Now in its 17th year, The Black Women’s Expo has become one of the premiere events in Chicago. The ambitious and marketing savvy brain behind this event is none other than Merry Green. Fearless and no stranger to pulling off big events, Green’s next step is to make the expo a national destination. –tony binns
What was your initial goal when you started TBWE?
I was at V-103 as promotional marketing director, so the primary goal was to reach out to our listening audience, which was 60 percent female, 40 percent male at the time, and my personal goal was to have a forum where we could talk about all the issues African American women, specifically, face in our community.
Since that time do you feel you have accomplished those goals?
The Black Women’s Expo has more than accomplished those goals. Even now, there’s a heavy weight on us because it has truly become a community-wide event. And so all the resources that are in Chicago for African Americans, whether it’s community organizations, health organizations, business organizations, all of these resources and organizations out there want to be a part of the expo and should be.
What is different about this year’s event that separates it from previous years?
People are going to reminisce and go back to the way we used to be. The last three years we took some risks, did some different things. I think people will be excited to see that The Black Women’s Expo is back the way it used to be and it’s bigger and better than ever.
How would you like to see TBWE grow?
It is growing. I can’t go into too much detail about next year, but we will be in three cities, so we won’t be in just Chicago, but two other urban markets. We have already established partnerships in those cities so it has finally grown after 17 years to a national show.
The Black Women’s Expo returns to Chicago on Friday and Saturday, August 7 and 8, 2010 at McCormick Place, North Building, Hall C1. For additional information, including schedules for seminars and performances, visit www.theblackwomensexpo.com or call (312) 243-3554.
