The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce is throwing a tailgate-themed community showcase next week that is sure to quickly become a treasured favorite.
There’s no better way to get to know your community than through a massive tailgate. The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce is merging a football-themed tailgate party with an elaborate business trade show in its new event, “Schmoozapalooza 2019.”
The event will act as a fun and exciting bridge between the community and the businesses that call Plant City home. The $10 ticket gets each resident through the door and invites them to take part in exhibitor booths, complimentary food and beer samples from local restaurants, swag bags, games, giveaways and more.
“We knew there was an opportunity missing in the community to give businesses the chance to participate in a kind of business expo where they can share what they do with people and we can bring all of the businesses together to showcase in one place,” Sophia Hyde, community relations manager for the Chamber, said. “A few years ago there was an expo, but it had fallen away. We wanted to bring it back, but bring it back with a lot of fun so people would be really excited to come out to it.”
It’s a unique opportunity for local businesses to be showcased in a way that’s fun for the community and will leave them wanting more. In fact, 47 businesses have agreed to participate. If everything goes according to plan, the event will act as a pseudo-party for the community. They’ll be able to find a new business to fall in love with while also participating in games, enjoying a live DJ and spending some time with their families at the festivities.
Plant City’s chamber based the event on a “very successful event” the Knoxville chamber puts on, according to Hyde. Under their mentorship, Plant City was able to morph the event to fit our specific community and using a football tailgate theme seemed like the perfect way to jump into a jovial spirit.
“The reason theirs is so successful is not only does it attract the business community, but the public loves to come to it as well because of everything from the free samples from local restaurants to the beer and the wine and all of the games with the tailgate theme,” Hyde said. “Both the businesses win and the public wins. It’s a really great opportunity for everyone to come together.”
In a phrase, Schmoozapalooza is a community showcase. The very things that make Plant City such a great place to work, play and live are all together under one roof. Community members will see old favorites and hopefully will stumble upon something they didn’t even know existed.
Be prepared to party. While strolling the aisle you’ll see a variety of active games at many of the individual business stands and there will also be crowd favorites, like yard pong, to keep the energy high at the event.
“We’re wanting everybody to have fun and to learn something about their community they didn’t already know,” Hyde said. “Hopefully there’s great networking that takes place, new relationships are built and it all happens in a fun way.”
If you go
Schmoozapalooza 2019
When: Sept. 19 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: HCC Trinkle Center, 1204 N. Park Rd.
Tickets: $10 per attendee
Some of the exhibitors and event partners include:
Hillsborough Community College
Southern Hospitality
Focus Magazine
Fryed Egg Productions
Hillsborough Title
In the Field Magazine
Minuteman Press
Plant City Observer
South Florida Baptist
WellMed
Axiom Bank
A Chair Affair
G5
Goudie & Kohn PA
Graphite Media
Mainstreet
Paychex
Pepin Distributing
Pregnancy Care Center
Railroad Industrial FCU
Rhodes Group
SBDC
Stahl Insurance
Suncoast Credit Union
Tooth Caboose
Ty Tison for Judge
YMCA
Labor Solutions
Maid Easy Cleaning
St. Leo University
State Farm – Courtney Paat
Enjoy Complimentary
Samples From:
1916 Irish Pub
911 Catering
Charley’s
Dairy Queen
Duke’s Brewhouse
Jimmy John’s
Keel and Curley
Krazy Kup
Norma’s
O’Brien’s Irish Pub
Publix
Roots
Snellgroves
The Corner Store
Winn-Dixie