By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Our daily environment seems to breed us on the appeal of purchasing through big box retailers and online discount websites.
The one-click buying abilities of Amazon.com creates an unmatched buying experience. But when those dollars leave and go to the piggy bank of a Fortune 500 company, there’s no capital to generate effective growth in local businesses.
For communities to stay current and vibrant, they need the ideas and thoughts of its citizens to voice concerns and generate change. Just as the communities need those local ideas, businesses need those local citizens to support them.
Reminding the citizens of their local businesses is exactly the goal the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce is echoing in their 2015 Shop LOcal Expo. The OACC is bringing together close to 100 local businesses from Orion and Oxford to show citizens the variety of specialties that reside around them.
Formerly the Community Business Expo, the name was changed to better reflect the overall event.
‘This is the first year for the Shop Local theme,? said OACC Executive Director Alaina Campbell. ‘The purpose of the event is to connect the citizens with the businesses in the area.?
The expo not only hopes to connect citizens within the local enterprise, but also educate the citizens. According to Campbell, for every $100 that is spent locally, $68 of those dollars stay in the community where they’re spent. Its an opportunity she hopes will illuminate the light bulb within people to divert their dollars locally.
‘Many people don’t realize that when they spend their money locally, it benefits our whole community,? she said. ‘Every dollar that circulates within your economy, you get more and more out of that dollar.?
Campbell spoke at a 2014 chamber luncheon where she explained the benefit of that locally stimulating dollar. She spoke of a sequence of events that would directly impact the economy solely based off of one person’s decision to buy local. She said:
‘If someone purchases flooring from Northern Flooring, which is an Orion business, then that business owner would use some of that money to have lunch at Opa’s restaurant. Then Opa’s pays their waitstaff and one of those people go across the street to buy groceries at Hollywood Market.?
The expo, which will take place on Thursday, May 7, will have a variety of events that will enhance itself from just an open floor with tables. Returning for its fifth year will be the annual Pizza Wars in which local pizzerias compete for a traveling trophy. New this year will be the Sandwich Slam where local restaurants will enter a sandwich to be judged by the first 150 people entering the expo.
Kids will also have entertainment as FlipSpot will be hosting tumbling activities while Pro Martial Arts is teaching karate lessons for free. Basketball America will supply a free-throw net and a bounce house will offer additional entertainment.
The expo is free to the public but Campbell wants to remind people that the event will be taking place during parent-teacher conferences so parking will be limited.
The OACC has teamed up with the Pee Wee Patch to provide shuttle transportation from Stadium Drive Elementary and Scripps Middle School.
Shop Local runs from 4-7pm at the Lake Orion High School Field House. Anyone looking for more information can look go to www.orionareachamber.com