What started out 40 years ago as a small local gathering of businesses interested in selling to the federal government agencies has impressively expanded into an annual major Pacific Northwest event now held at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. Today, the Alliance Northwest conference brings together more than 1,000 representatives of small businesses and government agencies to inform, create opportunities and make connections. This year’s business-to-government event kicks off with a March 25, 2026, evening reception before the busy one-day conference on March 26.
“It’s pretty exciting,” says APEX Accelerator Program Director Tiffany Scroggs of the 40-year partnership between industry and government. “It’s the premier government contracting conference.”
Registration is open for the Alliance Northwest conference that features high-quality workshops, exhibitor hall, and one-to-one meetings between small businesses, government agencies and prime contractors. And Scroggs adds that the Alliance Northwest conference is not only informational but is also lots of fun.
Alliance Northwest Commemorates Four Decades of Training and Outreach for Washington Businesses
Alliance Northwest is hosted by the Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC), home of the APEX Accelerator program that provides businesses with no-cost technical assistance in selling to federal, state and local governments. Scroggs says the Alliance Northwest signature conference began four decades ago with a small group that met in a hotel basement conference room to simply talk about opportunities in government contracting and procurement, particularly with federal defense agencies.
From that tiny seed, Alliance Northwest grew exponentially. The 2026 premier conference observes its 40-year anniversary with federal and state agency speakers; 12 breakout sessions; exhibitor and sponsor booths; opportunities for participants to connect the evening before and during the conference; a keynote speaker; and more. The breakfast welcome keynote is Chief Equity and Performance Officer Adrian Thompson at the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, and the luncheon keynote will include a representative from the Pentagon.
Alliance Northwest is the Biggest Business-to-Government Contracting Conference in Pacific Northwest
Who should attend the Alliance Northwest conference? The answer is small businesses and entrepreneurs interested in selling to the government or exploring subcontracting opportunities; research and development firms and engineering firms creating innovative technologies and solutions; prime contractors; and government buyers at all levels of government.
Thousands of participants come together at Alliance Northwest, including key players in federal, state and local contracting. Scroggs says the conference pulls in attendees from Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Idaho. “It’s the ‘whose who’ of the marketplace,” she says. “You get the procurement forecasts, meet with people from behind the scenes, and see what the trends are in the marketplace.” She adds that the conference can provide helpful information to businesses interested in navigating current agency contracting developments such as federal efforts to consolidate purchasing and simplify regulatory procedures.
Attendees enjoy numerous opportunities to network, like during a pre-conference evening reception that is included in the ticket price, and through an innovative conference app used to schedule one-to-one meetings. “It grows every year,” says Scroggs of the app’s popularity. “Government agencies are now all in on it.” She suggests participants regularly review the developing agenda to plan their conference day and use the app to schedule individual meetings in advance.
Scroggs says the conference also provides businesses and agencies with the opportunity to enhance their visibility, as sponsors and exhibitors. Planners are expecting more than 200 booths will be set up in the Exhibit Hall for the 2026 conference. Check the website to learn more about becoming a sponsor or exhibitor.
Washington APEX Accelerator is a Strong Partner in Successful Business and Government Contracting
In addition to serving as an Alliance Northwest keystone, the Thurston EDC’s APEX Accelerator program assists businesses interested in government contracting by providing no-cost tailored advice and assistance year-round. The APEX Accelerator helps companies succeed by guiding them through the process of applying for and fulfilling government contracts, providing training, and explaining registration and bidding procedures, to name a few of the services.
The APEX Accelerator program in Washington enjoys a strong track record. In 2025, APEX saw $829 million in contracts and subcontracts won by its Washington-based clients, offered 180 trainings and events, created/retained 5,542 jobs, assisted nearly 200 firms in entering the U.S. defense marketplace for the first time, and assisted another 415 firms enter the state/local marketplace. For 2026, Scroggs says she wants to see even greater successful outcomes for its client businesses, and the APEX Accelerator stands ready to assist. “We want them to continue to thrive, and partner to make that happen,” she says. “We are here, available, and will help you triage as needed.”
Register Online for Alliance Northwest Business and Government Contracting Conference
To learn more about government contracting in 2026, sign up to attend the Alliance Northwest business and government conference. Registration is online.
Alliance Northwest
March 25-26, 2026Greater Tacoma Convention Center
1500 Commerce Street, Tacoma
Sponsored
