What is the Women’s Expo?
The Women’s Expo is a showcase and a marketplace for Long Island women entrepreneurs: artisans, importers, designers and distributors of products such as jewelry, clothing, fine art, pottery and wood/metal/leather/glassware, children’s items, culturally diverse crafts, fiber art, specialty food items, gift baskets, household accessories, paper products and more. Last year the Expo featured 75 exhibitors and more than 1,600 attendees. Each year the audience grows for what has become a very popular Fall event.

Purpose
The goal of the Expo is to provide a venue for women entrepreneurs on Long Island to market their products, serving as a vehicle to promote economic development as well as networking among women entrepreneurs and women in the business and not-for-profit world.

Where and When
The Ninth Annual Women’s Expo will be held at Middle Country Public Library in Centereach (101 Eastwood Blvd.) from 11 AM-6PM on Thursday, October 8, 2009.

Presented By
The Women’s Expo is presented by the Middle Country Library Foundation. It was founded in 2000, in partnership with the LI Fund for Women & Girls, out of the shared vision of promoting economic independence for women. Expo proceeds help support the Library’s Miller Business Resource Center.

Planning Committee
The Expo Planning Committee includes representatives from the MCL Foundation and the LI Fund for Women & Girls as well as a number of business support organizations, women’s organizations, educational and cultural institutions, LI business and corporate sponsors, independent business women, and the Library’s Miller Business Resource Center.

Women’s Expo Sponsors 2009
Bank of America has been the Expo’s lead coporate partner since its inception. Other 2009 sponsors to-date include Astoria Federal Savings, the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce, JPMorganChase, LI Development Center/LISBAC, TD Bank, Briarcliffe College, Stony Brook Small Business Development Center, Nick & Gina's Pizzeria & Ristorante of Selden, Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Jefferson's Ferry Lifecare Community, and Citibank.

Expo Event Program
An Event Program is produced that includes contact information for all exhibitors, a Floor Map to guide visitors to the exhibit areas, as well as acknowledgment of all sponsors, contributors of products and services, Committee Members and Friends of the Expo.

Profile of Women’s Expo Exhibitors

  • 76 women exhibitors will participate in the 2009 Expo.
  • Geographically, exhibitors are distributed across Eastern Long Island, Central & Western Suffolk, and Nassau County.
  • Ethnically and culturally, the exhibitors reflect a diverse group of women, including African-American, Latina, Asian, as well as Islamic women entrepreneurs.
  • The exhibitors are of all ages, ranging from experienced and well known artisans to a group of women hailing from South and Central American countries who have formed a cottage industry to produce jewelry to help support their families and the local food pantry.

How are exhibitors selected?
Participants submit an application, along with a $100 application fee and pictures of their work. The Expo Selection Committee reviews all applications, looking for a representative group that reflects a broad range of products that demonstrate quality, uniqueness, a range of prices and product types, and also showcases the wonderful diversity that has become part of Long Island. A diverse group of women entrepreneurs as well as a diverse product selection is definitely a goal of the Expo.

Educational Support Beyond the Expo
Beyond the Expo, the Expo Planning Committee organizes one or more educational workshops to build the business skills and capacities of participating women entrepreneurs and others. The women exhibitors are also connected with the expertise and resources available through the individuals and organizations represented on the Planning Committee.