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Plenty of business at Expo
Published 11:04am Thursday, March 7, 2013With more than 100 businesses participating, Wednesday’s ninth annual Business and Community Expo at the Bigwood Event Center was lively and well attended. The Expo provided an opportunity to re-connect with businesses and services in the community and learn about new ones.
Tony Rondeau was in the area and decided to stop by the Expo.
“Some of the newer businesses are interesting, and it’s good for the community and seeing people you know,” said Rondeau, stopping to talk to friend Sue Wilken, who was at the Expo representing A Place To Belong.
American Family Insurance brought a carnival style wheel that visitors could spin to win a prize.
“It’s a good ice-breaker,” said AFI representative Annabelle Lee. “It makes us more approachable so that we can talk to people, rather than just handing things out and having them walk on.”
Jay Johnson, Executive Director of Prospect House Museum in Battle Lake, didn’t have a booth, but attended the Expo to see what other businesses were doing.
“I’m looking for ideas we can use for PR at the museum,” Johnson said, as he chatted with Chris Schuelke from the Otter Tail County Historical Society and Gretchen Boyum from Kaddatz Gallery.
Other business-to-business connections were being made throughout the exhibit hall.
Tom Weber, who was manning a booth for Liberty Insurance, took a break to visit the Park Region Telephone booth.
“The expo is good PR for us,” said Jodi Sjolie from Park Region.
Arlene Moore said their Young Living booth, promoting health and essential oils, was been very busy this year.
“We’ve been coming here for the past five or six years,” Moore said. “It’s a good place to come and do businesses. If we get one or two new customers it’s a success for us.”
The Business and Community Expo is sponsored by the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission, the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and the Fergus Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.
