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For Bob Gober and many of the 750-plus participants at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce's annual Congressional Procurement Conference and Expo on Wednesday, the most important part of the event was something simple.

Face time.

"This is a great event because you get face time with the decision makers," said Gober, sales manager with BlueRidge Document Shredding in Walkersville. "You leave with the point of contact. That's the first step to getting a contract."

The conference at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville has grown from about 700 participants last year to almost 800 this week, said Georgette "Gigi" Godwin, president and CEO of the chamber. Not only were there more executives with smaller companies looking to learn about the contracting process with government agencies and larger companies, but more federal agencies (14) and exhibitors (more than 80) involved, she said.

Among the 35 workshops were those presented by executives with large prime contractors, such as Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, and federal agencies, such as the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Security Agency. The work being done in fields such as cybersecurity and health information technology at NIST, based in Gaithersburg, could be the next transformational areas — along the lines of mapping the human genome and putting a man on the moon, Godwin said.

"That work will affect not only the United States, but the world," she said.

The impetus of the Obama administration to increase contracting opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses is a huge factor fueling the increased interest in procurement, Godwin said.

"They come here to learn how it works," she said. "Our presenters are the key point people of their companies or agencies."

When executives bid for a subcontract, they should focus on their company's unique characteristics, said John A. Zuccaro, senior manager for procurement with Lockheed Martin's information systems and global services segment. For instance, that could be how the company works more efficiently and cost-effectively, he said.

"We want performance," Zuccaro said. "We want companies that are going to deliver."

Certification under programs such as disadvantaged small business and service-disabled, veteran-owned small business can be more valuable to larger contractors than submitting the lowest bid, said Wesley Stith, vice president and senior purchasing agent for Clark Construction Group of Bethesda.

"A company with more certifications that places a higher bid can win the contract because they bring us better value," Stith said.

Important points to discuss when meeting with larger prime contractors include the potential subcontractor's capabilities, experience, financial and work force resources, references and safety record, Stith said.

"Always discuss price last," he recommended.

Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington chaired the conference and was among its speakers.

The chamber's Government Contracting Network, which runs a certification program for military veterans who own businesses, plans a breakfast forum on procurement policy and market trends May 25. The keynote speaker will be retired Army Brig. General Edward M. Harrington. For more information, visit www.montgomerycountychamber.com.