Black-Owned Business Expo

Businesses and attendees socialize at Black-Owned Business Expo in 2021. (Photo Courtesy to Black-Owned NWA)

 

 

Black-Owned NWA has announced it will host its fourth Black-Owned Business Expo this Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville. 

 

Jazzy Jae NWA, the blog made up of Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron “Jae” Merchant, are the creative force that runs Black-Owned NWA, a curated social media page that serves as a guide to Black-owned businesses in Northwest Arkansas. Their page highlights everything from dining and art to wellness and style, while also including culture and events. 

 

“This is an opportunity not only to generate sales, leads, and awareness for your business, but to get out there and develop a relationship with your community in a more intimate way so that you can sustain your business beyond this crazy time that we’re in,” Hudson said.

 

The Black-Owned Business Expo allows businesses that are highlighted by Black-Owned NWA to be highlighted in real time, while allowing the community of NWA a chance to see and shop the various work of the Black-owned businesses in the area. 

 

“Now faced with the impacts of inflation, it’s increasingly important that we continue to support our local entrepreneurs and contribute culturally unique products and services to the region.” Merchant said.

 

While general admission is free and open to the public, early bird tickets will be available for purchase, and will allow attendees to shop early from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., before the expo will open to the public. This event premiered in 2020, and saw great success in 2021 and Feb. 2022, where there were more than 1,000 people in attendance. Black-Owned NWA is looking forward to hosting more attendees this month with food trucks, DJ’s and businesses of all kinds represented. 

 

New in this installation of the expo, an after party will be hosted in partnership with 4 The Culture Northwest Arkansas, with tickets available to the public for purchase. Click here to register for the expo, and for more information about being a vendor or volunteering, visit the respective websites.

 

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