Filed by Matthew Groves and Michele Marchetti, StateCollege.com
Nearly 200 area businesses set up temporary office space in the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, providing one-stop shopping for businesses and consumers in central Pennsylvania. (Check out our site for some virtual tours and a video report. And click on the gallery at the right for photos.)
The 2010 Central Pennsylvania Regional Business & Industry Expo, presented by 611 MRI/CT, drew more than 500 attendees, including business owners, entrepreneurs and consumers. U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson, R-Howard, and Penn State President Graham Spanier also attended.
“It’s difficult to try to get people to understand that this is not a show just for businesses,” said Jean Gerber, vice president for chamber operations at the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County, which managed the expo. “We like the general public to come out, and I think we were able to accomplish that this year.”
Indeed, the expo offered plenty for the general consumer. Mount Nittany Physician Group dispensed anti-aging tips; Goot Essa of Millheim passed out samples of its award-winning Amish cheese; Prevention Health Screenings of Dillsburg provided complimentary carotid artery and thyroid screenings; and Weldon Equipment of Julian showed off its $13,500 tractor and loader. Meanwhile, local nonprofits THON, Youth Service Bureau and Global Capacity gave people a better understanding of their philanthropic work.
Nine free workshops offered tips and lessons on everything from “greening” your business to investing with smarts. Dan Nestlerode and Judy Loy talked about Bernie Madoff—“He made off with all your money!”—the constant presence of risk, and the value of research in their presentation entitled “How to Win in the Markets.”
Most important, the expo provided a relaxed venue for forging relationships. Michael C. Romanesky, president of M&J Supply Co. Inc., a wholesale supplier of paper, safety products and other industrial items, came from Lock Haven. As other businesses in central Pennsylvania profit from the Marcellus Shale, Romanesky is hoping to get in on the action. “It could mean a substantial amount of growth for our company,” he said, adding that he hoped the conference would generate a few contacts.
Jennifer Mallad, sales director of Blair Business Technologies in Altoona, was surprised by the number of retired attendees who visited the expo simply to meet the people behind the businesses of central Pennsylvania. These attendees aren’t exactly the company’s target demographic, but Mallad was happy to meet them. “You never know who they know,” she said. “They’ve had life experiences and could potentially open a door.”
On the expo wish list for the Penn State Center for the Performing Arts: finding a business sponsor for an evening of jazz featuring the Dave Brubeck Quintet and Ramsey Lewis Trio. While the center has no problem promoting itself to the university community, marketing to area businesses is a challenge. “That’s the beauty of something like this,” said Nancy VanLandingham, a member of the center’s Community Advisory Council, an advocacy group. “We might find someone who wants to partner with us, and it could be someone from another booth.”
The scope of the Regional Expo lends itself to such connections. Prior to 2009, CBICC’s expo was limited to members of its own chamber, but last year it extended its reach. This year’s expo was produced in cooperation with 15 chambers of commerce from across central Pennsylvania, providing members of each chamber the opportunity to promote their products and services, while building partnerships with businesses in neighboring counties.
Joe Hurd, president and CEO of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce, said his chamber was part of the initial discussion to create the event. “The more conversations we had the more it seemed logical to invite other regions,” he said. Hurd noted that the Blair County chamber was represented by 34 businesses, including Bee Line Wholesalers, Inc., McIntyre’s Candies, and Blair Business Technologies, all in Altoona.
This was the first year that Blair Business Technologies exhibited, and Mallad was pleased with the results. “It was definitely worth the money,” she said.
