SCBA Hosts South Carroll Business Expo 2009
Eric Villard

On May 9 anyone who was at the South Carroll Business Association’s (SCBA) 4th annual business expo at Liberty High School found out first hand how to mix business with pleasure.

The expo hosted a variety of free and fun events for children and adults alike, ranging from a colossal moon bounce and Silly Willy the clown in Liberty’s auxiliary gym to autograph signing and picture taking with former Baltimore Ravens players Musa Smith and Spencer Folau.

Alec Yeo, owner of The Goddard School in Eldersburg, said the school sponsored the moon bounce. This was the first year it was present at the expo, Yeo said, because in previous years there had not been enough space to bring it in. He added that the inflatable playground, which almost spanned the width of the gym, gave visiting children something to do while their parents looked around. “A lot of the booths are adult oriented,” he mentioned.

Silly Willy, a balloon animal crafting clown, saw no rest at the expo. From the moment he arrived children sought inflated dogs and other forms in his repertoire. But Silly Willy wasn’t the only one with a line.

Smith and Folau, seated in Liberty’s main gym, had a line of adults equally as long, some dressed in Ravens jerseys and all eagerly awaiting autographs. Some visitors such as Randy Hilling came to the expo only for the Ravens. Super Bowl Champions Wheaties box in hand, Hilling was ready to meet Folau, who was on the team when the Ravens won the 2000 Super Bowl. Folau and Smith even added a little comedy to the event. When a visitor asked whether or not they played for the Ravens, Smith replied, “We did.” Folau then quipped, “Then we got old – 36 is old.”

Though it wasn’t all fun, games and getting Wheaties boxes signed by Ravens players. Beneath the ceaseless din of turbine fans struggling to keep the gyms cool, the constant clacking of prize wheels, and the occasional announcement from SCBA member Dick Coyne over the school PA system, visitors and local companies talked business.

Debbie Thompson, co-owner of Tristar Martial Arts with her husband Keith, said the expo was an excellent place to meet the community and increase business patronage. “You need to be out meeting people so they know who you are,” she said. Thompson, who has attended multiple expos, added that she always saw an increase in business after it was all said and done either from patrons who signed up at the event or from customers who called later as a result of seeing the Tristar booth.
“The SCBA putting this on is really great for the business owners,” she said. “We really need this.”

But aside from the fun times, star power and the possibility of business networking what was the largest draw of the event? One word, Thompson said – free. With the economy being slowed and people cutting back on vacations, Thompson said, people were more prone to attend free events, especially ones that are fun, such as the expo.

Despite all of this, the expo saw decreased attendance from businesses this year according to Dick Coyne of the SCBA. Coyne explained that last year at the expo that was held in fall, about 80 businesses signed up. This year only about 60 attended.

In addition to that, Coyne said that the visitor turnout was modest.
The reason? The nice weather and competition with other events, Coyne said. Dave Burrows, also of the SCBA, said other events such as high school proms and religious communions might have drawn some of the visitors away. Coyne added that in the fall there is less competition for the locals.“The difference comes down to time of year,” Coyne explained.
Though after a week of cloudy days and rain in Eldersburg, perhaps the reason for the lower attendance is a bit simpler.

“I think every lawn mower in a 50-mile radius is running right now,” Coyne joked.

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