Business Expo a success
By Anessa Myers
Published in News on June 3, 2008 1:46 PM
Representatives from about 60 businesses gathered at the Goldsboro Country Club Monday to showcase their products to the public. And with nearly 1,000 people in attendance, the 2008 Business Expo was a tremendous success, said Patty Graham, the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's director of membership and marketing.
"I think it was outstanding. I think we had more people than we did last year," Ms. Graham said.
She added that she believed the turnout was so large because people are becoming more and more economically conscious.
"I think more people are becoming more aware that we need to spend money locally to help our economy grow," she said. "People don't have the gas to go all over kingdom come to go looking for things and want to find out what products are here so they can save money."
Many visitors also came for the freebies -- the pens, the note pads, but most of all, the food.
Popular food vendor Pizza Inn brought 50 pizzas and 10 dessert pizzas to the expo, employee Bea Davis said, all of which were gone by late afternoon.
But most of the vendors didn't come to partake in the free popcorn, slushies, ice cream, cookies or ham biscuits. They came to see the people in the community, and hopefully help visitors learn more about their products.
Joe Maus, regional director of Honda & Hyundai of Goldsboro, said that this expo was their first, and he said his company wanted to be a part of the expo to become more involved with the community.
Maus and his crew weren't the only first-timers at the expo.
J J Ashley Bakery was also there this year for the first time. Owner Alonzo Beale said the event was a "great exhibition to have."
"It allows for good networking and showcasing of one's products. It also allows for good conversations between vendors. Like that promotional company down there, we are looking to see if they can do some work for us," Beale said.
Like Beale, Lyman Smith of Jackson & Sons Heating and Air Conditioning said that he appreciates the networking aspect of the annual event.
"Well, No. 1, we are here to support the community and the chamber, but we also like the business to business contact," Smith said.