My impressions of Hutt Valley Business Expo 2012

On 12 September we had the Business Expo at the Horticultural Hall. The Hutt News said it was the first in two years and had received a strong response. The paper did not say that every single one of the 60 stalls was booked out. When I first walked in, I was stunned at how big and busy it all was with all 60 stalls up and running and doing a very happy business! They ought to be with the six page spread they received in The Hutt News. All 60 stalls were listed, so that must have brought in hundreds of people seeking restaurants, vodafones, iPads, new security features, travel agents, exposure on the radio and so many other services and products that Hutt Valley has to offer.

 

For the first time, the Business Expo was providing seminars on how to improve your business as well. One seminar was on getting your business up in Google search results. Unfortunately I could not make it to any of the seminars, so I have no feedback there. But I can certainly tell you that there was something for everyone there, whether they were in business or not, as someone will always have a use for banks, home loans, book keepers, coffee makers, iPads, Vodfone, Weltec, caterers or someone to mind the house. I even found a few surprises; I didn’t expect to find Work and Income there, but there they were, telling business owners that WINZ was an outfit they could call about recruiting needs. And there was Hutt City Council telling us about their community projects, including how we can cut down on vandalism if we ‘adopt a spot’. There were some stalls that raised a laugh, such as the little indoor golf at Boulcott Farm (see above). 

So you could just stand and have a quick putty on the indoor green while chatting away. For refreshments there was the Tickled Pink stall, where you could have coffee and cake and be in the draw to win their cake. Yes, there were plenty of draws to enter – mostly for bottles of wine, but there were services and products as prizes as well. Always be sure to take plenty of business cards to the Expo so you can enter the draws.

This must have been the biggest and most successful business expo the Chamber of Commerce has run to date. I hope to be seeing it again next year, looking even bigger and busier and happier. And I close with some shots of the Business Expo.