Fall 2009 B2G National Conference Is On the Way!

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Who Should Attend?

If you're already doing business with the government... see how to double and triple your business.

If you have NOT done business with the government yet... see how to get your first contract in 60 days.

"The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 is a huge window of opportunity for small businesses. At our Fall Conference, you’ll find out how to harness the ARRA opportunity to grow your company. There's no recession when it comes to government spending. Take advantage."

It’s Not Business as Usual

For the next 12 months, government spending will be on steroids.
All the contracts tied to the $787 billion stimulus plan must be awarded by October 2010. Less than 10% of the stimulus dollars have gone out the door to date. Contracting officers are now under the gun to award contracts. A tsunami of government spending is coming.

Now is the time for you to learn how to win government contracts created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The Fall 2009 National Conference will show you how to harness this unprecedented opportunity. Don’t miss it. When this opportunity is gone... it's gone for good.
— Fred Steinberg, Founder, B2G Institute

Knowledge leads to action. Action leads to success.

There’s only one stimulus plan. And only one event that shows how to harness it to grow your company. Don’t miss it. The contracts are out there. See how to find them. How to apply. And how to repeat the process for continual success.

• 2 Full Days on Harnessing the ARRA Opportunity
• Focused Topics and Sessions
• Nothing Like it, Guaranteed!

 

You'll Discover:

• Where ARRA money really is.
  Finding contracts at federal, state, and local levels.
• Who is getting ARRA money.
  Which companies are getting contracts and why.
• What are the ARRA rules (written and unwritten) Know how to implement the reporting process and ensure you’re compliant.
• How to tap hot pockets of ARRA opportunity in:
  Health care, Construction, Housing, Education, Energy, Information technology, and more.

 

 

2009 B2G National Conference Speakers

Fred Steinberg
Fred Steinberg is the founder of the B2G Institute, the national training organization that has helped thousands of small-business owners and managers master the government contract bidding process. An avid entrepreneur, Fred has vast experience in a cross-section of American business including the construction, hospitality, finance, and restaurant industries. A leading authority and educator in the business financing industry, Fred has trained more than 12,000 small-business professionals and consultants, and he has worked with many companies to factor their government receivables.
This led to his keen interest and deep involvement in the government contracting process where he quickly recognized the need for an independent, central source to distill the complexities of finding government contracts and bidding successfully. In 2005, Fred created the B2G Institute to provide educational and mentoring services to entrepreneurs across America.

Pamela Smith-Cressel
Pamela Smith-Cressel is the director for the Office of Small Business Utilization for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSA provides workplaces, technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing, and e-travel solutions, at best value, to federal agencies so they can focus on their core missions.
Pamela is a tireless advocate of increasing procurement opportunities for small, minority, veteran, service disabled, and women-owned businesses. She meets regularly with lead procurement officials to develop new acquisition strategies that will afford small businesses an opportunity to provide services in areas where their participation has been minimal.
Her passion is to help bridge the gap between the federal government and aspiring entrepreneurs. Pamela has been an instructor at a local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), where she teaches entrepreneurs how to become successful government contractors. She hosts monthly GSA Schedules workshops and attend small-business roundtables, procurement conferences, and more.
She serves as a board member on GSA Child Care Centers and an officer on the Department of Defense Western Region Council for Small Business Education and Advocacy.
She’s developed a notable reputation as a GSA resource on small-business programs, the GSA Multiple Awards Schedules Program, and marketing strategies for successfully doing business with the federal government.

Richard W. Lewis
In January 2009, Richard W. Lewis formed Financial Engineering Counselors, Ltd. (FEC) to enhance the counseling of small and medium-sized government contractors and commercial companies with their working capital requirements. FEC assists management by arranging for financing, as well as working with the company's management in compiling the required financial, accounting, and overview reports that lenders require. This has become crucial in today's economic turmoil where more lenders are more likely to say, "Thank you, but NO thank you."
Richard earned a bachelor's degree in General Business and a MBA in Finance and International Business from NYU, Stern School of Business. He began his career in banking with A.J. Armstrong & Co. (ne: Bank of America Business Credit) in 1974. He moved to The Chase Manhattan Bank as Vice President, Leveraged Acquisition Team, to start its leverage buyout group in 1980, then to General Electric Capital Corporation, as a marketing manager.
From 1990 to 2003, Richard was a CFO/CEO counselor to startup, fast-growth technology and service businesses needing assistance in financing alternatives, bank relations, strategic planning, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, accounting, and marketing. During that time, he also developed a "business plan only" IPO for Virtusonics Corporation some 10 years ahead of the "dot.com" trend.
For the past six years, Richard was Vice President of Business Development at Wells Fargo Bank, Government Services Group, where he assisted fast-track companies and government contractors; 8a, women, service disabled veteran, Native American, and other minority owned or disadvantaged companies that required financial support. He has been a featured speaker on "Financing Alternatives" at GovWorks (Department of Interior), National Black Chamber of Commerce's and National Contract Management Association's annual conferences, Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce, FAA's Las Vegas Contractors Convention, Native American Reservation Summit (RES), several Washington, D.C., GovConectx events, as well as other organizations and events around the country.

