In this photo provided by NASA, members of NASA’s Perseverance rover team react in mission control after receiving confirmation the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The landing of the six-wheeled vehicle marks the third visit to Mars in just over a week. Two spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around the planet on successive days last week. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

The city of Pasadena and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab will host a high-tech conference at the Pasadena Convention Center on Wednesday, Sept. 6, meant to help small businesses secure government and aerospace business contracts.

The all-day event will offer workshops providing attendees with technical assistance and detailing how to do business with Pasadena, NASA, the federal government and JPL.

Networking opportunities will be included as well, featuring two optional matchmaking one-on-one sessions attendees can join on a first-come, first-serve basis when they register online or in-person.

Doors will open for registration at 7:30 a.m. and the event will begin with a welcome address from JPL Acquisition Division Manager Andre Stefanovich, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and City Manager Miguel Marquez at 8:30 a.m.

Remarks from Robert Medina, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs, as well as from Councilmembers Tyron Hampton and Steve Madison will follow before keynote speaker Larry James, JPL’s deputy director, begins shortly after 9 a.m.

Other events on the agenda include an 11 a.m. JPL panel discussion, a talk on future NASA missions and instruments at 2 p.m., and a 3:30 p.m. networking session before the event ends at 5 p.m.

The convention center exhibit hall will also feature booths and stands from JPL buyers, contractors and government agencies showcasing their products, services and capabilities that could help serve NASA or Pasadena. The exhibit hall will be open from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., and again from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“This conference is an excellent platform for small businesses to gather insights on potential opportunities through workshops, matchmaking, and networking sessions,” Charles Bray, manager of JPL’s Small Business Programs Office, said in a press release.

About 500 attendees are expected, including high-profile contractors such as Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., and Amazon Web Services.

People can register online at https://bit.ly/3P89hVb.