Procurement Workshop

We’re excited to invite you to an upcoming Procurement Workshop hosted by The Connective and proudly sponsored by Marketplace.city.

This half-day, in-person workshop will bring together city procurement leaders, legal teams, IT professionals, and vendors to collaboratively explore challenges, share tools, and co-develop actionable solutions. Whether you're navigating procurement pain points or pioneering new approaches, your insights will help shape the future of regional collaboration.

Workshop Agenda

Registration & Networking  (7:30-8:30am)

• Connect informally as participants arrive.

Block I: Framing the Day & Exploring Pain Points - 8:30 - 9:45 AM

• Welcome & Workshop Overview 

  • The Connective kicks off with a brief framing of the day’s goal: enabling innovation through better procurement coordination across cities.

• City Spotlights 

  • Your peers at Mesa, Chandler, West Valley Cities, and vendors share candid insights on current procurement successes and challenges.

• Roundtable I – Exploring Pain Points 

  • Small cross-functional groups (procurement, legal, IT, vendors, etc.) identify, define and prioritize their key challenges

Block II: Tools & Gaps - 10:00 - 11:00AM

• Tools and Solutions Overview

  • Brief overview of examples from partners on existing procurement solutions (SVAR, SAFE, OMNIA, etc.)

• Roundtable II - Identifying Gaps

  • Gap analysis and solution brainstorming, where participants regroup to discuss current pathways and how they do or do not meet their procurement challenges.

Block III: Solutions & Next Steps - 11:15 - 12:30PM

• Sharing Gaps & Opportunities 

  • Groups present their challenges and potential paths forward, surfacing shared needs and collaboration opportunities.

• Roundtable III – Workshopping Solutions 

  • Small groups brainstorm practical, near-term solutions—either city-led or supported by The Connective. Outcome: Action items and next steps.

• Closing Reflections

  • Facilitators wrap up with key takeaways and outline opportunities for continued collaboration.

Two formal break times will take place during the morning event.

Why Attend?

• Connect with peers across cities and sectors

• Share and learn from real-world procurement experiences

• Co-create solutions that can be piloted locally or regionally

• Help shape future working groups and collaborative efforts

Parking Info:

• Location: PCA & DPI Offices @ CityScape - 1 E. Washington St., Ste. 230

• Parking: PCA & DPI offices are located on the 2nd Level of CityScape’s east block, adjacent to the CityScape Bridge and across from Blue Hound. Park in either CityScape garage and bring your parking ticket to the meeting for validation.