GREENVILLE — Traditional corporate exhibits leave a lot to be desired when it comes to promoting local merchants, said Janice Schwanbeck, director of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce.
"You get a conference room and you put some salespeople in it," Schwanbeck said. “These kinds of events are diminishing in the kind of attendance they get.”
Many factors can influence turnout, Schwanbeck said, including the simple fact that some local businesses don't have the manpower to send a rep to hang out and man a table for the day.
"A lot of times our small businesses can't come up with something like this," she said. “So the question becomes: how do we inform our residents about the companies that are available? Or the churches?”
“We've had several meetings on how to revive or refresh the idea of a corporate expo,” said Schwanbeck. The answer they came up with was Meet Me on Main Street, an open-air exhibition that will take place on September 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Greenville Chamber website considers the event "an opportunity for artisans to sell their crafts, businesses to network and publicize products and services, and for charities and nonprofits to support their fundraising efforts."
“Most of our merchants will be open, so hopefully this will boost trading in their stores,” said Schwanbeck. "We're going to have about 40 different places for people to visit — we've invited anyone who makes or sells a product or service."
In addition to businesses and storefronts in downtown Greenville, representatives of Wheatland-based trucking, distribution, warehousing and rail service company Yourga Trucking Inc. be present to discuss vacancies.
New Beginnings Church will sell items from a recent mission to India. Volunteers from the Church of the Good Shepherd in West Middlesex will conduct a food campaign. and First Baptist will sell popcorn, snow cones, hot dogs and chips.
According to Schwanbeck, state representatives will also set up booths, along with the Walmart Vision Center, Second Time Around Gardens, UPMC and Sharon Regional Medical Center.
The event also includes a bingo game. Visitors must have a card struck by a number of companies present to enter.
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