New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council 2013 Business Expo June 19-20 in NYC

NEW YORK - June 19, 2013 - PRLog -- The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council's 2013 Business Opportunity Expo, considered New York City's top conference on corporations outsourcing to multicultural businesses, will be held from June 19-20 at the New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway in Manhattan.

At the Expo, The Council will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a salute to the initial 1973 minority business owners that were certified by The Council and the founding corporate members on June 20 at the Sponsor’s Luncheon.  In 1973, The Council certified 50 minority businesses from New York and New Jersey.  There were less than 20 Fortune 500 companies that signed on to be founding members. In 2012, The Council’s certified minority businesses totaled over $27 billion in revenue from corporate contracts.

“This year marks The Council’s 40th anniversary in successfully developing business partnerships between major corporations, institutions and government agencies and Asian-American, African American, Hispanic-American and Native-American business owners,” said Lynda Ireland, president and CEO, The Council.  “The Expo will examine the growing multicultural communities’ effect on corporate America.”

The Expo’s theme, The Minority-Majority: A New Value Proposition, explores the impact of a multicultural America on minority business development. It reflects the changing demographics in America and the influence this population on the consumer marketplace.  

The two day event kicks off on June 19 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. with afternoon workshops, seminars and an evening reception. On June 20, from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the highlights include match-maker sessions, power breakfast, awards luncheon and a full day of the popular trade fair, which features networking with some of America's top corporations and minority businesses. At the Sponsors Luncheon, special awards will be presented to minority businesses and corporate members for successful, innovative partnerships. There will be over 100 exhibitors encompassing Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and minority businesses.

The luncheon keynote speaker is multicultural demographics expert Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, senior vice president of Public Affairs and Government Relations at The Nielsen Company, which studies consumers in over 100 countries to view their trends and habits worldwide. The MC is Nathalia Ortiz, TV news anchor at NBCUniversal’s Telemundo-Nueva York.

Fernando Hernandez, director of Supplier Diversity at Microsoft is corporate co-chair and Emmett Walker, president and CEO of Walker International Transportation and The Council’s MBEIC chair is MBE co-chair. The lead sponsors for the Expo are Microsoft, Walker International Transportation, Con Edison, Pepsico, BNY Mellon and JP Morgan Chase & Company. For information, contact 212-502-5663.

The Council, an award-winning National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliate, has over 225 corporations that are members.  The approximately 1,300 African American, Asian American, Hispanic American and Native American businesses certified by The Council have annual revenues ranging from $100,000 to $2 billion. The Council’s jurisdiction is New York State through Trenton, New Jersey.