According to Webster’s, an “expo” is a “public exhibition or show, as of industrial and artistic productions, as in the Paris Exposition of 1878.”
According to Frank Frazier, the Mount Pleasant Business and Community Expo “is a great event for small business people and entrepreneurs because it draws a terrific crowd.”
That’s Frank Frazier of Merrill Lynch, who also serves on the Mount Pleasant Business Association’s Expo Committee, which is tasked with laying the foundation for this year’s Expo, set for Sept. 18, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Omar Shrine Convention Center.
Frazier has attended the event since its inception in 2011, the first year as a visitor and the next two as an exhibitor. He’ll be back again this year because “The event is a big hit. I’ve been to some others in the Charleston area and Mount Pleasant’s is the most robust. It’s the best one I’ve ever been to.”
Frazier’s enthusiasm is shared by exhibitor Andy Bonner of Signarama.
“I’m back because last year’s event was great. I just went into business here a year-and-a-half ago, so it was really helpful to meet other Mount Pleasant business owners,” Bonner commented. “The networking opportunities are exceptional and, as a new business owner, it’s helpful to learn what other businesses are doing around town.”
Exhibitor Buddy Smith of Minuteman Press called the Mount Pleasant Business and Community Expo “an outstanding opportunity to have face time – which I don’t often get – with the owners of the leading businesses in town.”
“It’s always a positive to participate in this Expo, and I’ve definitely gotten new business from exhibiting and showcasing all the key services that Minuteman Press can provide,” he said.
Longtime MPBA stalwart Brian Sherman is chairman of the 2014 Expo, ably assisted by Frazier, David Gebhardt, Chris Staubes, Jennifer Passmore, Sue Spearman and Denise K. James.
Sherman noted that 2013 was “a breakout year for the Expo.” Last fall, the event attracted 60 exhibitors and around 1,000 visitors. He pointed out that the Expo is “the biggest networking event in Mount Pleasant.”
But it’s more than just shaking hands, passing out business cards and picking up a slew of brochures and promotional swag. A happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with free food from Raising Cane’s, Sticky Fingers, Jimmy John’s and My Father’s Moustache, plus beer and wine for sale, will give exhibitors and visitors alike an opportunity to kick back and get to know one another better while listening to live music from the jazz trio Lyndsey and Friends.
Throughout the day, attendees will be eligible to win numerous prizes, up to and including an iPad.
The Expo’s 2014 title sponsor is the law firm Clawson and Staubes. Community sponsors are State Farm agent Tony Pope and the town of Mount Pleasant.
All signs indicate that this year’s Mount Pleasant Business and Community Expo is going to be a fantastic success, which Webster’s defines as “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect or fame.” That dictionary could just as easily have written that Mount Pleasant’s Expo on Sept. 18 could be the 2014 rival of that landmark Paris Exposition of 1878.
For information and purchasing a booth at the 2014 Mount Pleasant Business and Community Expo, contact Brian Sherman at 843-437-8817 or [email protected]. Businesses wishing to donate door prizes should get in touch with Chris Staubes at 557-2026.
Written by Bill Farley
Photo by Brian Sherman
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