Legos, Cars, Prizes connect people to local business at May 8 Expo

(LIVONIA; April 14, 2014) — Several cars will be on display, youngsters can play with Legos, a media and political panel will offer insights on regional trends, and some 100 vendors promoting business and consumer goods and services will gather throughout Laurel Park Place Mall during the Livonia Business Expo on Thursday, May 8.

The 28^th annual Livonia Chamber of Commerce event is presented by Bill Brown Ford, Madonna University, Farmers Insurance and AlphaUSA. It is the third year for the Expo at the Mall. The daylong celebration of the Livonia business community features a full schedule of helpful speakers, business displays, prize giveaways, and fun evening social event capped off by a silent auction.

“This is our biggest annual event that supports business-to-business and consumer-to-business activity,” said Chamber President Dan West. “We will have a little something for everyone: Games for kids, chances to win prizes, lots of helpful information, and an easy connection to some 100 business from our community.”

The Expo begins with the Business Breakfast Roundtable, sponsored by Schoolcraft College, Davenport University, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan which features a panel of news columnists and political leaders at 7:30 a.m. Michigan State Senators Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton) and Glenn Anderson (D-Westland), Detroit Free Press Business Columnist Tom Walsh, and Crain’s Detroit Business Capitol Reporter Chris Gautz are scheduled to discuss state and local business trends and answer audience questions.

The 90-minute program will be held at the Marriott Hotel banquet room, attached to the Mall. Admission is $15 per person.

Exhibitors promoting local businesses and organizations will be on display throughout the concourse of the Mall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

A unique business networking opportunity is available to chamber members at 2 p.m. Networking Frenzy, sponsored by Laurel Park Place Mall, will give business people a quick and effective gathering to meet new people and discuss business issues in one hour. The cost is $5 per person and the program is limited to 52 people.

The day concludes with the “Tastefully Livonia” program, presented by Tennyson Chevrolet and Foresters Financial Partners, a business-casual networking event in the Marriott Hotel banquet room from 5:30-7:30 p.m, featuring food samples by Livonia’s leading restaurants. Admission is $20 per person, which includes two drink tickets. Several prizes will be offered in a silent auction to raise money for the Livonia Chamber Scholarship Fund.

Other sponsors of the Livonia Business Expo includes: Co-op Services Credit Union, Livonia Spree, Dave and Buster’s,  Consumers Energy, Edward Jones Investments: Robin Whitfield, Financial Advisor, Freedom Hill Ampitheater,  and The Livonia Observer. 

Laurel Park Place Mall’s General Manager Todd Huhn said the event is consistent with the property’s goal “to spread the word about the many unique businesses in our area.”

There are a few exhibit spaces remaining for the Livonia Business Expo. For more information on exhibit space or to purchase admissions to the Business Breakfast Roundtable or Tastefully Livonia, contact the Livonia Chamber of Commerce at 734.427.2122, or follow the chatter on Twitter at #livbizexpo.