The B.I.G. Event provides resources for local businesses to boom
Article by: College Relations Office
Approximately $100 billion worth of goods are moved through the Port of Corpus Christi daily, which is why massive improvements are being made to I-37 and I-69 and the larger, taller Harbor Bridge is being built. The 7th annual B.I.G. Event (Booming industry, International trade, Government contracting) at Del Mar College (DMC) is designed to help businesses take advantage of these opportunities in the Coastal Bend.
We invite business owners to come and explore the many possibilities and opportunities to support a truly global representation of new industries and meet key personnel face to face.
The B.I.G. Event is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, at the DMC Center for Economic Development, 3209 S. Staples St.
Cost is $35 per person in advance with registration available online through 8 a.m. Aug. 8 or $45 at the door. To register, visit www.thebigeventcc.com. The fee includes lunch by Beauty and the Bistro, access to sessions and networking with vendors.
Industry leaders will help businesses leaders understand how the current development in the Coastal Bend will impact the economy overall, what domestic and international trade throughout the region will look like in the coming years, how disadvantaged business enterprises can work with the Harbor Bridge project and more.
Keynote speakers are Commissioner Julian Alvarez III, Texas Workforce Commission, who will present “Workforce Strategies That Support the Coastal Bend,” and Dr. Jim Lee, director of the South Texas Economic Development Center at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, who will present “Coastal Bend Economic Update.”
Other sessions include:
- “BIG Things Happening for DBEs: How to Work with the Harbor Bridge Project,” by Yolanda Coleman, Flatiron/Dragados, LLC
- “International Trade Panel: The Current Environment,” by Daniel Rodriguez, U.S. Department of Commerce; Berenice Espinoza, SBDC International Trade Center – San Antonio; Alale Allal, U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of International Trade; and Dr. Gilda Ramirez, United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce
- “Industry 4.0: Artificial Intelligence” by Bill Sherrill, Advanced Technologies Consultants, Inc.
“The B.I.G. Event is all about taking time to work ‘on’ your business instead of ‘in’ your business,” Fierova said.
Sponsors include Del Mar College SBDC, CITGO, Commissioner John Marez, Del Mar College, Frost Bank, H-E-B, Kleberg Bank, Navy Army Community Credit Union, Port Corpus Christi, SCORE Corpus Christi, United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, Valero, Wells Fargo, Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend and the Del Mar College Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.