Mayor Karen Bass's office is stepping up its initiatives to buoy local businesses, particularly with an eye toward the economic boon anticipated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as it orchestrates the first LA Sports & Entertainment Supplier Diversity Summit set for October 10. According to a press release from the Mayor's Office, the event aims to equip local enterprises with the essential tools and knowledge to partake in the financial windfall these global spectacles are expected to generate.
The free public summit, sponsored by AEG and BMO, will encompass a fireside chat featuring Mayor Bass alongside The Honest Company's founder Jessica Alba, and sessions tailored to address the facets of procurement, economic impact, and actual opportunities. Angelenos can register for the summit too, and they will have access to networking prospects and workshops that are designed to prime these business owners for the contracting processes with the city and other government bodies. Mayor Bass, in her ongoing commitment to small businesses, remarked "L.A. businesses should benefit from the major upcoming events that L.A. will host," signaling her intent for this summit as part of the focused effort to furnish them to tap into the forthcoming opportunities.
Highlights of the summit include panels with titles such as "Game Changers: Economic Impact on Mega Events" and "Monumental Opportunities," featuring industry executives from organizations like LA28 and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, as reported by the office of the mayor. The panels will aim to provide firsthand wisdom from those at the helm of planning such significant events and are expected to provide the audience with actionable information and advice.
As part of her efforts to foster small business growth, Mayor Bass recently recognized nearly 100 graduates from the inaugural LApreneur program and cited the over $18 million in support garnered for local businesses since the enactment of Executive Directive 4, a policy initiative designed to embolden small business creation and development within the city.
