The Lehigh Valley’s largest procurement matchmaking event will be held Sept. 23, bringing together more than 100 companies and government entities to make connections and discuss how they can do business together locally. 
Meet the Buyers is an opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses (the sellers) to market themselves to larger companies and organizations (the buyers) that are looking for new vendors and to diversify their supplier network for goods and services.
This year’s event will be held at Lehigh Valley International Airport and hosted and coordinated by the Small Business Development Center at Lehigh University. There still is room for businesses looking to sell their products and services to participate, by registering here.
“The Meet the Buyers Expo emphasizes the opportunities to buy local and strengthens local supply chains,” said Brett Smith, Director of the Small Business Development Center and chair of the event steering committee.
“This is the premier event that allows attendees to connect and develop business relationships encouraging our community to build localized supply chains,” said Karianne Gelinas, Vice President of Regional Partnerships and Talent Strategies at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) and a steering committee member. “Lehigh Valley’s economy has grown because of strategic initiatives based on building partnerships, and that includes bringing together local businesses and organizations to emphasize the value of buying local.”
Buyers who are registered for this year’s event include:
ArtsQuest; City of Bethlehem; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of General Services Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities; County of Lehigh; County of Northampton; Department of General Services: COSTARS; Discover Lehigh Valley®; Easton Housing Authority; Lafayette College; Lehigh Career and Technical Institute; Lehigh University; Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; River Crossing YMCA; Salisbury Township: Service Electric Business; Servpro; T-Mobile Government SLED; Tobyhanna Army Depot; Whitman; Wind Creek Bethlehem – Retail.
Meetings can be prescheduled, and the event also includes opportunities for buyers and sellers to connect virtually. Details can be found here.