On Thursday, August 8 from 9:00 am–noon, National IPA will sponsor a vendor showcase in the Alumni Lounge of Hermann Hall. The attending vendors will be CDW-G (technology supplier), Office Depot (office supplies), North American (a supplier of custodial goods and Panasonic. This is the first of several showcase events planned for fiscal year ′14.

Participation in Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) provides a means for IIT to collaborate with other schools and government bodies to get better pricing by supporting common vendor contracts.

IIT is a member of several GPOs, including E&I, National IPA, U.S.Communities and National Joint Powers Alliance. As a member, IIT may participate in contracts negotiated by these groups. Buying through GPO contracts, IIT has no minimum purchase level requirement. That means the university enjoys the lower costs offered by contracts that are based on much higher sales volume than IIT alone represents.

The best way to learn about the benefits of GPOs is to attend these vendor showcases.