MINNEAPOLIS, August 27, 2019 – Women-owned businesses now have a direct way to meet with buyers from some of the largest global food and agriculture corporations, like Cargill, ADM, Mondelez, General Mills and Unilever, at the newly-launched IGNITE Business Expo. This inaugural event will take place on Wednesday, September 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., here at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.
Exhibiting companies must be majority women-owned businesses (51 percent or more ownership), and the product or service offered should be of use to a large corporation, or a food or agriculture company. Examples of such products include: eye wash stations, office supplies, professional training services, paper board, relocation services and temperature sensors. These companies are also looking for suppliers of soybeans, eggs, corn, dried fruit, spices, tea leaf, nuts, pasta and more. A more complete list of products that corporations are seeking is available here.
Supplier diversity professionals are invited to attend as well and join the likes of Fortune 500 companies who are looking to do business with women-owned companies.
To provide details on becoming a certified women-owned business, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), which is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S. and a leading advocate for women business owners and entrepreneurs, will be on-hand to educate business owners about the details and benefits of certification.
The IGNITE Business Expo takes place just before the 8th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit (WIA), the hosts of the IGNITE, in the same location, September 25-27. The Summit includes a commissioners of agriculture keynote panel to open the event, followed by presentations on current trends and outlooks in the sector by the industry’s top speakers, and including special activities such as an interactive leadership training workshop, a pre-event industry walking tour, a WIA members-only night, and a student and young professionals workshop.
The Expo is free for all attendees – be they procurement professionals, small business owners or those who are registered for the co-located Women in Agribusiness Summit – though registration is required.
Learn more about the Expo and the Summit, both of which offer unique opportunities to network with colleagues, vendors, and potential clients and customers in an interactive and innovative forum, at womeninag.com.
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About Women in Agribusiness
Women in Agribusiness is a business unit of HighQuest Group, a global agribusiness consulting, events and media firm. The Women in Agribusiness initiative took root in 2012, with the first conference held in Minneapolis. WIA initiatives have grown to include the WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Student Scholarships, and the WIA Quarterly Journal. Learn more at womeninag.com.