Gerald Olesker
Gerald Olesker, CEO and Founder of Architectural Detail Group, Inc, is the creative and strategic force driving the company’s innovative products and services, as well as its green initiatives. His most recent endeavor is ADG Eco Lighting Products, which reduce energy consumption of lighting by 50% through consultation and innovative product resolution. ADG is also the licensee for the Hearst Castle Collection of Decorative Lighting and Iron. Gerald applies his background in Architecture and more than 18 years experience as an Industrial Designer and Project Manager to innovate and collaborate. His career began in Architecture at Galper Baldon Associates after earning a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly, Pomona. Gerald believes that all buildings, no matter the size or location, deserve attention to the architectural details, from lighting to landscape, and from the outside in. He created Architectural Detail Group Inc. to provide these solutions and fulfillment of details with the highest level of service.
Gerald currently serves on the Board of Directors for Cabrillo Music Theatre, sat on the Education Committee for the Institute of Classical Architecture Southern California Chapter, is the Moderator for the Green Panel of the Valley Economic Alliance, sits on the EO Board of Directors, and is a chairman for Green Affinity Network Think Tank.

Kodee Goseyun
Kodee Goseyun earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Science from Arizona State University. She began her career as a Procurement Consultant with a Native American Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), then later accepted a Business Development Manager position with an Aeronautical Engineering firm. She has counseled clients on becoming responsible bidders and successful contractors/suppliers to federal, state, and local government agencies as well as Fortune 500 companies. Kodee provided clients with procurement technical advice, marketing and counseling services, and assisted in Small Business Administration (SBA) certifications for 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, General Services Administration (GSA), ORCA, CCR/Dynamic Small Business Search, and other vendor registration requirements. She has served as a liaison on behalf of small businesses targeting federal agencies and prime contractors, where she has answered questions about contracting issues including FAR clauses. She has assisted clients with bid-match software, FedBizOpps, and the proposal process. She sat on the Board of Directors for the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of South Carolina, is a Procurement Committee Member of the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, and is an APTAC Affiliate Member.

Allen Maxwell
Allen is a native of Philadelphia, Pa. He joined the US Navy and served for 22 years. While serving in the US Navy, he earned an Associate degree in Electronic Technology, later returning to school to receive his BS degree in Business Management and his MS in Computer Information Systems. He retired from the United States Navy in January 1999, taking a position within industry as the Director of Operation while supporting the Global Positioning Systems at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Program Executive Office.

Entering Government Service in April 2004, he has served as an Assistant Program Manager for GPS User equipment. His current assignment as a Program Manager for the In-Service Engineering Activities (ISEA), Fleet Distance Support and Fleet Systems Engineer Team; he serves as the Contracting Officer Representative for his department. Most recent accomplishment; Established his corporation in the clothing industry. As the President and Chief Operating Officer, he has teamed with a manufacturing company, which expands his ability to reach a broader client base.

Cyndie Henrichs
Cyndie Henrichs is Principal and Founder of The Henrichs Group, LLC, a consulting firm that provides Go-to-Market and sales strategies to companies that are committed to building or expanding their Public Sector Marketshare. Ms. Henrichs established the company in July 2002, after completing over 20 years of sales, marketing and sales operations assignments in various staff and management positions.

Larry Bledsoe
Larry Bledsoe is co-creator of the B2G Institute and a recognized speaker in the cash flow industry. His experience with the government began with a career in Army intelligence. From there he spent 25 years designing and conducting skill-based training programs for corporate America in the areas of sales, marketing, management, and team-building. In 1996, Larry joined the cash flow industry and since that time has facilitated the purchase of a wide variety of income streams. Today, Larry blends his varied public and private sector backgrounds as an instructor for the B2G Institute and American Cash Flow Corporation. He seeks to teach novice and veteran government contractors the skills necessary to grow their businesses.

