CNY Business Journal (1996+): Business showcase surpasses sign-up goal

UTICA - The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase is reeling them in. With more than a month left until the Sept. 23 trade show in Utica, organizers says they've surpassed last year's total of 113 businesses signing up to exhibit their wares at the event.

The exhibitors range from banks and colleges to travel- and tourism-related companies and organizations. The latter group includes Turning Stone Casino Resort, Radisson Hotel Utica Centre, and the Oneida County Convention &Visitors Bureau.

The Mohawk Valley Chamber is also hoping to top last year's attendance of about 3,500. Public admission to the event is free.

The Chamber is mounting an estimated $20,000 advertising campaign for television, radio, and newspaper ads, according to Deborah Kessler, president of Kessler Enterprises, a Poland-based public relations and marketing firm that has been hired to promote and run the Chamber Business Showcase, in partnership with Louis Raya, owner of Yorkville-based EJR Productions. The ad costs don't include barter trades that the Chamber has initiated in exchange for ads.

The primary advertising slogan is: "The best of Central New York businesses all under one roof."

This is the second year, that the Chamber show will be at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, which offers organizers and exhibitors more than 25,000 square feet of space with which to work, says Kessler. Two years ago, the show had been held at the Mohawk Valley Convention Center.

The increased size of the show and its venue has also helped organizers to draw Syracuse-area businesses to exhibit. So far more than a dozen Salt City firms have signed up, which is more than the number that exhibited last year, says Kessler.

The show has also attracted some Albany-area businesses.

Kessler says she doesn't expect area hotels and restaurants to get much if any boost from the presence of the outof-towners for the one-day show, as most will simply drive in and out.

"I wouldn't say that we get a lot that stay at hotels," she says.

However, Kessler adds that the show will be a good opportunity for Mohawk Valley tourism and hospitality businesses to market to Syracuse and Albany businesses for future events and trips.