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Business & Tech

Johns Creek Chamber Hosts First Biz Expo

Event sells out with 62 participants.

Hundreds came to Gallery Events on State Bridge Road for the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce’s first annual Johns Creek Business Expo on Thursday.

“We have sold out,” said Chamber President John Bemont. “We have 62 businesses represented.”

The event was open all day, free to the public. It began at 11 a.m. and segued into the chamber’s Business After Hours that evening. Bemont expected 700 to 1,000 people to visit throughout the day.

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When asked the event’s purpose, Bemont said it was designed as an opportunity for businesses to show what they’re about to the Johns Creek community and give people a chance to network with one another. The majority of people will be there for business-to-business purposes but Bemont expected a fair number of people to come out of curiosity.

“The attendance has exceeded our expectations so far,” he said. “We’re very pleased to have been able to sell out our first event.”

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Gwinnett Medical Center Director of Marketing Dolores Ware represented the hospital, which is in Duluth near the Chattahoochee River border with Johns Creek.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet with the members of the business community and share information about our services,” she said.

Her table had information about the acute-care hospital, as well as outpatient and wellness services and the hospital’s outpatient orthopedic surgery center, which is located in Johns Creek. She said everyone at the event was welcoming and the community has such wonderful energy.

She added that October is breast cancer awareness month and recommended women get their annual mammograms.

Tom Clark, owner of Actorboy Video Productions, manned a table brimming with computers and video equipment. He came to the expo to build relationships with people who might not otherwise hear about his business.

“It’s not so much selling as it is educating people on creative, professional and affordable video,” he said.

He said every business needs video. In particular, he emphasized the high value Google places on video in websites and social media. His purpose is to help people figure out what kind of video will best promote their product or service. He described his reception at the expo as better than he thought it would be — the event had a steady flow of traffic.

Representing Minuteman Press was Lyman Louis, who came to support the chamber. His company’s most popular products this time of year are school directories and real estate brochures but the company also produces fliers, catalogues and office stationery. Louis said he’d been getting a good reception at the Expo, since he regularly attends the chamber’s Wednesday morning networking sessions at Perimeter Church and knows many people.

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