2019 BACC Business Expo Details Announced
April 15, 2019 (Batesville, AR)—The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) will hold its annual Business Expo presented by FNBC on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. The event will be held in the gymnasium at the Batesville Community Center.
The theme for the 2019 Business Expo is “Famous Sitcoms Edition.” Vendors are encouraged to decorate their booths to reflect their favorite TV Sitcom! An award will be given for the most festive booth.
The Business to Business Trade Show, which is open to Chamber Members only, will take place from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. A Taste of the Chamber featuring local cuisine provided by Chamber Members and will be held from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Business Expo will be open to the public from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Chamber encourages any business or representative interested in being a vendor at the Expo to register early as the event has sold out in previous years. Businesses or individuals interested in booth space or a vendor packet can contact the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce at (870) 793-2378 or at membership@batesvilleareachamber.com. Expo contracts must be submitted to the BACC by Friday, May 17, 2019.
FNBC to host Business Expo Luncheon
FNBC will host a Business Expo Luncheon June 4th at noon at the Community Center in Conference Room C & D. FNBC will present opportunities to help small businesses grow through the SBA Guarantee Program. The program was designed to expand access to capital for small businesses. The luncheon is free to attendees. Please RSVP to Shelly Hendrix at (870) 793-2378 or membership@batesvilleareachamber.com.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.