Tentative Agenda posted. Pending potential additional sessions. OMES Approved for 12 CEU
Thursday, October 15th
7:00 AM to 8:30 AM - Registration and Breakfast - Presented by OpenGov
8:30 AM - Welcome and Opening Comments - Dr Michelle Chapple, OkAPP President and Debbie Trueblood, CEO, NIGP
9:15 AM - Keynote Session - Leading Through Life: Purpose, Presence, and the Next Faithful Step, Rachel Foxx - When life disrupts the plan, leadership becomes less about controlling every outcome and more about responding purposefully to the moment in front of us. Through personal stories, humor, and practical reflection, Dr. Fox invites participants to consider what to release, what remains in their hands, how to receive help, and how to take the next faithful step.
10:15 AM - Break
10:30 AM - Breakout Session
Ballroom - OMES - Statewide Contracting Process and Stakeholder Engagement - This session will cover the statewide contracting process, highlighting the essential role that agencies and affiliates play in needs identification, market research, solicitation development, evaluations, and contract award.
Meeting Room 1 - NIGP Business Council - Putting the Pieces in Place: Solving the Puzzle of Connecting Supplier Evaluations, Scorecards and Ratings - Struggling to fit your procurement "piece" into your entity's big picture strategy? Puzzled by supplier evaluations? Do you find you are "missing pieces" between connecting how your customer described what they needed and getting the right supplier to deliver that need? Choosing the right supplier who excels in fulfilling a contract can be a challenge, but it should not be a matter of chance. You are a critical piece of the puzzle! Effective supplier performance management requires procurement professionals to carefully plan and take deliberate steps to identify, engage, and assess the top suppliers in the market. Evaluating a supplier’s performance enhances the likelihood of successful outcomes for both the entity and the contractor. Join this insightful conversation between suppliers and industry experts as we explore ways your organization can achieve better community outcomes through effective supplier performance management.
Meeting Room 2 - Oklahoma Public Roofing Compliance Guide - Joshua Rhodes, Secondary Rhodes - The Oklahoma Public Roofing Compliance Guide explains how Oklahoma public agencies can legally procure roofing projects, identifying cooperative purchasing as the preferred approach, competitive bidding when applicable, and emergency procurement for qualifying unforeseen conditions, while outlining required bid documents, bonds, affidavits, and contractor compliance.
11:30 AM - Breakout Session
Ballroom - NIGP Business Council - AI (Trust in the Age of AI: A Conversation for Public Procurement and Suppliers)
Meeting Room 1 - OMES - 1st Year and Beyond in Public Procurement - This session will cover what to expect in your first year as a procurement professional, including communication, acronyms, supplier management, and tips and tricks to help you in your journey.
Meeting Room 2 - The Skinny on School District Procurement versus State Procurement, Marti Sawyer, Oklahoma City Public Schools - This session provides insight into how Oklahoma school district procurement is different from Oklahoma state agency procurement and how applicable purchasing rules depend heavily on the source of funds.
12:30 PM - Lunch
1:30 PM - Reverse Trade Show - Ballroom - In this roundtable exercise, we invite suppliers to meet with agencies in a collaborative discussion on trends in the world of procurement. This is an opportunity for all involved to discuss what issues may exist in supplier relationships and how we can better serve our agencies.
3:00 PM - Breakout Session
Ballroom - NIGP Business Council - Putting the Pieces in Place: Solving the Puzzle of Connecting Supplier Evaluations, Scorecards and Ratings - Struggling to fit your procurement "piece" into your entity's big picture strategy? Puzzled by supplier evaluations? Do you find you are "missing pieces" between connecting how your customer described what they needed and getting the right supplier to deliver that need? Choosing the right supplier who excels in fulfilling a contract can be a challenge, but it should not be a matter of chance. You are a critical piece of the puzzle! Effective supplier performance management requires procurement professionals to carefully plan and take deliberate steps to identify, engage, and assess the top suppliers in the market. Evaluating a supplier’s performance enhances the likelihood of successful outcomes for both the entity and the contractor. Join this insightful conversation between suppliers and industry experts as we explore ways your organization can achieve better community outcomes through effective supplier performance management.
