3rd annual Up North Community Expo has biggest turnout yet

The Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce hosted the third annual Up North Community Expo on March 6. 

Lauren Sackett, CEO of the chamber, said this year’s turnout was the biggest yet. 

“We have about 84 different exhibitors that are here from all sorts of different types of businesses and industries that are sharing what they do with not only other businesses, but consumers,” she said. “So there’s a lot of people that are walking through and networking and checking out all the different vendor booths, a lot of non-profits as well.”

Oneida County Fair vice president Stevie Henk reads off a number pulled in its bingo event, while volunteer Amanda Colon looks on and fair mascot Ollie Oneida cheers on the crowd.
(Photo by Trevor Greene/Lakeland Times)

Sackett said the participating businesses and organizations were welcomed from a seven county region, “they’re not just Rhinelander-centric or Oneida County-centric.”

More activities have been added to the event, which is held at the Hodag Dome near Rhinelander High School. 

Sackett said some of those activities were added for children and adults, like the “mini bingo games” held by the Oneida County Fair to promote bingo nights the organization are holding. 

The idea of the Up North Community Expo, she said, came in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sackett said before that, the chamber would facilitate a virtual “home show.”

“After we came out of COVID, we just really wanted to find an avenue where any type of business could share what they do with the public,” she said. “And so we expanded upon the concept of the expo we used to do and we came up with this Up North Community Expo. We knew we had an amazing space with the Hodag Dome with how large it is, so that’s why we talked about expanding it outside the immediate area and bring in businesses and organizations from a seven county region.”

There were about 60 participating booths the first year, which has increased by roughly 25 to this year.

“It’s continual growth year after year, which is great, and this facility will allow us to continue to grow,” Sackett said. 

Jim and Nancy Lillis participate in People’s State Bank’s raffle with the help of Stacy Timm.
(Photo by Trevor Greene/Lakeland Times)

She said the chamber will already begin to accept applications from those who wish to participate next year. The cheapest time to sign up for next year is the month of March, according to Sackett.

The application, she said, can be found at the chamber’s website, rhinelanderchamber.com.

“I do want to add, too, an element that we’ve seen, a lot of people that are hiring,” Sackett said. “So we also have indicators on our maps showing the different entities hiring as well.”

The event is important for the Rhinelander community, she said. 

“Especially here in the Northwoods to have some form of an expo,” Sackett said. “We’re kind of limited on the spaces in the Northwoods so we are excited that we’re able to put this on. But also, it’s very important for businesses to be able to share what they’re doing with the general community and sometimes events like these are a great way to get in front of a demographic or group of customers you may not have reached before.”

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].