Small businesses converged in droves upon the Hampton Roads Convention Center for the first annual Hampton Roads Small Business Navy Expo Jan. 18-19. The two-day event facilitated essential networking, matchmaking between vendors, and educational opportunities between government contracting companies of all sizes. Stacey Cooper, deputy director of small business programs at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), spearheaded the event and shared what inspired her to put the expo together. “We run an industry day once a year and decided we wanted to go bigger this year and make it a two-day event and have speakers and sponsors,” said Cooper. The expo attracted over 400 attendees from across the country, providing a platform for both new and existing businesses to connect in person. Cooper played a pivotal role in securing over $60,000 in total sponsorships, with Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. emerging as the event’s platinum sponsor with a $25,000 donation.