Business to Business Expo events set

Chamber of Commerce information

Free and open to the public, the Van Wert Area Business to Business Expo will take place Thursday, May 24, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the Commercial Building on the Van Wert Fairgrounds.

Whether one is a business owner, employee, manager or just curious, come and see what businesses are moving and shaking in the Van Wert area. Exhibitors and the Chamber will give away free door prizes throughout the day and WERT/WKSD will air live from the event.

Discover the latest in products and services of area businesses, take part in free and engaging social media marketing and business growth workshops and perhaps most importantly … make important business connections. How do you measure the value of a face-to-face meeting … a handshake with a business owner, potential customer or even supplier? That personal interaction is just one of many opportunities that attendees will have at the expo.

Throughout the day, Bright Eyes Catering and Sycamore Ice Cream will both be on site serving food and drinks. Make sure to stop by the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce booth when arriving to pick up an Expo Exhibitor Guide with a listing of vendors and their booths. Many vendors also offer free promotional items and samples as well.

Three marketing communications experts will present free workshops throughout the day. At 12:30 p.m. on May 24, join Stu Jewett of Be Scene Communications for “Gas and Go … Fuel for Your Business.” Not quite sure that you completely buy into the bottom-line need to embrace the Internet for your business? Jewett will make the basic relevance of Internet marketing very clear.

At 2 p.m., Wright State Lake Campus Business Enterprise Center Director Julie Miller will take it one step further and present “The Business of Social Media.” For those who would like to generate exposure, opportunities and sales for their businesses, this workshop is specifically for you.

Wrapping up at 4 p.m., and a perfect segue for the Expo’s After Hours event, “Networking Guru” Debby Peters, owner of Connext Nation, will provide proven networking tips to encourage business people to connect with contacts with finesse and professionalism.

Premier sponsors for the event include StateWide Ford Lincoln, Ultra Sound Special Events and Brand It Marketing Communications.

“StateWide Ford Lincoln is excited to be a premier sponsor of this year’s Van Wert Area Business to Business Expo,” said Statewide General Manager Steve Munroe. “The opportunity to be involved in this event and to help stimulate the local economy is one that we couldn’t pass up!”

StateWide Ford Lincoln will showcase Ford’s latest technology featuring a 2013 Explorer with voice activated sync, as well as the Ford My Touch system. Visit Statewide directly in the Commercial Building adjacent to the Ultra Sound B2B After Hours Gallery. Attendees also won’t want to miss visiting Brand It’s booth to discover the power of branding and creative marketing services designed to grow a business that only Brand It can provide.

The Expo will conclude with a prime networking event from 6-8 p.m.: The Ultra Sound B2B After Hours. This event will provide a casual opportunity to end the day socializing with colleagues and potential business contacts. Collins Fine Food will provide a cash bar, with appetizers by the Black Swamp Bistro and Willow Bend County Club.

Ultra Sound Special Events is creating an entertainment environment for the Business After Hours that will showcase much of what they offer for interactive, fun corporate and business events. Challenge those mental powers with the Mindball Interactive game or show off one’s style in the Ultra Sound Vintage Photo Booth.

There are a limited number of exhibitor booths still available. Contact the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce at 419.238.4390 or email at chamber@vanwertchamber.com (click here for an exhibitor form) by Monday, May 21, to secure a exhibitor booth space for the Van Wert Area Business to Business Expo.