Since the open house was such a success, I decided to venture out a little further beyond my circle of friends and acquaintances. The first opportunity to present itself is the 4th Annual Space Coast Women’s Business Expo on August 5, 2011. This expo is co-hosted by the Women’s Business Center at Florida Tech and the American Business Women’s Association. The theme is ‘Standing Out in Today’s Social Network’ and focuses on how businesses can effectively use social media to differentiate themselves.

The speakers are Julie Arnold, Social Media Manager at Griffin Communications Group and Tina Lange, owner of the TnT Creative Group. The keynote speaker is Hollis Wilder, two-time winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. How sweet is that! Julie’s talk is “Social media strategies that work,” Tina’s topic is “Social media: its only one piece of the puzzle,” and Hollis’ talk is “Selling yourself.” The expo is a half-day event with lunch and plenty of time to network and check out the vendors. I sure hope some of the attendees come visit Ornamental Style. My mom and sister Ann will be there to help me.

The venue is the Crowne Plaza Melbourne (Florida) Oceanfront—formerly known as the Holiday Inn Oceanfront. It was closed for awhile after our 2004 hurricanes and has been totally renovated. I have fond memories of the hotel from way back. It had a nightclub that was the place to be for twenty something’s. I spent one New Year’s Eve and a Halloween night partying there in addition to the random Friday or Saturday night. A decade and a half later, Jamaican Me Crazy with reggae music out on the oceanside deck was the place to be on Wednesdays after work. I haven’t been there in years so I can’t wait to see what changes the years have brought.

Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront entranceCrowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront beach

Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront beach

I’ve been busy making new pieces and replacing some that were sold at the open house. I’m looking forward to the expo and expect to have a lot of fun meeting new people and showing off my jewelry. Wish me luck!