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Putnam Valley Business Association Personalizes Regional Business Expo
Another sellout crowd of vendors and consumers anticipated
by Edward Paul Greiff
 | | The Three women pictured above; Maureen McLaughlin, Stephanie Ranalli, and Marie Zarcone, and the rest of their Putnam Valley Business Association Expo team; Ed Wallach, and Zachary Cosentino are creating economic history in PV and Putnam County. |
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On Thursday, October 18, 2007 the Putnam Valley Business Association will be hosting their 2nd Annual Regional Business Expo at Putnam's National Golf Club. Maureen McLaughlin, Regional Business Expo Coordinator, said "The purpose of the PVBA is to foster and present to the public local businesses, the finest we have to offer within this geographic area. It's to help promote and focus businesses in a nutshell, to make the citizens aware of the fine products and services available within the area."
PCN&R asked "And how do you do that?"
"In a number of ways," replied McLaughlin, "through networking and things like the business expo, talking about it through different avenues of communication and avenues of publicity creating an awareness to support local business. We did the expo last year and we sold out all 60 booths." This year they are offering 80 booths.
What's their secret? They personalize and humanize their approach to business. They call each vendor, make them feel special, give them a dose of charm and enthusiasm and sell them on the merits of participating.
"We are calling it regional because we actually have people from Northern Westchester and Yorktown as well as other counties who have signed up and want to come to our Expo. The Cold Spring Area Chamber is coming, as are businesses from Southern Dutchess County like Mercedes from Poughkeepsie," says Ms. McLaughlin. Even Yonkers Raceway has expressed an interest in participating.
McLaughlin explained that the success formula that made last year's Expo successful appears to be the same thing that is making this year's event a success; "Fun, Food, and Festivities." "When Turco's agreed to do the cooking under the tent last year that was a real winner," says McLaughlin. "This year I've rented a 50-foot tent and Turco's is going to bring up their chef and feed people all day long. Taconic Wines is going to do a wine sampling and DeLima Coffee is going to do a coffee sampling. When you get those kinds of businesses together along with having complimentary seminars it creates Food, Fun and Festivities."
Continuing, Maureen says, "The Post Office came on board as a major sponsor and offered Ted Muniak. He became the instructor on how to sell things on e-Bay and that's a real winner, people love to be able to sell things and didn't really know how."
PCN&R stated "The Regional Business Expo is catering to the interests of the people in the communities that surround Putnam Valley."
"Exactly," said Maureen, "so it is a combination of educational as well as introducing people to the products and services available. Our goal was to get at least one of every business available in the area. We have a medical section, a food section, real estate, banking, and a mortgage section. We have a little of everything so there is something to appeal to everybody. This year we wanted to kick it up a notch so, in addition to the e-Bay seminar that Ted is going to do, we also have Priscilla Keresey, who is going to do a group hypnosis session. We have an acupuncturist and he is going to do a class for pain release. Isn't that exciting? It's the kind of things people are curious about and maybe never have experienced."
"I've rented the whole building and we have break out rooms where things are going on all the time," says Maureen. Superior Phone will demonstrate high tech phone technology systems, David Lerner doing investments and how to maximize your investments, then on top of it I have Mike Bennet on the stage giving out free raffles. We have about a hundred raffles to give away, along with free admission and free food. Then to boot, some lucky winner, and I am praying that it is someone from Putnam Valley, is going to win a one-week all-expense paid trip for two, including airfare to Chenay Bay Beach Resort in St. Croix."
Maureen McLaughlin added another incentive for people to attend the Expo when she spoke about the New York State Comptrollers office coming to the Expo. Their staff is going to find unclaimed cash for people from Putnam County with your name and a click of their mouse. "You will be surprised," she said "I found money for a number of people in Putnam Valley and I am going to make them happy. Unclaimed money goes to the Comptrollers office and people don't know that it exists."
PCN&R asked "Does PVBA address the commercial development and future business dilemma in town; not enough people to support a business and not attracting people from outside the area? You need service type businesses but they need to be able to survive. Does PVBA address that at all?"
McLaughlin responded "I think that is part of the topic that's currently under discussion. I think it takes the support of not only the residents but the support of the administration. I think it starts with designing what you want the town to look like and what are the products and services desperately needed in town. I for one, and I am speaking for myself and not the PVBA, I for one would love to see something that reflects a town like Cold Spring. I happen to love the design of a small town with things like a bakery which we don't have in town - yes we have a bagel shop - but if you needed to order a professionally done birthday cake you have to leave Putnam Valley, you have to leave Putnam County. The tax dollars are going elsewhere. If I needed to buy a specific type of book you can't even do that. If I wanted to buy a magazine like Woman's Day magazine you can't buy that in Putnam Valley. I would love an ice cream parlor. Hopefully we are going to have that Coffee Shop we've been crying for, for years. A little Antique Shop with trinkets in it that we could purchase a little card shop and a book shop. I would love businesses like that."
PCN&R "Do you think the town will support it?"
"You know having been in retail for 25 years I would tell you that I think the "anchor" store theory is alive and well it doesn't have to be a "box" store. An anchor store is one store that becomes the destination that draws others in. As an example - Maria's Deli would be the anchor store and we were to put a bunch of small shops on Oregon Road, I know I would support it. I may not stop for one item but if I could buy my birthday cake, and a magazine and a deli item I would stop there - it's worth the trip. I think people today are time-pressed, they are gas conscious they are not looking to stop a hundred places. But if you could stop in one location and get all your items I think people would do that.
The date is for the Expo is October 18. The place is the Putnam County Golf Course located at 187 Hill Street, Mahopac Falls. The time is 1pm to 6pm. For information call 845 528-2605, and remember - its all "Free."
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