Larry Singer
Lary is currently a Visiting Instructor for ACFC. The ACFC classroom is not the only one Larry frequents. With a broad-based background in advertising and marketing, as well as extensive business experience, Larry spends a portion of his time as Advertising and Marketing Adjunct Professor at the University at Buffalo. His career in the cash flow industry, which he entered with fellow Visiting Instructor and wife, Marilyn, has directed him to Delinquent Debt, Factoring, Business notes and Viatical settlements. He has parlayed those skills into a highly successful master brokerage firm that has developed its own sources of funds for closing transactions, and membership in the Million Dollar Club.

Michael Dement
Michael earned his undergraduate degree in Business & Accounting from Portland State University, Michael has honed his skills in Business/Government Consultant skills in Consulting, Training, Management, Business Development, Out-sourcing and Sourcing Consultants, Organization Development, Strategic Planning and Federal/State Bidding, Proposal Writing, Internal Audit , turn- around negotiation, Sarbanes Oxley Act, auditing systems and problem solving while efficiently maximizing profits and enhances shareholder growth. During Mike's 20 years of financial accounting, management consulting State and Federal and day-to-day operations in the service, retail, business development, staffing, manufacturing, transportation and investment areas. His expertise has focused on problem solving, negotiation, financing, and promotion of products, communications, systems and decision-making.

As a Business Development Executive for Multi Management Services, Mike grew the finance and accounting practice by more than 175%. He successfully recruited more than 85 consultants in a little more than one year, raising revenues to almost a quarter of a million dollars per month. As President of M&B Manufacturing, Inc., he developed and operated the largest acrylic and packaging firm in the Northwest. Under his direction, the company grew more than 65% per year in sales. As a Financial Advisor at Prudential Securities, he grew the business more than 175% in one year. In the area of cost reductions, he optimized an inventory management program that saved a manufacturer more than $8 million in one year. He also reengineered workflow for a large manufacturing firm that prevented more than $3.5 million in potential losses. Mike has earned his Securities License Series 7, 63, and 65.

Vanessa Braxton
Vanessa is the CEO/president of Books 4 My Children, a company awarded government contracts with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Social Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense, Portland Department of Health, and Baltimore, Savannah and San Antonio school districts. She serves as a senior project manager/resident engineer with more than 19 years’ experience overseeing multimillion-dollar projects. In 2006, Vanessa launched The Long Island Minority Business Council, a not-for-profit agency designed to assist small businesses, and also received the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Business Woman of the Year Award. Vanessa currently is pursuing her master’s in public administration at New York University.

Gilbert El-Asmar
Gilbert has more than seven years’ experience in federal government contracting that includes qualifying inquiries/bids against target market, core competency, revenue potential, company capabilities, and projected business forecast. His responsibilities have included overall customer and prime/subcontractor relationships, implementation, and transition to operation of contract awards. Gilbert has managed the RFP process to include solution design concepts, deadlines, supply added information, presentation, and process/status tracking. Gilbert has an MBA in general management and finance, a B.S. degree in management, and is proficient in French, English, Armenian, and Arabic.

Eugene Kotchick
Eugene Kotchick has been deeply involved in government procurement for more than 40 years. He is one of the founders of the National Contract Management Association, assisted in the development of the 8(a) program, and helped draft the first credit card program for federal use. Following successful careers in the Navy, with NASA, and SAIC, he has continued as a senior consultant and business development expert to small and large firms in the US and overseas, the US Senate, and the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Numerous accomplishments and accolades have been bestowed on him by private businesses, federal agencies, and even two United States presidents.

 

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More Background on B2GConference.com

 

B2GConference.com was created to promote a series of business-to-government training events organized during one of the most unusual periods in modern American economic history. Its central subject was the B2G National Conference, an event intended to teach small and midsize companies how to locate, pursue, finance, and manage government contracts.

The website’s strongest surviving association is with conferences held in 2009, when businesses were attempting to understand the opportunities created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Commonly called the Recovery Act or ARRA, the law was signed on February 17, 2009, as the United States struggled with the Great Recession. Initially estimated at $787 billion, it combined tax provisions, direct spending, infrastructure investment, assistance to state and local governments, expanded social programs, and measures intended to stimulate lending and employment.

B2GConference.com entered this environment with an urgent message: government agencies were preparing to spend enormous amounts of money, and private businesses needed to learn quickly how to compete for the resulting work. Its promotional copy emphasized speed, scarcity, insider knowledge, and the possibility of translating public spending into private-sector growth.

