W&M hosts first Supplier Diversity Vendor Fair
by Marra Austin
March 25, 2014 marked W&M’s first annual Supplier Diversity Vendor Fair. The fair provided an opportunity for over 30 small, women and minority-owned (SWaM) businesses to showcase their products and services to departments across campus and our satellite locations in one afternoon. There were SWaM firms providing goods and services from printers, promotional items, travel services, janitorial supplies, to catering and audio visual products and services and many more. Over 130 employees from the W&M campus, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Applied Research Center (ARC) came out to show their support and meet these vendors in hopes of working with them in the future.
Kathy Taylor, from Apollo Press, a small, women-owned printing business stated, “We were so pleased with the attendance and the very positive responses we received from the W&M attendees. We left feeling very excited and upbeat about the contacts we were able to make.” This event is another way W&M is showing our community we embrace diversity.
