PLAINS – Sanders County citizens lined up to see what the local vendors had to offer in the Plains High School gym. They walked around looking at the floor samples provided by Buckingham Hardwoods or the handmade blankets from Demarle At Home. Many enjoyed “Lucy” the Spinone Italiano dog making good use of the cozy dog beds available.

The Sanders County Expo, formerly known as the Plains Trade Fair, took place Saturday, March 29 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Overall the event was a success according to Carol Day of the Plains-Paradise Chamber of Commerce, but there were a few minor glitches.

Customers showed up in numbers equal to, or even greater than, that of last year but the number of vendors was down considerably. Day believes this might have been due to some confusion over the name change.

Day contacted some of the vendors that had formerly been part of the trade fair only to find that some of them did not realize it was the same event. Day and the chamber intend to rectify this for the next Sanders County Expo.

“The chamber and I are doubling our efforts for next year in terms of organization and communicating with past vendors,” Day said.

The clearer communication seems to be working as Day already has 17 vendors lined up for next year, four of which did not participate this time.

Despite the initial glitch, the plan is to keep the name change indefinitely. Day believes that with proper communication there will not be an issue for the next event.

“We want to stay with the name change because we are trying to get away from isolating the surrounding communities. We want to include the entire county,” Day said. “The expo is a source for our vendors to provide services for the county throughout.”

According to Day, the expo is a good opportunity for local businesses whether they are traditional, home-based or nonprofit to make contact with several hundred potential customers. This can only help the businesses to grow and the local economy to improve.

Day heard positive feedback from several of the vendors that did partake of the expo this year. The business members were pleased with the outcome.

“Axmen Propane are very happy because they got some new clients. Pella Windows and Doors out of Missoula received good contacts as well. Missy’s Pet Palace got new contacts and grooming appointments set up,” Day said. “Each one of them got what they were trying to achieve.”

Many of the vendors were happy with the contacts they made but some still had constructive criticism for the board.

One thing they asked for was more space for their business displays. The chamber was quick to heed the request.

“Next year we will be increasing booth size spaces with no increase on fees because we want to give them more room,” Day said. “That is one thing the vendors talked about. We are always looking for feedback from them.”

At the next chamber meeting on Wednesday, April 9, they will be kicking around other ideas for next year’s Sanders County Expo. Day said it is all still up in the air but they have been considering things such as additional discounts for early registration. The objective is to learn, make changes and grow each year.