Valley business fair gets all kinds
Contrary to popular belief, action hero Indiana Jones appears to be the father of High King Peter and Queen Susan, characters from “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
At least that’s what played out at the Spokane Valley Business Fair on Wednesday afternoon. Martin Beal, dressed as Jones, stood answering questions while his children David and Heather greeted passers-by. The whip-bearing business owner was promoting Beal Digital Media, his video production company that produces broadcast-quality commercials and other projects for businesses.
“It’s my job to bring a corporation’s story to life,” Martin Beal said.
His booth was among more than 90 in the Mirabeau Park Hotel at the fourth annual business fair held by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Representatives of several companies, as varied as large banks, radio stations and security companies, packed themselves into the hotel’s ballroom.
Booths were adorned with large banners, and tables held baskets of candy.
Several hundred people circulated through the fair, many of them fellow business owners looking to make contacts or exchange services.
Customers and the general public wandered about, dropping their names into buckets for door prizes.
Cami Rogers and her husband, Kurt, stood before a display board filled with greeting cards. They run Cami Sends Cards, a personalized greeting card business that allows companies to send cards to customers.
“It’s good for anyone who needs to stay in touch,” Cami Rogers said. “A greeting card stands out in today’s fast-paced business world.”
The company will send cards out on a schedule, usually for real estate or financial companies, Rogers said. No detail is missed: Cards are hand-signed, placed in bright envelopes and sealed with colorful commemorative stamps.
The business fair is the only one of its kind in the region, said Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce President Eldonna Gossett.
“You can be a small business or a large one and still have a nice presence here,” she said during a break from managing the show. She had been awake since 5 a.m. to do television interviews.
The fair started four years ago, around the same time the city of Spokane Valley was incorporated. It has expanded since and next year may reach capacity at the hotel, she said.