On Saturday, the Hyatt Regency’s ballroom was bustling with visitors eager to explore the offerings at this year’s Black Business Expo.

WTOC spoke with the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce to learn how this event celebrated businesses and diversity in the community.

The expo provided numerous opportunities for locals and tourists to discover new businesses and their diverse contributions to the area.

The Black Business Expo returned to Savannah on Saturday for the first time since the pandemic.

The Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce (GSBCC) stated that this event allowed people to interact with and learn more about Black-owned businesses in the community.

Dr. Annissa Rowland, owner of A.J. Stone Jewelry, emphasized that without the GSBCC’s support, many people would be unaware of the numerous businesses in the area.

“There’s all kinds of small businesses within the Black community that you don’t necessarily know about because there isn’t a brick and mortar,” said Dr. Rowland.

Jewelry and makeup businesses, real estate companies, and community organizations lined up in the Hyatt Regency ballroom. Many of them didn’t have permanent retail locations for customers to visit.

GSBCC President and CEO Moncello Stewart said the expo gave small businesses like this visibility in the community.

”To be able to bring those businesses here so that people can see them, so that they can support them so those businesses can grow so they can become brick and mortars at some point, that’s really important,” said Stewart.

Peggy Logan was enjoying a reunion trip with her friends when they decided to visit the expo.

She remarked that the wide array of vendors, panels, resources, and exhibitions opened her eyes to the rich diversity of Savannah’s business community.

“To walk into an event that’s free that allows us to see people of our color building and doing so many positive and wonderful things, just to impact the community, is amazing,” said Logan.

Credit: Original article published here.