Huge Crowds, Large No. Of Vendors Combine To Make EXPO Big Success
Never let it be said that a little rain keeps area folks away from an event that interests them.
Tuesday, Oct. 14, was a rainy, dreary day in Vance County, but a record number of people visited the Civic Center at Vance-Granville Community College to attend EXPO 2003, the annual trade show co-sponsored by the college’s Small Business Center and the chambers of commerce of Vance, Granville and Franklin counties.
“We didn’t get an exact count, but we estimate well over 1,000 people, and probably up to 1,200, came out to see the products and services of the businesses and agencies who exhibited at this year’s EXPO,” said Diane Finch, director of the VGCC Small Business Center.
Finch credits several factors for the big crowds. “There were 78 vendors this year, the largest number in several years, and we were open longer, from 1 to 7 p.m.,” she said. “A major reason for the increased interest, I think, was that Franklin County rejoined us this year after several years’ absence.” There were numerous businesses from Franklin County who set up exhibits, and quite a few residents of that county were among the record crowds.
“The business folks in Franklin County were pleased to be affiliated with EXPO again, and I’ve talked to several vendors who were tickled with the crowds and the response of people who visited their booths,” said Mattie Kemp, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
A new exhibitor at EXPO this year was the recently-formed Warren County Chamber of Commerce. Officials manning their booth said they believe their organization will join their sister counties’ chambers as a sponsor of future EXPOs.
In addition to seeing products and learning of services offered by the vendors, attendees of EXPO 2003 had the opportunity to win dozens of door prizes offered by the exhibitors. The grand prize winner of $1,000 cash was Julia Langston of Henderson, who works at Henderson Family YMCA. Her name was pulled from a huge basket of entries as the grand finale of a highly successful EXPO 2003.
In the first photo, Sharon Long takes time out to welcome Scooby Doo to her Sterling Park Apartments booth at EXPO 2003 in the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center Oct. 14. Scooby Doo was one of several “live” cartoon characters who visited EXPO under the auspices of Lighthouse Entertainment-Marketplace Cinema, and the character was one of approximately 1,200 visitors to the annual trade show.
