CHAMBER BUSINESS EXPO BACK!
The Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to bring back the Business Expo this year on Saturday, October 8, from 9am to 2pm at the A.L. Hutson Memorial Center in Highland. The number of booths are limited so reservations for booths need to be made immediately. Also, priority does go to SRACC members.
The Business Expo has served as the kickoff to the Shop Local Campaign to promote local businesses. SRACC members are able to set up for the day to promote their their business and services to the community at no cost and non-member businesses may sign up for $25 per space, approximately 10’x10’ or more if required. Electricity is limited and available on a first come first served basis and vendors should bring a long extension cord. WiFi will be available.
Food trucks are invited to purchase a space outside during the event at $40. They must be totally selfcontained as no electricity or water is available outside.
Vendors are encouraged to sell products, give away samples offer a drawing for prizes. To encourage attendees to visit all booths the SRACC offers a $250 prize drawing. They do not have to be present to win. Vendors who choose not to man their booth and just have information will not be included in the drawing line up but may still offer prize drawings themselves..
Set up for the Business Expo inside will be Friday, October 7, from 4pm to 6pm, or Saturday, October 8 from 7am-9am. Food trucks may set up only on Saturday between 7am-10am. Breakfast food and coffee would be welcome in the morning.
There will be a contest on the best decorated booths with first and second place receiving a $50 check from any of the participating vendors. There is no particular theme, so they can decorate however they wish.
Applications can be picked up or dropped off at the Chamber office located at 119 E. Main St., Hardy (inside of Ruby’s on Main Antique Store next to the Thompson Memorial Park and public restrooms), Tuesday thru Thursday from 9am to 2pm, or Friday thru Sunday from 10am to 4pm. They are also available to be emailed (info@sracc.org) or downloaded off the website: https://sracc.org/2022-business-expo/. Applications can be mailed to: SRACC, PO Box 1015, Hardy, AR 72542. For more information call 870-856-3210.
With SRACC memberships starting as low as $50 (based on number of employees) this is a great time to join the chamber and receive promotion benefits all year long, such as listed on website, annual guide, blue ribbon welcomes, and free Business Expo booth space. Contact us if you would like to join or go to website at www.sracc.org and download the Membership Application or apply online with PayPal. Credit cards are excepted over the phone.
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.