Atkins Kroll General Manager Tracy Guerrero joins AK Toyota staff and Marianas Business Network’s Sonya Dancoe, 2nd left, and Aileen Arnold, 3rd left, for a group photo to mark AK’s sponsorship of the Marianas Business Showcase.
ORGANIZERS of the Marianas Business Showcase promise a family-friendly day of demonstrations and face-to-face interactions with the island’s small business community on Feb. 23 at Crowne Plaza’s Hibiscus Hall.
PK Daigo, who is helping organize the event with the Marianas Business Network, said over 35 vendors are participating and will offer food and beverages, beauty services, snacks, printing services, party rentals, and much more. This event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 8 a.m. and the event concludes at 5 p.m.
Live demonstrations will take place on the Hibiscus Hall mainstage. Demonstrators include the following: 10 a.m., Trench Tech Purebred Saipan; 11 a.m., Beyer Woodworking and Tree Services; 12 noon, macaroons by Crowne Plaza; 1 p.m., Latte Built; 2 p.m., Voices of the Marianas; 3 p.m., Dae Jang Kum Korean Restaurant; and 4 p.m., Charline House of Beauty.
In addition, Daigo said Micronesian Air Cargo Services will host a gift certificate raffle.
Daigo said MBN has organized the event as a way for island residents to get to know the businesses that are right next door to them.
“We want to know what’s in our neighborhood, what’s on our islands,” he said. “[MBN has] been putting a lot of work, a lot of love, a lot of volunteer time.”
He said it’s important for island small businesses to be connected to their consumers.
“It’s really face-to-face marketing,” he said of the event. “It’s about connection. It’s about having conversation about your product, because sometimes you might see that one of the vendors has their product in stores, but you don’t know the person behind the product. That person will be at the trade show.”
Sonya Dancoe, also of MBN, said the event aims to uplift the community.
“We felt that we needed something, an event that would invite our community together and at the same time embrace the businesses that are around our community and help our economy and make this a whole win-win situation,” she said.
Daigo hopes that the gathering of vendors can lead to their success.
“I want to be a solution to the island and not somebody who is going to sit back and not take action in regards to our economy and help one another. When JFK said ‘Don’t ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country,’ it’s the same thing with our islands here.”
The event was made possible by the following sponsors: the Department of Commerce, the office of Sen. Celina Babauta, the office of House Floor Leader Marissa Flores, KG International Group, IT&E, Eagles Construction, Atkins Kroll, Calvo’s Insurance, SP Dancoe & Associates, LaBine & Associates, Paradise Dental, Tan Siu Lin Foundation and the Crowne Plaza Resort.
Event updates will be provided on the Marianas Business Network Facebook page.
