More than 100 businesses and nonprofits filled the Huntersville Recreation Center on Tuesday, Oct. 13, for the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce's 25th annual Business Expo.

The free event, presented by Randy Marion Automotive, ran from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the recreation center on Verhoeff Drive. Cornelius Today had projected more than 1,700 attendees and 106 exhibitors ahead of the event. Lake Norman Publications estimated roughly 120 exhibitors and more than 1,500 attendees.

Cornelius Today columnist Jon Show, who exhibited at the expo for a second year, wrote in a recap column that the floor featured a mix of new ventures and familiar faces. Show highlighted Radiant Results, a red light therapy practice that recently opened on West Catawba Avenue, and Swanky Straw, a mobile bartending company that sells dehydrated fruit and flavored simple syrups.

Booth displays competed for attention. Show wrote that the McIntosh Law Firm drew visitors with a "Take a Lawyer to Court" sign and a Pop-A-Shot basketball game. Bee Organized, a storage systems company, handed out branded honey and honeycomb snacks. United Community Bank brought its signature blue piggy banks.

Community organizations had a visible presence. The Cornelius Police Department, Visit Lake Norman and the Cain Center for the Arts all had booths. Show noted the Cain Center's booth sat near the North Carolina Youth Orchestra's (NCYO) display. NCYO will make its Cain Center debut Sunday, Oct. 18.

Bill Russell, president and CEO of the Lake Norman Chamber, said in a Sept. 30 preview that the expo offers a shortcut to networking. "You can spend weeks making phone calls, exchanging emails and trying to connect with the right people – or you can spend a few hours at the Lake Norman Business Expo and meet many of them face-to-face," Russell said.

Show also spotlighted Lake Norman Catering's Aissa, who circled the expo floor passing out meatballs, and Visit Lake Norman, which provided homemade fruit-flavored water to exhibitors.

The expo, first held in 2001, was hosted at Davidson College from 2002 through 2018 before moving to the Huntersville Recreation Center, according to Lake Norman Publications.

Upcoming community events:

  • Sunday, Oct. 18: North Carolina Youth Orchestra fall concert, 3 p.m., Cain Center for the Arts, 21348 Catawba Ave., Cornelius. NCYO ensembles open the program, with the full orchestra performing after intermission. Tickets: $15.