4 / thebillericagreen.com / August 2011
The Marketplace
Business Expo Brings Marketing to Life
By Danielle Bergeron President, Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce
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On Sept. 22, the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce will host our 16th Annual Business Expo. This is the perfect opportunity for businesses to take their marketing efforts and bring them to life for over 1,000 people that are in attendance. Over 80 booths and businesses are represented at the Expo every year and it’s always exciting to see what exhibitors do to make their booth stand out. Some simple ways to attract consumers to your booth include offering product demonstrations, giveaways, raffles and something to tantalize their taste buds. A raffle is an effective way to capture email addresses for future promotions, along with giving out coupons and discounts for attendees to redeem at a later date. Another great reason to showcase your business at the Expo is the opportunity to stop by 980 WCAP’s live Expo broadcast. And for those of you who aren’t camera shy, Lowell Telecommunications will be capturing the event to replay on cable access television throughout Greater Lowell for several months following the Expo. Drawing people to your booth doesn’t have to start at the Expo. Invite people in advance to visit you and the other exhibitors. Create a marketing piece that can be posted on Facebook and Twitter and shared via email. Also, target specific people and personally call to invite them to stop by. If every exhibitor asked 5 people to come we’d have almost 500 more people at the Expo. The Greater Lowell Chamber expands our outreach efforts every year to ensure that the Expo continues to grow and benefit our members. In addition to print media, we also use radio, television and social media to get the word out and invite the public to attend. We’ve also begun to target neighborhood groups and other untapped groups and organizations to strength our relationships and enhance B2C opportunities for our members. We cordially invite you to come and see what the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce’s 16th Annual Business Expo is all about. Everyone is welcome to come to this free event to stroll from booth to booth to sample delicious local bites, talk to local businesses and maybe even pick up a pen or a reusable bag along the way. If we make a conscious effort to shop, eat and conduct business locally we’ll collectively reap the benefits!
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• Consider such things as soil and light conditions when planning and designing. • Mix compost or peat moss into the soil to improve it before planting. • Limit the amount of lawn area devoted to grass. • Choose from the many types of lowwater-using trees, shrubs and flowers. • Install drip and trickle irrigation systems for areas needing water. • Effectively use mulch like pine needles, shredded bark or leaves in a three inch deep layer. • Regularly maintain your landscape with properly timed pruning, fertilizing and pest control.