cost admission, and offer focused one-to-one meetings between prime contractors and prospective subcontractors/consultants, myriad networking opportunities, and dynamic speakers.
As we reflect on the Forum’s growth since its birth in 2003 in downtown Seattle at the site of Sound Transit’s, “Great Hall” and Board Room, we are reminded that of our duty to ensure that the content of the Forum delivers value and a return on the investment of time that is made by all participants. This investment is what continues to spur the expansion of this highly anticipated annual event. In less than 3 years, the Forum attendance exceeded the 250-person maximum occupancy limit at the Great Hall. The Forum planners were asked to identify a larger venue.
In recent years, attendance has surpassed 1,600 persons, leading the planners on a journey to secure space at larger venues including the Washington State Convention Center, McCaw Hall at Seattle Center, and most recently, the Tacoma Convention Center. We are excited to continue our mission to inspire dialogue, support networking, and collaboration among business owners to productively engage in contract opportunities in the years to come. Join the conversation on the hashtag #Happy17thRCF