Business Expo Returns to the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford

From a breakfast featuring a live broadcast of WNPR’s “Where We
Live” to industry-specific sessions and a show floor with roughly 100 vendors, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Business Expo will return to Wallingford’s Oakdale Theater this Thursday, Nov. 15. 

“The focus is business to business,” said the Chamber’s Rachele Ceccorulli of the daylong event. “We’re different from other shows where individuals  seek employment. Our show is business doing business with other businesses.”

Ceccorulli, who serves as the Chamber’s director of events and special programs, said that, although the Expo draws attendees from around the state, the Oakdale Theater in Wallingord “is what we have found to be the best location. There’s really nothing else closer to New Haven that could offer us enough space.”

The event has taken place in Wallingford for five years.

"There’s been a better turnout and a more enthusiastic crowd," said the Tony Rescigno, the Chamber's president, of this year's event. "What we're experiencing is an uptick. We're going to have a huge crowd Thursday, and we're delighted about that."

During the weak economy these past several years, Rescigno said that the sales at booths and getting people to respond was tougher. "In the end, we made it happen," he said. "I think this year was a touch easier."

The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce expects roughly 2,000 attendees, Ceccorulli said.

“It’s a good show,” said Dan Biagioni, owner of the Spice Catering Group, which is based in Durham. The three-year-old business, which features planning, food preparation and custom table design, is participating in “Taste of the Chamber” over the Expo’s lunch hour. In “Taste of the Chamber,” 15 to 20 restaurants and/or caterers set up in a separate room and offer visitors samples of their cuisine.

“It’s a good way to get our name out in the community. We work very closely with the Chamber,” said Biagioni, who plans to serve an Asian noodle salad at the event. He said that Spice Catering will go anywhere in the state to serve its clientele. “We definitely did,” he said, when asked if his group received business after participating in its first Expo two years ago.

Another feature that marks the event is the size of the exhibiting businesses, which range from large to small. So, the behemoth communications company Comcast will have a booth, as will small businessman Kevin Flegler, who owns Rita’s, which sells Italian ice from its West Haven location.  

“We are going to the Expo to introduce ourselves to other businesses. We do catering,” Flegler said. “We’d like to increase the catering side of our business.  A lot of those large companies sponsor festivals and events. We participate in quite a few festivals and events.  Our goal is to establish a relationship with some of those larger companies and become an official vendor for that event.”

Not to be overlooked are the sessions and speakers at the events. Among the latter is Guilford resident Tracy Knofla, who co-owns the training group High Impact Training. A former counselor in Indiana, Knofla now travels the country giving her own blend of inspirational advice. At the Expo, she is the speaker at the Leadership Reception, where she will address the topic, “Thriving in Chaos.”

The keynote speaker is Tony Rubleski of the Michigan-based Mind Capture Group, which according to its website, aims to help businessmen “capture profits and minds.”

Kicking off the event for the second year is a live broadcast by John Dankowsky of the popular “Where We Live” program on WNPR. The session, which includes breakfast and requires pre-registration, will focus on “Small Business and Healthcare.”

With plans carefully laid, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce just hopes the weather will cooperate. Ceccorulli noted that, at one time, the Chamber held the Expo in January. The Chamber pushed the event back to November to avoid inclement weather, such as snow.

“But now look what happened the other day,” the events’ director said.  

All events at the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Business Expo are free except  “Taste of the Chamber,” which costs $10. The schedule for the daylong event is available at gnhccexpo.com, where persons wishing to attend can register online.  Registration can also take place Thursday on site.