The Pine Belt Women’s Expo planned to celebrate its 10th anniversary on Aug. 15, but, like many events in 2020, COVID-19 forced founder and event coordinator Jennifer Clark to suspend her original plans and get creative.
“I don’t want it to be a digital event,” said Clark. “I want it to be in person, but I feel like just waiting until we can safely do the expo is not serving my exhibitors and sponsors well. I kept saying ‘what can we do in the meantime’ so that’s what this online plan has become, the Pine Belt Women’s Expo: In the Meantime.”
Clark, in collaboration with her 100 local exhibitors and sponsors, is putting together an online program of events that will span from Aug. 15 through October. She explained that the timeline would reflect however long it takes to get the Women’s Expo rescheduled.
“This pandemic is a killer for the event industry. It’s one of the industries that will come back the latest because we just can’t do it sooner. There are a few things like farmer's markets and small events that will be able to take place, but I don’t see any large event happening anytime soon,” said Clark.
Utilizing social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, Clark will feature exhibitors and sponsors every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Thursday at noon.
She is also planning several special events that will include online workshops, seminars, games, musical performances and art demos.
Clark said that she wants people to get “up close and personal” with local businesses, artists and nonprofits.
She added that the digital events would allow people to see the exhibitors in their personal studios or shops instead of just a casual meeting at the expo.
“The whole point of the Women’s Expo is that people are supposed to leave with something they didn’t know about,” said Clark. “People are shopping online now more than ever. People are also just online more than ever, so I thought these events would be a good way for people to get in front of everyone.”
In addition to the digital schedule, Clark is planning smaller in-person events, including the Women’s Expo annual blood drive.
She is also partnering with the League of Women Voters for a voter registration campaign in the near future.
For more information on future events and to see weekly features, follow @PineBeltWomensExpo on Facebook or YouTube and also @EmergeEvents on the Instagram application.
Clark said she will also update PineBeltWomensExpo.com as plans for events are finalized and as the “meantime” passes.
