True to its mission to provide leadership, advocacy, and action that will help the Roanoke Region achieve its potential as a desirable place to live, work, and visit, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce brought together hundreds of local business owners, employees, and job hunters together on Tuesday afternoon.
Nearly 80 exhibitors participated in the 18th annual Business & Technology Expo, which was held from 3-7 p.m. at the Roanoke Civic Center Special Events Center and was open to the public free of charge.
A job fair was added to this year’s event to help address local unemployment rates, which are hovering at 8.8 percent in Roanoke City and 5.7 percent in Roanoke County according to February 2011 United State Department of Labor records. Participants were encouraged to share their resumes with representatives from six local employment agencies.
Guests were invited to attend two free workshops as well as a free Business After Hours event from 5-7 p.m.
The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce was established in 1890 and currently has about 1,200 members across 40 localities in Virginia.
