Contracting Institute
2027
Business Growth Conference
April 21–22, 2027
St. Petersburg, Florida
An exclusive high-impact two-day event

Walk Away With A Documented Game Plan To Grow Your Business

This is not a passive conference — so buckle up.

Contracting Institute 2027 will help you master the art of winning more contracts and growing your business. Over two days, here's how:

How Will The Contracting Institute 2027 Transform Your Business?

Building a Stronger Foundation

Great businesses are built on purpose and clarity. By strengthening your mission, values, core competencies, and differentiators, you create the structure needed to make better decisions, compete more effectively, and build a business you are proud to lead.

Becoming More Market Informed

Confidence grows when you understand the market around you and where your best opportunities may be hiding. By analyzing customers, competitors, trends, pricing, and emerging opportunities, you can make smarter decisions and move forward with greater clarity and conviction.

Expanding Access to Capital

Your vision should not be limited simply because the resources to pursue it are out of reach. By understanding financing options, improving financial readiness, and building relationships with the right capital partners, you can create more opportunities to invest, grow, and turn ambitious ideas into reality.

Achieving GovCon Readiness

Winning government contracts can transform a business and open doors that once seemed out of reach. Build a team who will help you get registered and registered properly, complete certification assessments, make sure your company is visible to buyers, give you tools to review past, present and future opportunities and stand ready to write a winning bid response.

Developing Effective Leadership

People want to follow leaders who give them confidence, direction, and a reason to believe their work matters. By developing stronger communication, accountability, decision-making, and team alignment, leaders can create organizations where people perform at a higher level and genuinely want to succeed together.

Leveraging Technology Effectively

Technology should give you more freedom to grow, not create more complexity in your business. By intentionally using automation, AI, data, and the right digital tools, while making sure you are cyber secure, your business will be set apart from the competition.

Creating Strategic Sales Pipelines

Few things create more confidence in a business than knowing where the next customer is coming from. By identifying ideal prospects, building repeatable outreach processes, tracking opportunities, and measuring conversion, you can create a predictable pipeline that gives your team momentum and your business room to dream bigger.

Motivating a Team of Closers

There is something powerful about an entire company working together to sell your products and services. By each team member mastering the art of asking questions you will create a force that will transform your business.

Extraordinary voices

Speakers Who've Been In The Arena

Learn directly from practitioners, strategists, and leaders who work in the government contracting marketplace every day.

Name

Eric Knellinger

CEO
USFCR

Name

Eric Schrandt

Sales President
USFCR

Name

Greg Schaeffer

CFO
USFCR

Name

Walton Goggins

The Goat

Who we are

About USCI

US Contracting Institute is a business education and membership organization created to help businesses become opportunity-ready. Our members include new businesses, established companies, commercial suppliers, government contractors, and organizations preparing to scale. USCI was built to address a common challenge: business owners and leaders are often given information without a clear plan for how to apply it. We organize complex topics into practical learning pathways, assessments, training, tools, and next steps that members can use in their businesses. We support businesses at every stage, from building a strong operational foundation to improving sales, accessing capital, preparing for government contracts, and managing growth.

The Eight Pathways to Growth
The Eight Pathways to Growth: Prepare and Execute wheel
The USCI team
Who should attend

Who Should I Bring?

Contracting Institute 2027 is built for the people responsible for growing your business. Bring the owners, executives, business developers, capture and proposal leads, and team members who drive revenue, pursue new opportunities, and turn strategy into submitted, winning bids.

Contracting Institute gives your team a shared approach to leadership, growth, capital, technology, and building a stronger business. The real value comes from having the right people in the room together, hearing the same message and learning the same systems.

Bring the people you’re counting on for what’s next. When your team returns aligned on the vision, the systems, and what needs to happen to create success, you can turn what you learned into action.

