by David Chapman
Staff Writer
With the exception of numerous representatives putting the finishing touches on their booths, it was quiet leading up to the trade show portion of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business & Career expo.
Then the doors opened.
Hundreds of attendees filed through and began shaking the hands, saying their hellos and gathering information from representatives at the more than 150 booths set up during Wednesday’s event, one of the many positive outcomes of the all-day event at the Osborn Center.
“It is an amazing event for us and everyone involved,” said Cheryl Munn, Chamber director of marketing and communications. “It’s about trying to get all of the exhibitors business and putting job seekers in contact with some companies that are hiring.”
The job fair aspect of the event was fairly new this year, said Munn, but a welcome enhancement. Additionally, some of the participants offered volunteer opportunities and internships.
One of the companies that attended and had positions it was looking to fill was The Suddath Companies, who had three representatives there to tell people about job opportunities and the company itself.
“We’ve participated in the event before, and it is great exposure,” said Mark Chessler, president and general manager of Suddath Relocation Systems. “We have a lot of different opportunities we wanted to present and the expo helps us get our message out in front of a lot of people.”
Caroline Yeo-Monix was one of more than 1,500 people who attended the expo, and like the business representatives, she was there to get her name and face in front of people.
“I’m actually in transition and looking for employment,” said Yeo-Monix. “It is a good opportunity to see all of these businesses and find an opportunity.”
For some business owners, it was a first major splash.
“We’ve been open for a couple weeks and the business is new to Jacksonville,” said Mike Gillespie, who heads the local affiliate of Nerds On Site. “This is our first big event and it’s a great way to get the word out.”
The expo was just one part of the all-day Chamber event, which included several forums, an educational lunch and a networking function.
For more information about the Chamber, go to www.myjaxchamber.com.
356-2466