The historical record, however, shows that the story of the website was more complicated than its promotional presentation suggested. The conferences addressed legitimate subjects and featured people with substantial procurement, financing, and government experience. At the same time, the B2G Institute and its founder attracted critical press coverage, complaints, legal scrutiny, and questions about how the events were marketed.

Understanding B2GConference.com therefore requires looking at both sides of its history: the practical need for government-contracting education and the concerns raised about the commercial seminar operation promoting that education.

What B2G Meant

B2G is an abbreviation for “business to government.” It describes commercial relationships in which a private company sells products or services to a federal, state, county, municipal, educational, or other public-sector organization.

Government agencies purchase an enormous range of goods and services. These include construction, information technology, engineering, office equipment, transportation, medical supplies, environmental services, consulting, training, food, uniforms, maintenance, security, research, and professional support.

For a small business, government contracting can offer a large and potentially stable customer base. Public agencies may buy goods and services during periods when private-sector demand is weak. Government contracts can also help a business develop a record of performance that supports future bids.

The process is not simple, however. Prospective contractors must identify appropriate solicitations, understand detailed specifications, meet registration requirements, calculate competitive prices, submit compliant proposals, and maintain adequate accounting and reporting systems. Depending on the contract, they may also need bonding, insurance, security clearances, certifications, specialized financing, or experience as a subcontractor.

B2GConference.com was aimed at business owners who found that system difficult to navigate. The website presented the conference as a way to shorten the learning curve and convert a complicated procurement system into a repeatable business-development process.

The Organization Behind the Website

The conference was promoted by the B2G Institute, an Orlando-area training organization associated with founder Fred Steinberg. Contemporary reporting identified B2G Institute Inc. as a subsidiary of Telligenix Corporation, which was connected to the Orlando seminar and education company Dynetech.

The conference website listed the institute at:

7414 Kingspointe Parkway
Suite 300
Orlando, Florida 32819

The listed telephone number was 800-809-1289, and business hours were given as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time.

Fred Steinberg served as the organization’s principal spokesperson and the public face of its conferences. B2G promotional materials described him as an entrepreneur, educator, business-financing specialist, and government-contracting authority. His biography credited him with experience in industries such as finance, construction, hospitality, and restaurants, as well as training more than 12,000 business professionals and consultants.

The organization’s own history was not entirely consistent about its founding date. Some promotional material placed the establishment of the B2G Institute in 2005, while other descriptions said it was formed in 2006. The safest conclusion is that Steinberg began developing the concept around 2005 and that the institute was operating as an organized training business by 2006.

The institute offered more than conferences. Its advertised activities included instructional programs, mentoring, assistance with government registrations, training related to General Services Administration schedules, and a web-based product called B2G Pro. That product was described as a system for finding and managing government-contracting opportunities.

The Economic Setting of 2009

The B2G conferences were designed around the anxiety and opportunity created by the Great Recession. By 2009, unemployment was rising, credit markets had tightened, property values had fallen, and businesses across the country were experiencing reduced private-sector demand.

The Recovery Act responded with a mixture of federal spending, grants, loans, tax incentives, infrastructure programs, energy initiatives, educational support, healthcare investments, and assistance to state and local governments. Government agencies were also under pressure to distribute money quickly while documenting how it was used.

This created an obvious opening for contractors. Roads, public buildings, energy systems, schools, technology networks, healthcare programs, and housing projects required private vendors, subcontractors, engineers, consultants, suppliers, and service providers.

Later SBA research found that 28 federal agencies spent approximately $51.7 billion on Recovery Act contracts between February 2009 and December 2010. Small businesses received about $13.1 billion, or 25.5 percent, of that total. Those figures confirm that the government-contracting market highlighted by B2G promoters was real and substantial.

At the same time, the entire $787 billion Recovery Act was never available as direct contract revenue. Large portions consisted of tax relief, transfers, benefits, grants, loans, and aid administered through state or local programs. A business could not simply register as a contractor and gain access to the full stimulus package.

The distinction between total Recovery Act spending and competitively available procurement opportunities was critical. Promotional seminar language sometimes blurred that distinction by presenting the overall stimulus total as though it represented a single pool of contracts waiting to be claimed.

The 2009 National Conferences

At least two B2G National Conference periods are visible in the surviving record.

A conference held in early June 2009 took place at a Sheraton in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Contemporary reporting described it as a two-day national conference focused on government contracts and stimulus funds.

The archived B2GConference.com material also promoted a Fall 2009 National Conference. That version of the event placed even greater emphasis on Recovery Act opportunities and the approaching deadlines for obligating public funds.

