CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – The Charlottesville-Albemarle Black Business Expo encourages Black-owned businesses to succeed in their communities.
Organisers of the Expo event said they created it to spread love and support.
“We started this Black Business Expo as a direct response to the event that took place in Charlottesville in August 2017,” said event organizer Ty Cooper.
Now, six years later, the Black Business Expo continues to grow and provide a sense of community.
“We had 41 booths, which is the most we’ve ever had, you know. Our most was 35 before today, and that was in 2018,” Cooper said. “It doesn’t even have to be a playing field, but it just provides extra support and says, ‘Hey, check me out here. We want to support you.'”
The event also provides exposure for businesses to increase profitability and attract new customers.
“A lot of times, black businesses are underfunded, so this provides exposure for businesses,” said Allbaugh’s Abby Edwards.
“We just want to give you a space to sell your product, sell your service, and introduce your service and product to a new market,” Cooper said.
The fair also provides learning opportunities for aspiring and current business owners.
“We had three panel discussions: one on finance, one on marketing, and one on emerging industries and how to break into them,” Cooper said.
This year’s Black Business Expo brought a variety of vendors, including book publishers, financial services businesses, clothing and jewelry suppliers, fitness businesses, and more.
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