BUSINESS EXPO
Chamber of commerce hosts 2019 Saratoga County Business-to-Business Expo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Thousands of connections were made at the recent 2019 Saratoga County Business-to-Business Expo.
The event, presented by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, brought a crowd of about 2,000 people to the Saratoga Springs City Center on Thursday in Saratoga Springs.
A total of 150 chamber members exhibited at the expo, while attendees browsed the aisles networking with exhibitors and each other.
From renewing friendships to exchanging business cards with someone new, this annual event brings the region’s business community together like no other.
“It is by far the largest business to business networking event of the year, not just in Saratoga Springs, not just in Saratoga County, but the entire Saratoga region,” said chamber president Todd Shimkus, who was at the expo.
“We sell out with exhibitor space every year, this year included,” he continued, “which I think is a testament to the value of this connecting event.”
Even for those who don’t exhibit at the expo, “As long as you show up with a pile of business cards, you have a chance to network and connect,” Shimkus said.
Whether setting up a flashy exhibit or simply browsing the expo to chat with other business and nonprofit professionals - it’s all about networking. “This is a once in a year chance
to do that in a really efficient, effective way,” Shimkus said, “because they’re all right there in one place at one time.”
Nonprofit organization Special Olympics New York had a table at the expo for the first time this year.
“I thought this would be a great way to network and meet people who might want to become more involved with Special Olympics,” said the organization’s director of development Jennifer Frame, who was also hoping to advertise an upcoming Lake George Polar Plunge fundraiser.
“It’s a great way to network and meet people in the community,” added exhibitor James Kennedy, owner of Saratoga Springsbased business KPM Restoration.
Officials with the Washington County Fair were also exhibiting at the expo.
“We’ve been doing this for like four or five years, and really the concept of being here is just to build relationships with different businesses, supporters and sponsorships,” said the fair’s general manager Mark St. Jacques, between talking to attendees who visited his expo booth. “This has worked out well. There are a lot of businesses we do partner with here, and it’s nice to be able to have a chance to talk to them.”