Ingite! Business Expo displays over 100 different Reno County industries

More than 100 booths representing Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce member businesses lined the Sunflower buildings on Friday for the first Ignite! Business Expo. Previously, before the chamber's Annual Meeting, they had a smaller two-hour chamber sponsor exhibition but decided chamber members would benefit from a full-day display.

"This year, we wanted to give our members a bigger way to showcase themselves, particularly in a year that has been harder to get out and connect," said President/CEO of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce Debra Teufel.

Ignite! Business Expo displays and presentations

The exhibition featured four presentations by chamber members, including two from Nex-Tech Wireless, Express Employment Professionals and Eagle Communications, covering new business applications, cybersecurity essentials, building employee retention strategies and marketing principles.

Brian Meder of Nex-Tech Wireless spoke about the importance of utilizing cybersecurity within a small or medium-sized business. He informed attendees about the different ways hackers could breach secure information and combat attacks.

"It's a plan, a proactive one; it's not just keeping track of your password or computer applications, it's got to be all of it. Small and medium businesses are the number one target now," Meder said.

Each booth at the Ignite! Business Expo represented all facets of industry in Reno County, from boutiques to banking; just about every type of enterprise was on display.

The Reno County Health Department, a long-time member of the chamber, set up a booth to network with other companies regarding insurance and ways to connect with current and potential employees in the area.

Substance misuse health educator Seth Dewey examined the opportunity Ignite! Business Expo presented for partnership between the health department and the small businesses in Hutchinson.

"Collaboration is key — whether we're in public health, public safety or business, economic development, we all face adaptive challenges. Those are things that we don't even always know their cause, let alone the solution. And the best way for us to find the answers is to collaborate. So if we can do that, it's going to trickle down to the community," Dewey said.

The exhibition also presented opportunities for growth for new or growing businesses in Hutchinson. For example, after moving to a new storefront on Main Street downtown this summer, Splinters-N-Rust Do It Yourself Workshop experienced growth in its customer base.

Splinters-N-Rust artist and owner Janice Richardson exhibited her company at Ignite! to grow her networks within the business community.

"It all kind of interconnects, and the chamber is a great way for you to showcase your business," Richardson said.

Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram acted as the presenting sponsor for the exhibition. The dealership brought in the Hutchinson Police and fire departments to teach about the importance of safety.

Hutchinson Fire Department fire inspector Michael Cain talked to the businesses at the exhibition on ways his firefighters work with the community in fire prevention and safety.

"Getting the businesses here and making sure their buildings are up to code and trying to make that as seamless as possible," Cain said.

Future plans for the exhibition

Teufel said the Ignite! Business Expo will become a yearly event for chamber members, where individuals can represent their companies to other industries and the community. The exhibition garnered more than 500 attendees in its inaugural year, with 105 different businesses exhibited on Nov. 5 at the Sunflower North and South buildings at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Multiple companies provided giveaways and rewards for attendees who participated in a variety of raffles.

Teufel said she looks forward to the exhibition growing in the future and having more chamber members display their companies.

This article originally appeared on The Hutchinson News: Ignite Business Expo invited 105 chamber businesses to exhibition