Expos are still relevant
This year, The Chamber will host its 29th annual Business Expo, Celebrating Montgomery County at Montgomery County Community College. Since the first Expo in 1980, business has changed from face-to-face meetings, in store shopping and the ‘Yellow Pages” as the primary marketing tools for small businesses to information that is now at your fingertips, 24-7. Orders are placed online which can be delivered in 24 hours or less and social media can change as quickly as you can process the post. However, despite the access to everything you need being just a search away, what has not changed is people still like to do business with those who they know and trust. A small business owner is quoted saying about an expo “it is often the only time where a customer, vendor, and the product physically come together, which as you may agree, is a potent force for business.”
Small Business Expo, a for profit company founded in 2008 hosts events in 17 cities annually at a cost per booth of $2,500, reinforces the value expos still play. Exhibit space at the Chamber’s Expo is available starting at about 10% of the cost to be part of the Small Business Expo.
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research has found an expo offers a unique value for branding and lead generation which is not provided by other marketing channels. If your competitor is there, you should probably be there as well as expos provide the opportunity to gain knowledge and exposure to new trends, products, and resources. Throughout the year, several chambers host an Expo to meet their members, taste samplings of area restaurants and caterers and network. They vary in size and design, but all are well attended.
The Chamber enjoys the reputation for hosting the largest event in the region, with exhibitors that are representative of the most well respected businesses and nonprofit organizations in Montgomery County. The 2019 Expo will be held on Thursday, June 6th from 1pm-5pm with over 90 exhibitors. The day will kick off with lunch and keynote presentation by Al Zone, Executive Director of the Elmwood Park Zoo. The zoo which is celebrating their 95th anniversary, is considered one of the top boutique zoos in America. A raffle blitz and a fun scavenger hunt to test your Montgomery County knowledge will be held during exhibit hours. The event will conclude with music, cocktails, and samplings of cuisine from 5-6:30pm. There is no charge to attend the Expo and registration is not required. The community is encouraged to attend. The lunch presentation is a paid event and registration is available at www.chambergmc.org.
Whether you choose to exhibit or attend the expo to network and meet with business professional representative of this community, make sure this date is on your calendar.