The annual Tioga Chamber Business Show is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 8. Presented by the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, the event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Owego Treadway Inn and Conference Center located on Route 17C in Owego. Tioga State Bank is the Major Sponsor of the event.
The 2015 theme of the Tioga Chamber Business Show is “Through the Looking Glass,” which lends focus to the behind-the-scenes aspects of a business, or a side that the public may not always see.
Each year the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce brings together over 100 businesses for this exciting event. An opportunity for businesses to showcase their products, services and technologies, as well as make new business contacts, the Tioga Chamber Business Show is considered the region’s premier trade show.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for businesses to network,” stated Gwen Kania, Tioga County Chamber of Commerce president and CEO.
A ribbon cutting will take place at 10 a.m. where elected officials and community leaders’ will participate in showing their support for local businesses.
Kania shared, “Our biggest concern is how we can help sustain our local economy. One way to support our local businesses is to remind everyone to ‘Think Tioga First.’ Each local transaction helps to employ your neighbor, adds to the tax base and develops a relationship that helps community synergy and trust.”
A vendor / member networking time is scheduled from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Event guest speaker, Tracy Higginbotham, founder and president of Women Together Inspiring Entrepreneurial Success (TIES), will be presenting the “Top 5 Business Networking and Sales Tips from a twenty year Entrepreneur.”
Higginbotham, a graduate of SUNY-Oswego where she earned a B.S. in Business Administration with post graduate studies in Business Management, is a columnist for the “Syracuse Post Standard”, “Today’s CNY Woman” magazine, among others, and is a Board Member of the School of Business at SUNY-Oswego and the Upstate Women’s Business Center in Utica, N.Y. Higginbotham received the Women Business Champion award in 2011, among other notable recognitions.
The Chamber Show is open to the public, and tickets are $2 each. The public is welcome to attend and see first-hand what each business has to offer, therefore gaining a better understanding and appreciation for the unique attributes of each business. Various demonstrations and sample foods from local providers will be available.
Kania added, “We encourage you to ask questions about local businesses. The service you get locally adds a personal touch which will make up any price difference elsewhere.”
The deadline for businesses to register is Tuesday, Oct. 6. Interested businesses should contact the Chamber for a registration form to secure a booth at the event. The show is expected to sell out. For information, contact the Chamber at (607) 687-2020 or email to info@tiogachamber.com.
