Rhinelander Chamber’s Up North Expo a busy event

The 2026 edition of the Up North Community Expo is in the books. 

Lauren Sackett, chief executive officer of the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce, said this was the fourth year for the event, held at the Hodag Dome featuring “a wide variety of different businesses and organizations there to showcase what they offer other businesses as well as consumers.” “It’s a good business to business connection as well as a business to consumer connection,” Sackett said of the 93 businesses and organizations with booths at the expo there were than 20 “that are hiring and a good variety as people are job-searching right now.”

Noah Michelsen, a sophomore at Rhinelander High School, answers questions from Bob Gilmeister of Rhinelander during the Fourth Annual Up North Expo at the Hodag Dome on Thursday, March 5.
(Photo by Brian Jopek/Lakeland Times)

She said that variety ranged from non-profit organizations to health care providers. 

There was also a U.S. Army recruiting booth.  

“There were different electrical companies,” Sackett said. “Really, it was across the gamut in terms of the businesses and organizations as well as location as they weren’t just from the  Rhinelander area but from seven different counties in the Northwoods.”

She said the noon kick-off for the expo was a busy one. 

“It was a really busy crowd,” Sackett said. “We continue to see growth. Each year, we seem to add five to 10 different businesses so we’re excited to see that.”

Having the Hodag Dome a venue is a plus. 

“We have a lot of space that we can continue to expand,” Sackett said. “It’s been a really great collaborative effort with businesses and organizations from the seven counties so we hope that continues.”

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].