The Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce hosted the 10th Annual Business Expo and Luncheon at Dynasty Banquets in Hammond, IN. This expo brings together businesses from all over Northwest Indiana for a day of networking and exposure.
The event began with a luncheon where a panel of experts highlighted the prominence of business leaders in Northwest Indiana. The speakers included: Kathleen O'Leary - President, NIPSCO; Carla Morgan - Attorney, City of East Chicago; Dr. Mary Talik, M.D. - Internal Medicine; Barbara Greene - President, Franciscan Healthcare Munster; Denise Dillard - Chief Consultant Government and External Affairs, Methodist Hospitals.
"Each year we feature a panel to kick off the luncheon. This time it was about prominent women in Northwest Indiana," Dave Ryan, Executive Director for the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce said. "They were all unbelievable. They each told their stories and it was very interesting...Each Expo gets bigger each year. We have a great crowd here and there are several businesses who wouldn't get this type of exposure anywhere else."
After the luncheon concluded, everyone congregated in a large banquet hall. Here vendors set up booths where they showcased their products to the community and other attending businesses. The public was allowed to attend, their admission fee being a nonperishable item that was donated to Haven House. Music provided by a DJ filled the room as everyone chatted and perused the booths.
Some of the booths were quite festive. There was a decoration contest so Halloween and fall themed booths could be seen in the long lines of vendors that filled the room.
Pauline Katsouros of NIPSCO said, "We were invited to have a booth here and we're giving tips and information to customers about our energy saving program. We're having a great time."
"We've been coming here for the last 10 years," Kevin Kosek, Vice President of Marketing for REGIONAL Federal Credit Union said. "REGIONAL wants to show our support to the Chamber and get some more exposure to the communities here in Hammond and East Chicago."
An After Hours segment, complete with hors d' voeuvres, took place later in the afternoon with a live remote from WJOB. The Expo was a fantastic success; a great way to celebrate a 10th anniversary.