The experience starts here

Choose Your Pass

General Admission

[$XXX or "Client Invitation"]

  • Full access to all main-stage sessions and the unveiling
  • Welcome reception on Day 1
  • Event materials and attendee networking
  • [Additional inclusion]
Get My Pass

VIP

[$XXX]

  • Everything in General Admission
  • Priority reserved seating near the stage
  • Private VIP lunch on both days
  • Exclusive VIP welcome gathering with speakers
  • [Founding-member perk placeholder]
Get VIP Access

Team Pass

[Group pricing]

  • Bring [3+] team members and align your whole organization
  • Discounted group rate
  • Seated together in a reserved block
  • [Additional inclusion]
Register My Team

Questions about group registration? Contact the USCI team — we'll help coordinate your group.

Hosted Location

Hilton, St. Petersburg Carillon Park

Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park puts you close to the event and plenty to do after the day wraps up. TopGolf and Carillon Park restaurants are just 0.6 miles away, while Downtown St. Petersburg, The Dalí Museum and Tropicana Field are within 10 miles. Raymond James Stadium is 12 miles away, and Clearwater Beach and the Tampa Convention Center are about 15 miles from the hotel.

Address: 950 Lake Carillon Dr, St. Petersburg, FL 33716

Room block: We have a room block reserved at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park for April 21, 2027 through April 22, 2027. Booking your room is simple, just select "Book a Room" to receive your group's preferred rate. You may also call Hilton reservations at 1-800-774-1500 and mention your group code, "USCI4."

Nearest Airports: St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE); 14700 Terminal Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33762

Tampa International Airport (TPA); 4100 George J. Bean Pkwy, Tampa, FL 33607

Reserve Your Room
Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park
Two days · zero filler

Agenda

Day 1

April 21, 2027
  • Networking Breakfast 8:15AM - 9:00PM
  • KeynoteDeveloping Effective Leadership
  • Morning Workbook Sessions
    • Philosophy of Growth
    • Building a Stronger Foundation
    • Becoming More Market Informed
  • Networking Lunch
  • Afternoon Workbook Sessions
    • Expanding Access to Capital
    • Leveraging Technology Strategically
    • Achieving GovCon Readiness
  • Networking SocialTopGolf

Day 2 (Half Day)

April 22, 2027
  • Networking Breakfast 8:15AM - 9:00PM
  • KeynoteGet Ready to Execute
  • Workbook Sessions
    • Creating Strategic Sales Pipelines
    • Motivating a Team of Closers
  • Closing Remarks
Networking venue

Topgolf, St. Petersburg

Topgolf gives attendees a relaxed setting for business matchmaking and relationship building outside the formal agenda. Connect with potential partners, buyers, and other contractors while conversations happen more naturally around food, drinks, and group play.

Address: 220 Carillon Pkwy N St. Petersburg, FL 33716

Details: We have reserved the entire Third Floor of TopGolf to give you a networking experience like no other. Sign up early to reserve your spot in our unique relationship building golfing experience or just join us as a non-golfer and enjoy the evening.

[Location Name]
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Who from my company should attend?
The event is designed for teams. Owners and executives will benefit from the strategy and growth sessions, and the greatest impact comes when the people responsible for pursuing and winning contracts — business development, capture, and proposal team members — are in the room learning the same systems together.
Where should I stay?
A discounted room block is available at the Hilton Hotel through April 21st to 22nd using code "USCI4". Because availability is limited, we recommend booking as early as possible.
Are there discounts for groups?
No, but we encourage companies to attend as a team so everyone learns the same systems and language together.
Will accommodations be made for accessibility or dietary needs?
We want every attendee to have the best possible experience. If you require accommodations related to hearing or visual impairments, mobility, accessibility, or dietary restrictions, contact our team before the event and we'll make arrangements.
Can I transfer my registration or get a refund?
Registrations are non-refundable after 90 days of purchase, but may be transferred to another member of your team.
What should I wear?
Business casual is recommended for daytime sessions — dress comfortably for two full days of education and networking, a casual outfit is recommended for Topgolf paired with Florida's heat.