PUBLISHED NOV. 3, 2016
Manatee, Sarasota Chambers of Commerce host Chamber Expo 2016 at civic center
By CARL MARIO NUDI
CARL MARIO NUDI PHOTOS
The Manatee Chamber of Commerce will cohost with The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce the Chamber Expo 2016 from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, One Haben Boulevard, Palmetto.
Area businesses will be showcasing their products and services to the public Wednesday, Nov. 9.
The Manatee Chamber of Commerce and The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce will cohost a business Chamber Expo from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, One Haben Boulevard, Palmetto.
“The purpose is to promote ‘shop local’ and the chamber members,” said Kim Dalglish, vice president of membership development and services at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
This event has been very popular over the more than 15 years the two chambers have sponsored it, said Dalglish, who has been in charge of organizing the expo for the past five years.
“It fills up the civic center’s main exhibit hall,” she said, “drawing more than 1,000 people.”
The expo is open to the public. It costs $5 at the door to get in, but there will be 12 local restaurants providing complimentary hors d’oeuvres, a DJ providing entertainment and multiple door prize drawings, with a grand prize of $500 cash.
There will be a variety of more than 165 exhibitors showing off their wares and services, including computer technology, home improvement, office supplies and many other companies.
Dalglish said this is an opportunity for the public to learn about local products and services.
Kevin Baylor, managing partner for Suncoast Business Technologies, said this will be the eighth year participating in the Chamber Expo.
That is what Staci Holweger, an independent distributor for It Works! products, hopes she can do when people come up to her booth at the Chamber Expo.
“I thought it would be a great way to network and meet new people,” Holweger said. “It’s a great way to impact their health by getting them to use our supplements.”
It Works!, an international firm located in Palmetto, is a health and wellness business selling supplements and weight loss systems.
Although this is the first time Holweger has participated in the Chamber Expo, she anticipates it to be successful for her.
“I have been to similar events and they were very successful,” she said. “I like building new relationships and to have an impact on the community in a positive way.”
Holweger is a member of the chambers of commerce of both counties.
Kevin Baylor, managing partner of Suncoast Business Technologies, said he also is a member of both chambers and will be exhibiting at the Chamber Expo.
Suncoast Business Technologies, a full-service Internet technology consulting firm, is a gold member of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.
He said his firm works with small to medium-size companies with voice-over-internet provider (VoIP) systems, and provides structured cabling and other IT support services.
This is the eighth year Suncoast Business Technologies has participated in the Chamber Expo, Baylor said.
“We do other similar events,” he said, “but we always have a great turnout at the Manatee-Sarasota business expo.
“It’s also a way to participate as a member of the chambers,” said Baylor, a resident of Parrish and a board member of the Manatee chamber.
Staci Holweger, an independent distributor for It Works!, stands in front of the international headquarters in Palmetto.
Having a presence at the expo every year builds brand awareness, he said, and it provides a chance to talk to other IT service companies.
One of those other IT firms will be Zymphony Technology Solutions.
Jim Althouse, general manager of the Sarasota branch office said having a booth at the Chamber Expo gives him an opportunity to meet business owners and discuss their IT issues.
“We have the skill and knowledge to make sure they are up to date on their IT needs,” Althouse said.
He said Zymphony, with offices from Orlando to Tampa to Sarasota, and 45 employees, provides proactive IT support to small and medium-size businesses.
“We help customers that don’t have an IT department, or have one but needs specialized assistance,” Althouse said.
Zymphony Technology Solutions has been a member of both chambers for about 10 years and this is the fourth or fifth time participating in the Chamber Expo in Palmetto, he said.
This year Althouse said the company will be promoting their new product, ThreatShield.
ThreatShield is a high-end anti-hacking and security system, he said, and it goes beyond the standard protection of a firewall or anti-virus software.
Althouse said he hopes “to draw people to the booth with a nice bottle of Chivas Regal Scotch.”
This will get the conversation started and hopefully get a meeting scheduled, he said.
For Baylor, of Suncoast Business Technologies, he expects a putting-green challenge and giving away golf tees and balls will attract people to his corner booth, which they try to get every year.
“Having a space on the corner allows us to have an open booth where people can mingle,” he said.
Baylor said he enjoyed participating in the Chamber Expo every year.
“It’s a chance to meet people and revitalize old contacts,” he said.
The two county chambers come together and cohost the Chamber Expo to promote shopping with other chamber members, Dalglish said.
“It benefits business exhibitors because they can collect business cards by having drawings at their booths,” she said, “then use the cards for business contacts and customer leads.”
Dalglish said the two chambers have monthly “Coffee Clubs” and “Business After Hours” card exchanges, but the Chamber Expo is the largest chamber networking event of the year.
And it is always held during a weeknight because it is conducive to the exhibitors’ schedules.
“It is easier to have enough staff to work the booth on a weeknight than during a weekend,” Dalglish said.
For more information, call Kim Dalglish at 941-748-3411 or visit manateechamber.com/expo.