Meeting Room 1 - OMES - Statewide Contracting Process and Stakeholder Engagement - This session will cover the statewide contracting process, highlighting the essential role that agencies and affiliates play in needs identification, market research, solicitation development, evaluations, and contract award.
Meeting Room 2 - The Skinny on School District Procurement versus State Procurement, Marti Sawyer, Oklahoma City Public Schools - This session provides insight into how Oklahoma school district procurement is different from Oklahoma state agency procurement and how applicable purchasing rules depend heavily on the source of funds.
4:00 PM - General Session - We No Bid and Here’s Why - NIGP Business Council
The NIGP Business Council's new white paper, titled "That Was Then, This Is Now: Why Suppliers Are Still Choosing To No Bid." Government & Education entities sometimes issue complex solicitations with extraordinary requirements, which can result in complicated and costly contract administration. Just as procurement professionals analyze the total cost of procurement, suppliers must also determine the costs and benefits of responding to a competitive solicitation opportunity. Suppliers may determine the cost of proposing for a given project is too high, resulting in a “no-bid” outcome. In this session, members of the NIGP Business Council will join local procurement practitioners in a panel discussion. This highly interactive session will engage the audience as they interact with the panel and audience colleagues.
6:30PM to 9:00 PM After Hour Event
Friday, October 16th
7:00 AM to 7:45 AM - Breakfast
7:45 AM -
Welcome Back and Opening Comments - Barry Timberlake, Procurement Services Manager, Central Purchasing, OMES
8:30 AM -
General Session -
The Cost to Procurement + The Cost to Propose: Valuing the Supplier & Practitioner Perspective - NIGP Business Council
9:30 AM - Breakout Session
Ballroom - NIGP Business Council - AI (Trust in the Age of AI: A Conversation for Public Procurement and Suppliers)
Meeting Room 1 - Understanding Communication Styles for Stronger Procurement Outcomes - Stacy Hudson, ALA - This session introduces the DiSC behavioral assessment and explores how communication styles influence procurement success. Participants will learn how DiSC applies directly to vendor interactions, stakeholder engagement, negotiation strategy, conflict resolution, and team collaboration. Through real procurement scenarios, attendees will discover how adapting communication styles can improve efficiency, reduce friction, and strengthen relationships across all stages of the procurement cycle.
Meeting Room 2 - Oklahoma Public Roofing Compliance Guide - Joshua Rhodes, Secondary Rhodes - The Oklahoma Public Roofing Compliance Guide explains how Oklahoma public agencies can legally procure roofing projects, identifying cooperative purchasing as the preferred approach, competitive bidding when applicable, and emergency procurement for qualifying unforeseen conditions, while outlining required bid documents, bonds, affidavits, and contractor compliance.
10:30AM - Break for Hotel Checkout
11:00 AM - Breakout Session
Ballroom - OMES - 1st Year and Beyond in Public Procurement - This session will cover what to expect in your first year as a procurement professional, including communication, acronyms, supplier management, and tips and tricks to help you in your journey.
Meeting Room 1 - Understanding Communication Styles for Stronger Procurement Outcomes - Stacy Hudson, ALA - This session introduces the DiSC behavioral assessment and explores how communication styles influence procurement success. Participants will learn how DiSC applies directly to vendor interactions, stakeholder engagement, negotiation strategy, conflict resolution, and team collaboration. Through real procurement scenarios, attendees will discover how adapting communication styles can improve efficiency, reduce friction, and strengthen relationships across all stages of the procurement cycle.
Meeting Room 2 -
12:00 AM - General Session - Best Practices for Leverage Technology in Procurement, Tyler Brown, NASPO
This session will explore practical strategies for leveraging technology to modernize and improve public procurement operations. Attendees will learn best practices for selecting, implementing, and maximizing the value of eProcurement tools while driving efficiency, transparency, and compliance within their organizations. Participants will leave with insights they can apply to better align technology investments with procurement goals and organizational outcomes.
12:50 PM - General Session and Closing Comments