Ocean Chamber of Commerce Planning Expo 2016

Businesses looking for months of promotion and branding aligning with the Greater Ocean Township Chamber of Commerce (GOTCC), are now able to register as a sponsor of the GOTCC’s annual Business & Consumer Expo.

The largest and most well-attended B2B & B2C Expo in Monmouth County, Expo 2016 will once again be held at the picturesque and conveniently located Jumping Brook Country Club, with easy access to highways 33, 34, 35, 66, 18 and the Garden State Parkway. Sold out the last 4 years in a row, the 28 year-old EXPO will take place on Wednesday, May 11 from 5-7:30 p.m., and is being chaired for the fifth year by GOTCC Board Secretary Kim Rise Somerville.

Businesses looking for months of advance multi-media promotion, to both general consumers and the business community,  preferential on-site treatment and post-Expo promotion should register ASAP at GOTCC.org. The pre-EXPO multi-media promotional blitz reaches hundreds of thousands of consumers AND business people on the big screen, radio, daily, weekly and monthly newspapers, digital media, email blasts, social media, traditional print and more, allowing sponsors the opportunity to get their logo and name out in the marketplace affordably.

“Sponsors get an incredible return on their investment; including months of advance EXPOsure, EXPO on-site prominence and promotion linked to their Website via the GOTCC Website for most of the year following Expo,” stated Expo Chair Rise-Somerville. According to a study done by the Schapiro Group (posted at www.GOTCC.org), consumers are 80% more likely to do business with a member of the Chamber of Commerce, making sponsorship alignment a huge bargain. The earlier the sponsor signs on, the more EXPOsure they get, based on print and production deadlines.

Expo Newbies need not fear – the GOTCC makes it easy with their ‘EXPOsure TIPS,’ a document that helps to eliminate the stress of planning and provides information that can help every exhibitor shine. It is a quick read and filled with smart observations and affordable ideas for making the most of the Expo experience. The GOTCC also has a page on their Website that lists members who provide products and services that many exhibitors need.

GOTCC Executive Director Kim Horn Blanda says “it is fine to have a space attractively set up, but without interaction with passers-by, displays that encourage people to walk up to your table and a means of reaching them after Expo, the exhibitor cannot optimize their participation.”
Frequently, business owners are so busy that they cannot take a step back and think about what will make their Expo experience a success. Often time slips by very quickly, and before you know it the big event is just around the corner. Not every exhibitor has to have expensive backdrops and catalogs. It is possible to draw traffic and look extremely professional on a budget.

Early sponsors and media partners include GOTCC Corporate Sponsors Ansell Grimm & Aaron, PC, Lester Glenn Ford of Ocean, Monmouth Medical Center, Seaview Orthopaedic & Medical Associates and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tinton Falls, and Expo Sponsors 95.9 The WRAT, Gannett NNJ/Asbury Park Press, 94.3 The Point, The Coaster, Gold Coast Cadillac, The Today Paper, Migman Media, The Link News, CineGrand Galleria, Robert Hazelrigg-The Graphics Guys, Shore Antique Center, Trinity Worldwide Technologies, Custom Video Productions, Paul Scharff Photography and Smolin Lupin.

Those interested in exhibiting at EXPO are encouraged to register early for two reasons – Expo is expected to sell out again and prices go up on April 1. The GOTCC Expo is a comfortable experience for both the exhibitor and the attendee. With spacious aisles, plenty of room for the exhibitor, there is no crowd frustration, and the GOTCC is flexible to accommodate special needs of exhibitors.

The GOTCC has always used EXPO as a new member drive. For those who are not members of the GOTCC and wish to join, there is a one-time membership discount, at which point the new member gets the discounted member exhibitor rate. The GOTCC Business & Consumer Expo offers affordable pricing and a variety of sponsorship opportunities from traditional to premium.

Specific details and pricing for sponsorships, exhibiting and membership are available on the Chamber’s Website at www.GOTCC.­org/expo2016.html or go to GOTCC.org and click on the Expo 2016 ad. Jumping Brook Country Club is located at 210 Jumping Brook Road in Neptune. For more information, please call the GOTCC at 732-660-1888.