MetroWest Expo Cancelled | Chamber opts for 'Taste of' Event
Attendees of last year's 495/MetroWest Business Expo. The event will not be held this year.
The MetroWest Chamber of Commerce will not be hosting its annual business-to-business expo this spring. Instead, the chamber is planning a new event called the "Taste of MetroWest," which will be launched this fall.
The decision to can the 495/MetroWest Business Expo, typically held each May at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, was due to declines in attendance and general interest during recent years, according to Bonnie Biocchi, the new president and CEO of the chamber. Biocchi took over from the previous CEO Ted Welte, who retired in February.
"I've run a number of ‘tastes of' events at other organizations and they always have been highly successful," Biocchi said. "I think it's a great way of connecting the community to the businesses, and we have so many wonderful restaurants and cultural organizations, it will be great to show them off."
Local Impact
The MetroWest Chamber usually co-produced the expo with several other local chambers, including the Marlborough Regional, Corridor Nine, Middlesex West and Milford Area chambers. The partner chambers usually got a share of revenues based on the number of their members who attended and were involved at varying degrees in producing the event. So, the fact that the expo is called off has left a hole on local calendars. However, several chambers have already moved forward with their own expos, or are planning to do so in the future. For example, the Marlborough Regional Chamber will again host its own business-to-business showcase/trade show on Sept. 16 at the Marlborough Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel.
The Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce recently held its business expo at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough and Karen Chapman, vice president of the chamber, said the event saw a record crowd of 1,200 visitors.
"Everyone's time is very limited these days between their business and family commitments. We believe the secret of success for our show is that it only runs for four hours and we're able to jam pack the room with visitors during that time," Chapman said.
New Ventures
The goal of the Taste of MetroWest event, according to Biocchi, is to highlight the many cultural organizations in the region and give local restaurants, caterers and spirit stores an opportunity to interact with the business community.
Attendees would pay a flat rate and receive food and beverage samples and information about the participating groups.
She hopes a new event with a new theme will re-energize the organization and draw interest.
No final dates or locations for the event have been established, but she hopes to host the event in October.
Katherine French, executive director of the Danforth Museum in Framingham, said she's thrilled by the Taste of MetroWest event. She said the organization already has a handful of corporate sponsors from the community, but she and other cultural organizations are always looking to increase their ties with the business community.
"All of us in this industry recognize the importance of the business community," French said. "We all consider ourselves small businesses, so we understand what it's like to face business challenges. Any way we can collaborate and come together is great."
Francis Colantonio, chairman of the chamber's board of directors, said the expo event had "run its natural course," so he too is excited to see a new event. He also said he expects the Taste of MetroWest event to be open to the general public, giving businesses an opportunity to network with not only other businesses, but with people in the community as well.
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