BALTIMORE, MD – On Thursday, June 12th, the Mayor’s Office of Small and Minority Business Advocacy & Development (SMBA&D) hosted the 2025 Baltimore City Small Business Advancement Conference at the Baltimore Convention Center (BCC) from 9a-3p. This is the second year in a row the event was hosted at the BCC. Formerly known as the City of Baltimore Procurement Conference, the name was changed to be more inclusive of the services and resources available from the agency and its partners. Over 1000 attendees registered.
“The Small Business Advancement Conference is about our commitment to assisting the business community to advance not only their business, but Baltimore City. It was pivotal to have the conference name reflect the broad scope of the components needed to advance in business,” said Christopher R. Lundy, Esq., Director of SMBA&D. “Partnering with the City in public procurement remains a great opportunity to gain valuable experience and have taxpayer dollars stay local in our communities.”
Some of the workshops attendees registered for were: How to Successfully Bid for Opportunities/How to Successfully Leverage Your M/WBE Certification, Resources for Accessing Capital, and Leveraging AI for Business.
What Attendees Experienced
- 100 exhibitors from city and government agencies, banks, schools, and other M/WBEs
- Opportunities to network with other entrepreneurs
- Certification and compliance labs
- Roundtable discussions featuring the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC)
- Free giveaways
“We’re excited to welcome the Small Business Advancement Conference to the Baltimore Convention Center and celebrate the entrepreneurs who keep our city buzzing,” said Mac Campbell, Executive Director of BCC. “Small businesses play a huge role in shaping the visitor experience as they’re the shops, flavors, and faces that give Baltimore its charm. We are proud to partner with agencies like SMBA&D that are working to make our city a more inclusive, opportunity-rich place for local entrepreneurs.”
About SMBA&D
The Mayor’s Office of Small and Minority Business Advocacy & Development exists to support the various needs of small and minority businesses in Baltimore City. The agency’s duties include (but isn’t limited to) reviewing all City contracts over $50,000 for MBE/WBE utilization goal setting, reviewing requisitions under $50,000 for award to small & minority businesses, examining contract compliance requests, evaluating new, renewal, and expansion certification applications, and investigating potential violations of the City Code. For more information on SMBA&D, visit our site.