Buy Local Business Expo
When: 1 to 7 p.m.
Where: Georgia Mountains Center, 301 Main St., Gainesville
How much: Free
Seminars
“Using the Web to Grow your Business:” 1:30 p.m., presented by Kris Nordholz and Davis White with Full Media
“Marketing Trends for 2010:” 2:30 p.m., presented by Elizabeth Carswell and Jamie Reynolds with Wyngate Drive Creative Communications
“SBA Lending:” 3:30 p.m., presented by Melinda Coker with Economic Development Corporation
The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce will host a business expo today to celebrate companies that call Gainesville and Hall County home.
The Buy Local Business Expo, to be held 1-7 p.m. at the Georgia Mountains Center, is open to the public and will feature booths from more than 70 area businesses.
"The expo is to highlight the many businesses and especially small businesses in the community," said Kit Dunlap, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce president.
Dunlap said the chamber decided to bring back a small business expo to encourage people to support their local businesses.
"We decided this year, particularly because of the economy, we decided to spotlight and say ‘buy local,’" Dunlap said.
There is no entry fee to the expo. Each booth will have information about the business and many will have giveaways.
Aside from networking opportunities, there will be seminars for small businesses on marketing, lending and technology throughout the afternoon.
For the past few years, the chamber has focused on its interactive Health Smart fair, which features health-related businesses each fall.
This year, Dunlap said the organization decided to put a twist on an old idea.
"We did a business expo for 20 years," Dunlap said. "We decided to go back and mainly have small businesses."