100 exhibitors strut their stuff

By Jim Kinney

05/08/2008- The Republican

SPRINGFIELD - Western New England College students Kristen M. Culver OF West Springfield and Dillon L. Tardif of Bristol, Conn., learned yesterday it takes a lot of fun and games to get business done at the 2008 Business Market Show.

They spun wheels for prizes, played Plinko like on "The Price is Right" and even played a Wii video-game version of tennis.

"We couldn't play 'Deal or No Deal' because you needed a business card," Culver said, referring to the version of the popular NBC television game show offered by one exhibitor.

Tardif said their assignment was to learn how to develop a trade-show booth to promote the product - a new type of heating pad - they've developed for one of their classes. "You've got to be creative," Tardif said.

There were 150 exhibitors vying for attention at the market show, and organizers expected 2,000 to 3,000 people to attend the day-long event at the MassMutual Center. The idea behind the show is to encourage Western Massachusetts businesses to do business with other area firms. The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield sponsors the event each year.

Jillian K. Gould, senior marketing manager for the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, ran the Plinko game at the mall's booth.

"I think everyone knows the mall is there," she said. "But if you haven't been there in a while, or if you are accustomed to just stopping by and going to one store and haven't really been through the mall you might not know that we are always getting new stores."

Janet E. Garcia, director of marketing for Westfield State College, took the opportunity to promote Westfield State's continuing education, learning in retirement, College for Kids, weekend college classes and the traditional college programs.

"We can educate everyone from age 5 to 90," Garcia said. "The nice thing today was hearing from all our alumni." Westfield State handed out cupcakes prepared in the college's dining commons.

But the individual who got the most attention at the market show was probably the most shy. Crash, a 10-month-old kangaroo, kept trying to somersault inside his blanket-lined recycling crate of a home as a crowd of admirers looked on.

"That's what he used to do in his mother's pouch. He would somersault around like that to get comfortable," explained Alison A. Summers, director of education at The Zoo in Forest Park.

Crash's mother stopped caring for him in January, probably because he suffers from a curvature of the spine, Summers said. Since then, he's been hand-raised by zoo staff.

"It works out great for me because I have this cute baby animal to take around to schools," Summers said. "But it is always better for any animal to be raised by its mother."

Business writer Jim Kinney can be reached at jkinney@repub.com