40 pre-qualified local and diverse businesses took center stage at the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC)’s Business Connect “Pitch Day,” held at the US Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles. Each business had five minutes to pitch their event production services to a panel of industry experts, with a chance to earn a spot into LASEC’s Business Connect program and position themselves to compete for contract opportunities tied to upcoming global events in Los Angeles, including the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, FIFA World Cup 26™, Super Bowl LXI, and the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
“Our goal in creating this unique supplier diversity program was to turn the massive platform offered by major events, like FIFA World Cup 26, into meaningful opportunities for local businesses across the region”, said Samona Caldwell, Director of Business Connect with the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. “Pitch Day provides a unique opportunity for new businesses to be part of LASEC’s continued effort to prepare event-ready suppliers to compete for procurement opportunities tied to the world-class events in Los Angeles.”
Participating businesses represented a wide range of event production services, from videography, security and catering to janitorial services and furniture rentals, which make up some of the most in-demand business sectors for each of the major events.