The exact schedule, attendance, and venue of every fall session are not clearly preserved in dependable independent sources. Surviving promotional pages describe the fall program as a two-day event with focused sessions, advanced training, industry-specific instruction, and individual consultations. Those descriptions are useful for understanding what was advertised, but they do not independently prove how every session was ultimately delivered.

The Washington-area setting used for at least one conference was strategically important. Arlington is directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., placing attendees close to federal agencies, government contractors, trade associations, consultants, and procurement professionals.

That proximity reinforced the conference’s central promise: participants would not merely learn abstract rules but would hear from people who understood federal purchasing from inside or near the system.

The Conference’s Goals

The conference was marketed to two main groups.

The first consisted of companies that had never obtained a government contract. Promotional material suggested that these businesses could learn how to secure an initial award, sometimes using extremely ambitious timelines such as obtaining a first contract within 60 days.

The second consisted of established government contractors seeking to increase their public-sector revenue. The website suggested that existing contractors could learn to double or triple their government business.

The practical goals included teaching attendees how to:

Locate federal, state, and local opportunities.

Understand how Recovery Act money moved through agencies and programs.

Identify industries receiving substantial public investment.

Complete registrations and certifications.

Interpret solicitations.

Prepare bids and proposals.

Develop agency and prime-contractor relationships.

Finance work after an award.

Comply with contract and Recovery Act reporting requirements.

Create a process for pursuing multiple contracts over time.

These were legitimate business needs. Many otherwise capable companies fail in government markets because they approach procurement as a one-time sales opportunity rather than as a regulated business-development system.

Program Topics and Conference “Menu”

B2GConference.com did not present a menu in the restaurant sense. Its effective menu was the collection of instructional topics, consultations, speakers, and contracting services offered to attendees.

The advertised conference program emphasized several broad sectors associated with Recovery Act spending:

Construction and infrastructure.

Healthcare.

Housing.

Education.

Energy and environmental projects.

Information technology.

Professional services.

Government procurement at federal, state, and local levels.

Attendees were promised instruction on where public money was being distributed, which companies were winning awards, why certain bidders succeeded, and how contractors could comply with formal and informal expectations.

One-on-one consultations were promoted as part of the registration package. These sessions were supposed to help attendees translate general instruction into an individualized action plan.

The conference also advertised advanced sessions for companies that already understood basic procurement. That distinction was sensible because an experienced federal contractor has different needs from a company that has not yet completed its registrations.

Financing was another important theme. Government contracts can create cash-flow difficulties because contractors may need to purchase materials, hire employees, pay subcontractors, or secure equipment before receiving payment. Speakers with experience in factoring, lending, working capital, and government receivables were therefore relevant to the audience.

Speakers and Areas of Expertise

The surviving fall conference page listed a large and varied speaker group.

Fred Steinberg spoke from the perspective of the institute’s founder and government-contracting educator.

Pamela Smith-Cressel was identified as a General Services Administration small-business official and advocate for minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled-veteran-owned, and other small firms. Her background included GSA schedules, procurement workshops, and small-business utilization.

Richard W. Lewis brought experience in banking, working-capital finance, and counseling government contractors. His résumé included positions associated with Chase Manhattan Bank, General Electric Capital, and Wells Fargo’s Government Services Group.

Gerald Olesker represented the architecture, design, energy-efficiency, and green-building sectors. His participation reflected the Recovery Act’s emphasis on energy conservation and infrastructure.

Kodee Goseyun had experience with Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, small-business certifications, bid matching, federal registrations, Federal Acquisition Regulation provisions, and the proposal process.

Allen Maxwell brought military, technology, program-management, and contracting-officer-representative experience.

Cyndie Henrichs specialized in go-to-market and sales strategies for companies seeking to expand their public-sector market share.

Larry Bledsoe was described as a co-creator of the B2G Institute. His experience combined military intelligence, corporate training, sales, marketing, and cash-flow transactions.

Larry Singer’s background included advertising, marketing, teaching, factoring, business notes, and cash-flow brokerage.

Michael Dement was presented as a business and government consultant with experience in accounting, management, federal and state bidding, proposal development, operational improvement, and strategic planning.

Vanessa Braxton offered direct contracting experience through a business reported to have won work from federal agencies, embassies, emergency-management organizations, military departments, and school districts. She was also associated with minority-business advocacy.

Gilbert El-Asmar’s biography emphasized federal business development, bid qualification, prime and subcontractor relationships, proposal management, and contract transitions.

