Networking set to commence for East Meets West Regional Business Expo

For the ninth year, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce are meeting midway between their bases for the East Meets West Regional Business Expo.

As it has the past four years, the expo – scheduled for 4:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday – will be held at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.

“We get to meet other business out east that we wouldn’t necessarily otherwise meet,” said Gail Loefgren, president of the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce. “They represent the East County businesses really well.”

Aware of the dynamic growth of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Loefgren reached out in 2008 to Robin Parsons, then executive director of the alliance, and suggested the two organizations partner on an expo. Parsons quickly accepted the proposal and the rest is history.

“It’s really like planting seeds when you are marketing your business,” said Heather Kasten, who has been executive director of the alliance since 2014. “Relationships don’t just happen. They take grooming.”

Hurricane Irma forced this year’s expo to be rescheduled – it originally was planned for Sept. 19.

For the price of a $5 advance ticket or $10 at the door, the public can visit nearly 100 tables and learn about local businesses and services, and sample food from local restaurants. Goodie bags will be available for the first 250 through the door.

In addition, attendees can have their expo passports stamped by sponsors to be entered into a drawing for two tickets from Southwest Airlines to anywhere in the United States .

“We have sold out all of our tables the last three years. We are at maximum capacity,” Kasten said.

Last year, more than 750 visited the expo.

For more information about the expo, visit eastmeetswestexpo.com.

This story was originally published November 27, 2017 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Networking set to commence for East Meets West Regional Business Expo."