VT Business Expo Booths

Rachel Carter PR apprentice, Emily Bellmore, and myself headed off to the Vermont Business Expo a few weeks ago held at the Sheraton Burlington.

The Sheraton really does hold the prize (in my opinion) for the best conference space in Vermont. I have never attended an event there that wasn't polished and must give kudos to the Sheraton for another job well done. Of course, I would also have to give kudos to Delaney Meetings & Events, which I think most folks would agree, offer a second-to-none industry standard for event planning in Vermont. And a major hats off to Antonia Opitz of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce who is responsible for the entire overall event. Great work!

Emily and I planned for a full day at the Expo for two reasons: The first is I wanted to give Emily a good amount of time to meet friends and colleagues of mine and really actively engage in an apprenticeship. The other is I wanted to have the chance to see what other businesses are doing in Vermont! As a small business owner, I seldom get the opportunity to just check out other people's work and talk with them about what they are doing. It was refreshing and enjoyable. (Pictured here is Emily engaged in booth games)

Most fun was checking out the booths - let's see if my thoughts match up with any of the winners:

One fun stop was chatting with my friends at Shadow Productions. Not sure if they were trying for a booth award, but their friendliness and general way they do business is award worthy in itself!


Always good to chat with my friends at City Market and wherever they go, they present themselves right on target with their brand - good work!


When I played the Wheel-of-Fortune, I won a ham from McKenzie Country Classics. Unfortunately I did not actually redeem my prize because I had no place to keep it cold, but was most appreciative - perhaps they can partner with a local cooler provider?


Tilley's Cafe certainly rocked both the games and the costumes - they are so good at presenting themselves. Oh, and they have valet parking in downtown Burlington - talk about solving problems and having amazing customer service!



And then there was my personal favorite booth - Safeguard of Vermont (and New Hampshire). These folks had costumes! And not partial - full on! They even had a rocking horse to go along with their western theme. Oh, and what do they do? Promotional products! I think they have won my business for creating Vermont Vibes car decals!


Interested in knowing who actually won awards? Check out the VT Expo Best Booth Awards!!!