BACC Will Host Record Number of Vendors at Business Expo Famous Sitcoms Edition!
May 29, 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 and is free to the public.
“We are hosting a record number of vendors this year, 103 to be exact!” says Shelly Hendrix BACC’s Membership Director. “We have had so many new vendors register this year that we have to add booth space to accommodate this growing event.”
Free promotional items, food samples, and beverages will be distributed by vendors throughout the day. Visiting booths will also increase a visitor’s chances of winning door prizes and give-a-ways. 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 served 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 expo continues to be a community tradition and the best way for our businesses to showcase products and services offered,” says Hendrix. “The Chamber invests a lot of time coordinating this event for member promotion and satisfaction and we are just so fortunate to have one of the best attended tradeshows in the region.”
The expo is sponsored by FNBC, Peco Foods, White River Health System, Merchants & Planters Bank, City of Batesville, Intimidator, and Sonic.
About The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce:
The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading voice of business in Independence County, providing advocacy, promotion and resources for chamber members. The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce sets the standard for excellence in member service, community collaboration, business growth and achieving a high quality of life in the Batesville area.
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.