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The
Clark County Department of Aviation recently hosted the Airport Minority Advisory Council’s 23rd annual
Airport Business Diversity Conference, one of the
nation’s premier events focused on improved
diversification within the aviation industry.
This
nonprofit trade association based in Washington, D.C.
helps minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged
business enterprises to do more business at airports
throughout the United States.
From
June 10 -13 at The Mirage, attendees networked and
received valuable instruction on topics such as
marketing, creating a succession plan, and certifying
their disadvantaged business enterprise through the
federal government’s Unified Certification Program.
Rosemary
Vassiliadis, deputy director of the Clark County
Department of Aviation, said diversity is a focal point
at McCarran, which last year ranked as the nation’s
sixth-busiest commercial airport. “McCarran
welcomes travelers from all over the world, and when
those visitors arrive at our airport, they’re greeted
by a diverse workforce whose names and faces also
represent the small world in which we live,”
Vassiliadis said. “A recent study showed that more
than 40 percent of McCarran’s workforce is
African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic or Native
American. I can’t think of a better way to make our 46
million annual customers feel more at home.”
Good
customer service is vitally important to the local
economy because businesses here need travelers to choose
to com back to Southern Nevada, Vassiliadis said. She said diversity is a powerful
tool when promoting good customer service before an
international customer base.
The
Department of Aviation made nearly $46 million in
purchases to Disadvantaged Business Enterprises last
year. Those expenditures further benefited a diverse
array of local employers and employees, Vassiliadis
added.
Clark
County has proven to be a popular destination for AMAC members.
Approximately 760 attendees registered, which made this
year’s event one of the best-attended conferences in
AMAC history.
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