At our 2nd Annual B2B Networking Event, over 400 attendees participated in the evening including special guests State Senator Kent Cravens, a Field Representative for Tom Udall and Deputy Director Ed Cadena from the Small Business Administration.   Thanks to the event sponsors that included Blue Plate Special, Cervantes Food Products, Premier Distributing, Smiths, Kiki’s Krumbs, Water to Go, Coffee for Your Business, Garcia’s Tents, Alphagraphics, Fizelwink Photography and special live music from AsperKourt who is presently #2 in the National Battle of the Bands Contest.

As part of the event, EXHIB-IT! held a Silent Auction to benefit the Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home. They raised awareness using their monthly Community Non-profit Spotlight and raised over $2,600.00 for ACCH with the Silent Auction.   This nonprofit organization was selected because its purpose is close to the founder/CEO’s heart – helping children find homes in Christian families and making a difference in their lives. Since 1970, ACCH has been dedicated to serving abandoned, neglected and abused children. They provide a loving family environment for the children to live in and see to their educational, physical, spiritual and emotional needs! They operate 100% off donations, never taking state or federal funding.

As another part of the EXHIB-IT! Pays it Forward program, EXHIB-IT! presented the UNM Anderson School of Business, with a new six-foot Sirius tabletop display manufactured by Nomadic Display valued at $1,200.  This nonprofit organization was selected by the NM American Marketing Association from 35 applicants.  Angela Daffron of AMA said they chose them because “They offered the best continual use of the exhibit due to the multiple events they will use it per year.”  Jennifer Bayley gladly accepted the $1,200 new exhibit with hopes, dreams and possibilities about what the exhibit can help them do to be successful at the Anderson School of Business.

DJ Heckes, Founder/CEO of EXHIB-IT!, learned long ago that part of growing your business is giving back to the community. Ms. Heckes and EXHIB-IT! hope that their efforts touched lives, educated attendees about some amazing non-profits and, overall, the attendees had fun and made some collaborative business networking partners!

Be sure to save the date for next year’s 3rd Annual B2B Networking event where the Silent Auction Proceeds will be donated to The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.