Chamber Showcase features marketing expert

Self-marketing guru Jeff Beals will be the keynote speaker at the annual Columbia Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase on March 15 at the Holiday Inn Executive Center.
Beals, author of Self Marketing Power: Branding Yourself as a Business of One, will speak about personal marketing at the luncheon. During the meal, the Women’s Network also will announce the ATHENA and ATHENA Young Professional finalists.
“The speaker really offers something for everybody,” said Heather Hargrove, the Business Showcase co-organizer and general manager of the Holiday Inn Executive Center.

In his book, Beals discusses such topics as establishing name recognition, goal-based networking, harnessing the media, getting the upper hand when changing jobs and becoming a sought-after expert. His presentation at the luncheon should cover similar ground, Hargrove said.
“We liked his topic,” she said. “We were looking for somebody who could appeal to the masses; we could tell his topic did that because it is about promoting yourself.”
Hargrove said she expected 250 to 300 people to attend the luncheon and hundreds more to attend the entire showcase, which will be presented by William Woods University.
The event will begin with a Quarterly Membership Breakfast presented by Zimmer Radio Group. The schedule also includes a blood drive from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m. and a mixer from 3:30 to 5 p.m., at which the Columbia Business Times will announce its 20 Under 40 awards.
According to Victoria Brees, director of program development for the Chamber, new exhibitors this year include companies such as Servicemaster, Collegiate Awards, Agrium, Horsin’ Around, KimberMedia and others.

There also will be some organizational changes, she said. This year the trade show will close during the luncheon and at 3:30 p.m. for the mixer, which will allow more people to attend. The mixer will be held in the Windsor Ballroom this year instead of the exhibition hall.
In addition, the showcase will include a giveaway program, sponsored by KMOS-TV, instead of the raffle held previously. Event organizers will assign numbers for exhibitor giveaways that correspond with numbers on wristbands provided to attendees at the door. If the number at the booth matches the wristband number, that person wins the prize.
Other showcase sponsors include Columbia College, Visionworks Marketing and Communications, the Columbia Business Times, Mediacom, KFRU radio, Delta Systems and Advanced Vision.
“This is the premier day for the Chamber of Commerce,” Hargrove said. “It’s an opportunity to come out and spend a day getting to know your fellow Chamber members, getting to know about their business and sharing about your business as well.”