COMMERCE: Carlsbad Business Expo draws the crowds

By BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer | Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:11 PM PDT ∞

CARLSBAD ---- About 100 exhibitors and some 1,000 guests saw, evaluated and even tasted the offerings of local businesses at the Carlsbad Business Expo on Wednesday afternoon.

Hospitals, contractors, restaurants, travel companies and dozens of other businesses greeted expo guests, while businesses learned more about technology at the Microsoft Across America truck.

The annual expo has the dual purpose of introducing local businesses to one another, and raising awareness among the public, said Angela Holman, spokeswoman for the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. The chamber hosted the expo at the Westfield Plaza Camino Real shopping center.

Most of the companies exhibiting at the expo are based in Carlsbad, Holman said.

"It gives the community a chance to see the products and services available local in their community. ... People may say, I didn't know we had that nonprofit, or that electrical company, or what have you," Holman said. "A lot of the food vendors, for example, will end up doing catering for these companies."

This year, most of the exhibitors were housed in four pavilions organized by industry, white tentlike structures set up on Westfield's parking lot. They were health and wellness, home and technology, present at last year's expo; and new for this year, travel and tourism.

"What happened was we got enough (travel and tourism) vendors, so we could make it a really nice pavilion," Holman said during a break on a hot, clear afternoon. "If you're interested in one aspect of business or another, you can target that first. Some people are coming on their lunch hour, and they really don't have as much time as everyone else."

Shred Station, a data destruction company, was new at this year's expo. The Mt. Laurel, N.J.-based company opened up its first West Coast office this spring in Fallbrook, said Sandy Caso, regional general manager. From there, the company serves San Diego County and southern Riverside and southern Orange counties.

The company's exhibits included a very mangled computer hard drive. Businesses or individuals who fear that data could be recovered from discarded hard drives can have them destroyed on site by Shred Station, Caso said. In addition, Shred Station destroys documents and recycles electronic waste. The company can be reached at www.shredstation.com.

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce also held its annual summer sundowner party in conjunction with the expo.

Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.