by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Last year’s Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Expo at the AT&T tower drew a good crowd, a diverse group of large and small businesses that reflected the Jacksonville demographic.
This year’s event was moved to the Osborn Center and with several other events planned around the expo, it drew the biggest crowd ever.
“We had over 1,500 preregister. That’s a record for the business expo,” said Chamber Director of Marketing and Communications Jennifer MacPhee. “We expect over 2,000 to attend and we have nearly 250 vendors.”
Like many of the businesses on hand, the expo serves as a way for the Chamber to demonstrate what it has to offer. From the 8:15 a.m. board meeting complete with a visit from Mayor John Peyton to the Chamber Councils lunch, the expo offers something for every business from real estate to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“There are multi(ple) levels of benefits for us,” said MacPhee. “We are showcasing our programming and services, our trustees and our Business After Hours program. It’s a great opportunity to network.”
While the expo is open to the general public, MacPhee said a majority of the attendees are some of the Chamber’s 4,500 members. Because so many new elements were introduced, planning began late last year.
One of the activities not open to the public was the Chamber’s monthly board meeting. Consisting of 38 members that represent a diverse business ownership, the policy-making board is much smaller than the Chamber’s 100-member advisory board that meets quarterly.
Members are selected by a committee after an informal recommendation.
“There is no formal application process,” said MacPhee, explaining there are several committees chaired by representatives who chair various Chamber councils such as the Beaches Division and the Small Business Council, among others.
Chamber Chair Ron Autrey presides over the meetings that include presentations from Chamber staffers and members. Those presentations may be on new projects or programs, services and even events.
At the recent meeting, MacPhee said Autrey talked about his recent trip to China — the final leg of the Chamber’s three-part Leadership Trip. MacPhee said Autrey discussed how U.S. businesses can establish themselves in China. According to Autrey, many of the middle-sized cities in China are more receptive to American-based commerce than the larger cities of Beijing and Shanghai.
“Everything in China is very political and it varies from town to town,” she said.
In other news from the expo, MacPhee said the Chamber will combine its annual Economic Development Roundtable — which includes all of the counties that belong to Chamber — and the Jacksonville Experience. The day-long event is May 29 at the St. Johns County Convention Center at the World Golf Village.