Forget “business as usual”—Downtown Los Angeles is officially entering its Golden Era, and the guest list for the next three years is looking legendary. We’re talking the FIFA World Cup, the NBA All-Star Game, and a little thing called the 2028 Olympics. But here’s the best part: the city isn’t just inviting the world to the party; they’re making sure local business owners are the ones getting paid to throw it.
Thanks to a high-tech glow-up from the LASEC Business Connect program, the gatekeepers have officially swapped the red tape for a digital “open” sign. Whether you’re a veteran-owned tech firm or a woman-led design powerhouse, the new Business Connect Supplier Portal is your VIP pass to the biggest contracts on the horizon.
Photos courtesy Business Connect 2.0
Think of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC) as the city’s premier matchmaker for major opportunities. As the official powerhouse designated to lure the world’s biggest stages to our backyard—including leading the charge for the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 and Super Bowl LXI—they do more than just hang banners. Their real mission is weaving DTLA’s local businesses and neighborhoods into the fabric of these global moments, ensuring that when the world tunes in, our local economy feels the long-term win.
The numbers back up the hype. This program is LASEC’s official engine for local procurement, and it has already driven over $7 million in contracts directly to Los Angeles businesses. By focusing on two core goals—linking diverse suppliers to massive event contracts and providing the professional development and networking needed to win them—Business Connect 2.0 is creating a sustainable cycle of wealth for our local entrepreneurs that will last well beyond the final whistle of the 2028 Games.
Photos courtesy Business Connect 2.0
With the launch of the new Business Connect Supplier Portal, major event stakeholders can now explore profiles of local event production businesses within the LASEC Business Connect program through a digital directory. They can filter by business disciplines, NAICS codes, business name, or certification to find suppliers best matched for contracting needs. The LASEC Business Connect automated online portal offers sports, entertainment, and corporate partners an opportunity to track and report their spend with local diverse suppliers.
Los Angeles is now preparing for an influx of major events unmatched by any destination as the region prepares to welcome the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, FIFA World Cup 2026™, Super Bowl LXI, and the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games over the next three years. To ensure these events have a skilled workforce and access to the necessary goods and services for smooth operation, LASEC has made significant investment in its Business Connect program, which develops the event production workforce needed to support these top-tier events.
“With the launch of our new Business Connect Supplier Portal and the expansion of Business Connect 2.0, we’re creating real pathways for local businesses to grow and access new opportunities through some of the world’s most high-profile sporting events,” said Samona Caldwell, Director of Business Connect, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission. “This is more than an investment in events, it’s also an investment in people and in the development of long-term success for our local economy.”
The Business Connect Portal was designed in direct partnership with Lentini, a WBE, SBE, full-service design and marketing firm in Los Angeles and a local Business Connect supplier, who contributed both their technical expertise and insights as a member company.
“Collaborating with LASEC as a Business Connect Supplier to develop the Business Connect Supplier Portal was a powerful way to apply our technical expertise in service to the local business community,” said Hilary Lentini, Founder & Creative Director, Lentini Design & Marketing, Inc. “The platform streamlines supplier discovery and selection, helping event and venue partners connect more efficiently with experienced, diverse businesses across Los Angeles in the LASEC Business Connect program.”
Established in the lead up to Super Bowl LVI in 2022, the LASEC Business Connect program identifies talented and experienced entrepreneurs capable of providing event production goods and services for major events, offering them professional development, mentorship, and resources to help grow their businesses and successfully compete for contracting opportunities tied to upcoming global events in Los Angeles.
Business Connect 2.0, launched in 2024, focuses on developing business connections with LA-based award shows and corporate events that can help secure year-round contracts for local suppliers and create a sustainable economic impact on the local business community. The program currently works with 200+ Los Angeles based minority-, woman-, LGBTQIA+-, persons with disabilities-, or veteran-owned companies to give them an opportunity to compete for contracts related to these major events in event production.
As DTLA prepares to take center stage on the world’s map, the message is clear: our local businesses won’t just be spectators—they’ll be the backbone of the show. Stay tuned to DTLA Weekly as we continue to track these contracts and the entrepreneurs winning them.
For access to the supplier portal, please contact LASEC’s Director of Business Connect, Samona Caldwell. To learn more about the LASEC Business Connect Program and upcoming major events in Los Angeles, please visit LASEC.net.
