School of Business to host seventh annual Business to Business Showcase

NEW PALTZ — The School of Business at the State University of New York at New Paltz will host the Ulster Business to Business Showcase trade show from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in the Elting Gymnasium. More than 100 exhibitors are expected to attract 1,000 participants at the seventh annual event.

Co-produced by the Ulster County Development Corporation (UCDC) and the Chamber of Commerce of Ulster County, the 2003 showcase will offer expanded opportunities for Ulster County businesses, and build on cooperative efforts initiated last year with the SUNY New Paltz School of Business.

In announcing this year’s showcase, UCDC President Chester J. Straub Jr. noted that staging the trade show at an educational institution is an innovative departure from previous efforts. Straub said a site committee worked with show director, Ann Fody, to review potential locations. “The offer presented at the college was just too good to pass up,” Straub said.

Organizers are also confident that the New Paltz location, coupled with increased advertising and marketing efforts, will increase attendance significantly. “The location is a pretty easy ride from even the more distant points in the county and will also let us pull potential business interest from neighboring counties,” Straub said. “This will really give our businesses an opportunity to showcase what they have and what they do to a large body of potential consumers.”

New Paltz School of Business Dean Hadi Salavitabar said that in addition to easy access, ample parking and a good location, the students at the college will also be a major asset for the show. “Last year, 14 of our upper-level undergrads, along with several of our MBA students, volunteered at the showcase, helping exhibitors move in and out, set up and monitor booth activity. The business owners loved it and so did the students.”

Salavitabar said that by moving the showcase to campus, on a day when students have no classes, he expects the number of student volunteers to more than triple. “This is a real win-win for everyone. Not only do our students make the day more productive for those who exhibit, but it gives potential employers an opportunity to see our students in action,” said the dean. “Last year, several walked away with internship opportunities and job offers. We expect more of that to occur this year.”

Major sponsors this year will include Ulster Savings Bank, the Daily Freeman, John Mallen Communications, Ellenville National Bank, Hudson Valley DataNet, Rondout Savings Bank, The Ellenbogen Group, Inc., WKNY & WBPM Radio, and the Hudson Valley Business Journal. For more information on the showcase, businesses can contact Showcase Manager, Jackie Tyler, at (845) 338-8840 or Showcase Director, Ann Fody, at (845) 895-9108. Information about the services UCDC provides throughout the year is available by calling Chester Straub Jr., at (845) 338-8840 or logging on to the Web site at www.ulsterny.com.

For more information about the New Paltz School of Business, visit the Web site at www.newpaltz.edu/schoolofbusiness.