Eugene Kotchick was described as a veteran procurement professional with experience involving the Navy, NASA, SAIC, the National Contract Management Association, the 8(a) program, and government purchasing systems.

Collectively, the advertised roster covered procurement, finance, proposal development, small-business certification, public-sector sales, construction, energy, information technology, and minority-business participation.

Questions About the Advertised Speaker Lineup

The speaker history also produced one of the most important controversies surrounding the 2009 conference.

A June 2009 investigation by the Center for Public Integrity reported that several government officials had been promoted as participants in the Arlington conference. When reporters contacted the agencies, multiple officials said they would not attend.

According to the report, the General Services Administration said that Steve Kempf and Tyree Varnado had scheduling conflicts and would not participate. Kristi Wilson-Hill of the Department of Education also stated that she had informed the conference organizers she would not participate.

The investigation reported that some names remained on B2G promotional material after the withdrawals were communicated.

This does not establish that every advertised speaker failed to appear, nor does it invalidate the experience of the professionals who did participate. It does, however, raise legitimate questions about the accuracy and timeliness of the conference’s marketing.

For prospective attendees, the lesson is still relevant: a conference program should distinguish between confirmed speakers, invited speakers, and people whose participation is tentative.

Popularity and Attendance

The B2G Institute claimed that thousands of owners and managers had used its training and mentoring services. Fred Steinberg’s promotional biography also cited more than 12,000 professionals trained through his broader business-education work.

These figures were marketing claims and are difficult to verify independently.

The most specific independent attendance observation comes from the Center for Public Integrity. Its reporters said they attended a December B2G conference at an Arlington Hilton with approximately 30 other attendees. That suggests that at least one event was relatively small and functioned more like an intensive seminar than a major national trade convention.

There is not enough surviving independent data to calculate B2GConference.com’s traffic, registration totals, repeat-attendance rate, or national market share. No dependable evidence was found showing that it ranked among the largest government-contracting conferences in the United States.

Its historical importance comes less from proven attendance volume than from the way it captured the sales environment surrounding Recovery Act procurement.

Reviews, Complaints, and Public Reputation

The public reputation of the B2G Institute was mixed and, in some sources, sharply negative.

The Center for Public Integrity reported in June 2009 that the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida had assigned the B2G Institute an F rating. The report said the BBB referred to serious complaints, many involving delays in receiving refunds. It also noted that a number of those complaints had been resolved.

Because BBB ratings and complaint records change over time, that historic rating should not be treated as a current assessment. It is nevertheless relevant to evaluating the institute’s standing during the period when B2GConference.com was active.

Other critical coverage linked the institute to a broader seminar-marketing network and questioned the cost and value of its programs. Some reports described training packages costing several thousand dollars and portrayed the operation as relying on aggressive claims about the ease of obtaining government business.

The Orlando Business Journal reported in October 2009 on litigation in Texas involving Dynetech affiliates and allegations that seminars had been misleadingly staged. The available public summary identifies B2G Institute as one of the affiliates discussed, although the full claims and outcomes must be interpreted from court records rather than headlines alone.

Criticism of the organization also focused on Fred Steinberg’s legal and business history. Contemporary investigative reporting discussed old criminal charges, civil litigation, investor disputes, bankruptcy proceedings, and a racketeering prosecution. The same reporting made clear that the theft-related charges did not result in convictions and that Steinberg was acquitted of racketeering by a jury.

These distinctions matter. Allegations, arrests, dismissed charges, acquittals, civil claims, and proven misconduct are not interchangeable. A responsible history should report the scrutiny without implying convictions that did not occur.

Ownership and Corporate Relationships

The simplest surviving promotional narrative presents B2G Institute as an organization founded by Fred Steinberg.

Independent reporting adds another layer. The Center for Public Integrity described B2G Institute Inc. as a subsidiary of Telligenix Corporation. Other contemporary reporting associated Telligenix with Dynetech, an Orlando company involved in seminar development and business education.

This means ownership cannot be understood solely through the public-facing image of an independent institute built around one contracting specialist. B2G appears to have operated within a larger commercial seminar and training structure.

Publicly accessible sources do not provide a complete, easily reconstructed corporate chart covering every relevant year, parent company, affiliate, ownership percentage, and management relationship. The defensible conclusion is that Steinberg was the founder and principal public representative, while the institute had corporate ties to Telligenix and the larger Dynetech seminar organization.

Location and Proximity

The institute’s listed Orlando address was southwest of downtown Orlando, in the Kingspointe Parkway commercial area near the International Drive and Sand Lake Road business corridor.

