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Chamber biz expo to put on the fun

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Look for a job, listen to a band

The Gallup-McKinley Cham­ber of Com­merce plans on pulling out all the bells and whistles when they host the annual Gallup Business & Job Expo, Aug. 29 from 11- 3 pm in the parking lot west of the Gallup Cultural Center.

Chamber President David Hinkle said expect live music from local musician Mark Garcia, who heads four local bands. The event will also feature cheerleader and dance group performances.

The expo will end a weeklong celebration of Chamber member appreciation week.

Hinkle said he often gets asked the question – “What does the chamber do for me as a member?”

For him, it’s simple to come up with a laundry list of reasons, but he started out with how chamber members are perceived by consumers.

“All the studies show that customers see your business more favorably if you’re a chamber member,” he said.

As of Aug. 18, Hinkle said they had 15 businesses signed up for the event. For businesses interested in signing up for the expo, it’s $30 per booth for Chamber members and $50 per booth for non-Chamber members.

Businesses are welcome to sell products onsite and openly recruit new employees.  Attendees can also grab a bite to eat on site.

Hinkle said it’s a great opportunity to network with both other businesses and the community. He expects to fill up all the 10’ x 10’ booth spaces prior to the start of the event, so encourages those interested in setting up shop, to register as soon as possible.

“It’s an opportunity for [businesses] to give wsomething back to their community,” he said.

There won’t be any electrical hookups, and the non-alcoholic event is free to the public. Set up for the event starts at 8 am.

He said last year’s expo didn’t go as well as he had hope, so he decided to up the ante this year and create a festive environment to draw in more Gallupians.

For businesses interested in joining the Chamber, membership packages range in price, depending on the size of a business.

Price of membership is based on an annual basis, with packages starting at $225 and up to $500. There is a one time set up fee of $25.

To sign up for the expo or for more information about the Chamber, call: (505) 722-2228 or stop by Chamber headquarters at 106 W. Highway 66, in Gallup.