The first B2B Expo was held in Prince George this weekend.
Prince George Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Neil Godbout said the event was a good opportunity for businesses to get to know what other businesses do.
He noted that on Friday, one of the key events was a business ‘speed dating’ event.
“It was networking, we had a long table, everybody got three minutes in front of someone, and then move to the left,” Godbout explained.
“We had a lot of people who were getting in front of business owners, entrepreneurs, who they had never met before and ‘what do you do?’ and it’s that exchanging of stories and why you got into and realizing that your business, I know nothing about that sector, but I connect with you, because you have the same entrepreneurial spirit I do.”
This was done in partnership with Community Futures and the City of Prince George.
“All three of our organizations have been hearing from the fact that it’s great to bring in speakers from outside of the community who can share a provincial or national outlook, but what local business owners and operators really like is the opportunity to be able to talk to each other,” Godbout explained.
“Giving that opportunity where they can get away from their day-to-day, step away from it for just a short period of time to meet people like them, they value it so much.”
Godbout added many vendors and attendees were asking when the next expo will be.
“They realize that no business and business owner are successful by themselves, it literally takes a team and a community,” he said.
Godbout said he hopes the Expo will become a yearly event.
“We’ll look at it afterwards, and in terms of if we’re bringing back, what are we going to change, what are we going to do different, what can we learn, just like any other business partnership,”
“From everything I’ve heard both from Chamber members and non-Chamber members, that were here is they’ve really enjoyed this experience, not just from a chance to socialize, they got good value out of it as business owners and operators.”
–With files from Zachary Barrowcliff, My Prince George Now
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