The location was convenient to several major Central Florida destinations. It was near Universal Orlando, the Orange County Convention Center, International Drive, Florida’s Turnpike, Interstate 4, and Orlando International Airport.

That setting made sense for a national seminar business. Orlando had abundant hotel capacity, air connections, meeting facilities, restaurants, and visitor infrastructure. The surrounding area was designed to accommodate conventions and short business trips.

The Arlington, Virginia, conference location served a different strategic purpose. It placed the event close to Washington, D.C., federal agencies, the Pentagon, government procurement offices, prime contractors, and public-policy organizations. For a conference selling access to federal-contracting knowledge, the Washington metropolitan area provided credibility and practical networking appeal.

Awards and Recognition

No dependable evidence was found that B2GConference.com or the B2G National Conference received major independent awards from recognized conference, procurement, government, or business organizations.

Some speaker biographies included individual honors. Vanessa Braxton, for example, was promoted as having received a Business Woman of the Year honor associated with the National Republican Congressional Committee. Eugene Kotchick’s biography referred broadly to recognition from businesses, agencies, and presidents.

Such biographical claims are not the same as awards presented to the conference itself.

Claims that the event received broad industry recognition or widespread acclaim should therefore be treated cautiously unless supported by specific award announcements, issuing organizations, dates, and selection criteria.

Press and Media Coverage

The most substantial surviving independent media coverage was critical rather than celebratory.

The Center for Public Integrity published a detailed investigation on June 2, 2009. It examined the institute’s marketing, Fred Steinberg’s background, the BBB rating, speaker withdrawals, and the suggestion that networking with government insiders could help attendees win contracts.

The Orlando Business Journal later reported on litigation involving Dynetech affiliates and allegedly misleading seminar practices.

Additional commentary circulated through local television investigations, blogs, and political community sites. Some of that material used highly charged language and repeated allegations from earlier broadcasts. These secondary posts are useful for understanding public reaction, but they are less authoritative than original reporting, court records, government documents, and direct statements from the organizations involved.

The surviving press record does not support portraying B2GConference.com as universally respected. Nor does it support dismissing every topic taught at its conferences as illegitimate. The coverage instead depicts a commercially aggressive seminar business operating in a field where real opportunities, complex regulations, economic fear, and promises of rapid success overlapped.

The Website’s Audience

The core audience consisted of small and midsize business owners who wanted to diversify beyond private-sector customers.

It also appealed to:

Existing government contractors seeking larger awards.

Minority-owned businesses.

Women-owned businesses.

Veteran-owned and service-disabled-veteran-owned businesses.

Native American and disadvantaged businesses.

Construction and engineering firms.

Technology companies.

Healthcare vendors.

Energy and environmental businesses.

Consultants and proposal writers.

Financial professionals serving government contractors.

Companies seeking GSA schedule work.

Entrepreneurs affected by the recession.

The inclusion of certification specialists and minority-supplier advocates indicates that the conference recognized how set-aside programs and small-business goals shaped federal procurement.

Its audience was not limited to federal contracting. The website repeatedly referred to federal, state, and local opportunities, which would have broadened its relevance to companies unable or unwilling to compete immediately for large federal awards.

What B2GConference.com Was Known For

The website became known primarily for connecting the 2009 stimulus program with government-contracting training.

Its most distinctive characteristics were:

Heavy emphasis on the Recovery Act.

Urgent claims about a temporary spending window.

Promises to simplify government procurement.

Access to consultations and experienced speakers.

Instruction for beginners and established contractors.

Attention to financing government receivables.

Strong marketing around networking and government contacts.

A mixture of legitimate procurement education and aggressive sales language.

The site’s rhetoric portrayed public spending as a historic rush that businesses needed to enter immediately. Phrases comparing stimulus spending to a breached dam or a tsunami reflected the high-pressure seminar style of the period.

Cultural and Social Significance

B2GConference.com is culturally significant because it preserved the entrepreneurial mood surrounding the 2009 stimulus.

During the Great Recession, many owners were searching for alternatives to shrinking private markets. Government spending appeared to offer security at a moment when ordinary commercial demand had become unreliable. Training companies responded by selling education, software, mentoring, certifications, and access.

The website also reflected an effort to democratize government contracting. The federal procurement system can seem impenetrable to a first-time bidder. Instruction on registrations, solicitations, certifications, financing, compliance, and proposal development can make public markets more accessible.

This was particularly important for minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, disadvantaged, and geographically underrepresented firms. Government small-business programs were intended to broaden participation, but companies still needed knowledge and resources to use them.

At the same time, the site illustrates the risks that emerge when economic distress meets high-pressure opportunity marketing. The more urgent the message, the easier it becomes to imply that success is faster, simpler, or more predictable than it really is.

Government contracts are not free stimulus money. They are commercial obligations awarded through regulated processes. Winning requires a relevant product or service, competitive pricing, adequate capacity, compliant proposals, financial resources, and dependable performance.

How Its Claims Compare With Actual Recovery Act Contracting

Later government data provides a useful way to evaluate the central premise behind B2GConference.com.

The conference was correct that Recovery Act contracting created billions of dollars in work. Small businesses did obtain a meaningful share of those awards. Construction, infrastructure, energy, technology, healthcare, and professional services all presented opportunities.

The conference was also correct that reporting and compliance mattered. Recovery Act spending received extensive oversight, including reporting requirements, audits, public disclosure, and review by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.

However, the opportunity was not as simple as gaining access to a hidden list of contracts. Agencies used established acquisition rules, competition procedures, set-asides, existing contract vehicles, grants, cooperative agreements, and state-administered programs.

Many successful recipients were already experienced contractors. Newcomers often faced obstacles involving past performance, bonding, cash flow, technical requirements, pricing, and procurement timelines.

The SBA’s finding that small businesses received 25.5 percent of identified Recovery Act contract spending is substantial. It also means that most contract dollars went elsewhere, including to larger or otherwise classified contractors.

The historical data supports the existence of opportunity, but not any implication that most attendees could quickly obtain large contracts merely by completing a seminar.

The Website’s Later Life

The present version of B2GConference.com is a historical reconstruction rather than an active registration portal for a current national conference.

Its content states that material was taken from archived 2009 pages and recreated for historical purposes. The site therefore functions as a retrospective record of the event, its speakers, and its Recovery Act messaging.

The current page also contains modern editorial commentary that was not part of the original conference promotion, including observations about technologies that might have benefited attendees. Readers should distinguish those later additions from authentic 2009 program material.

There is no clear evidence that the present domain is operated by the original B2G Institute, Fred Steinberg, Telligenix, or Dynetech. Current domain ownership should not be assumed from the ownership of the historical conference.

Likewise, the present website should not be interpreted as proof that the B2G Institute remains active in its original form.

The Enduring Lessons of B2GConference.com

B2GConference.com offers several useful lessons for modern business owners.

Government contracting is a real market, but it is not a shortcut. Training can be valuable when it explains regulations, registrations, pricing, proposal development, accounting, and performance requirements.

Large federal spending programs create secondary markets for suppliers and subcontractors, not just direct prime-contract awards.

Small-business certifications can improve access, but certification alone does not create demand or guarantee a contract.

Cash flow is a serious concern. A company that wins work without sufficient working capital may be unable to perform it.

Speaker lists and government affiliations should be independently confirmed before paying for an event.

Claims about rapid contracting success should be evaluated cautiously.

Conference organizers should clearly disclose ownership, pricing, cancellation policies, refund terms, and the status of advertised speakers.

Businesses should compare private training programs with free or low-cost assistance from SBA offices, Small Business Development Centers, APEX Accelerators, agency small-business offices, and official procurement portals.

Historical Assessment

B2GConference.com documented a moment when government contracting became part of the national conversation about survival and growth.

Its subject was important. Billions of dollars were awarded through Recovery Act contracts, and small businesses did receive a substantial share. Companies genuinely needed help understanding procurement, certifications, financing, compliance, and proposal development.

The conference also assembled a roster that, at least on paper, included significant expertise across government purchasing, finance, technology, minority-business development, construction, and public-sector marketing.

Nevertheless, the organization’s promotional claims cannot be accepted without qualification. Contemporary reporting raised concerns about speaker confirmations, refund complaints, corporate affiliations, pricing, marketing practices, and Fred Steinberg’s business history. Some allegations never resulted in convictions, and reporting them accurately requires distinguishing charges from proven findings. Even so, the scrutiny was substantial enough to form an essential part of the website’s history.

The most accurate description of B2GConference.com is therefore not simply that it was a respected procurement conference, nor simply that it was a questionable seminar promotion. It was a commercial government-contracting education platform built around a genuine but complicated economic opportunity, promoted with considerable urgency during the Recovery Act era, and surrounded by both expert participation and significant controversy.

Today, the website is most useful as a historical artifact. It shows how entrepreneurs, trainers, government specialists, and seminar marketers responded when an unprecedented federal spending program collided with a severe recession and an enormous demand for practical business guidance.

 

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