FAQs – Washington State Small Business Fair

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I missed the 2020 Biz Fair – when will the next fair be held?

The 2021 Washington Small Business Fair (Biz Fair) is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 and will be held virtually.

Do I need to pre-register for the BizFair?

Yes, you’ll need to pre-register for the BizFair. On the event day, you’ll be able to access the sessions via the event agenda on our virtual event page. At 7:00AM PST, you’ll have access to the event site and be able to live chat and interact with exhibitors. Starting at 9:30AM PST, our opening session will begin and you’ll be able to access it via a link in the agenda.

What is the Biz Fair?

The Washington Small Business Fair (Biz Fair) is a free, one-stop-shopping event for new and existing small business owners. The purpose of the fair is to provide a wide spectrum of information that small business owners need, in a non-sales environment. Historically, the fair has been held once a year since 1997 on the Renton Technical College campus, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is being held virtually for 2021. Exhibitors participate each year, providing information to small business owners and answering their questions. Free sessions are offered throughout the day, with topics such as marketing, financing, import/export, record keeping, legal issues, taxes and licensing, building a website, and more. To register to attend the 2020 BizFair, visit our registration page.

Who are the exhibitors?

There are two types of exhibitors: the Resource Center and Digital Marketplace. The Resource Center exhibitors are government agencies or non-profit organizations, such as trade or business associations and chambers of commerce. This year, we’re pleased to add the Digital Marketplace, where for-profit companies who have critical services for small businesses can engage in “chats” with attendees, provide product demos and promote their products and service offerings.

Is there a fee to exhibit?

To keep the event free to the public and cover the costs of the virtual platform there is a fee to exhibit. Please visit the sponsorship and exhibitor page to learn more.

I am a representative from a government agency or non-profit business organization – how can I find out more about becoming an exhibitor?

Please contact us via email at info@bizfair.org or call us at (425) 243-2721.

Who presents the sessions?

The sessions are presented by a variety of local business experts from both the public and private sector.

Are the session presenters paid?

No. Presenters volunteer their time and expertise. They are allowed to tell attendees which business they work for (or own). However, they are strictly prohibited from making their sessions a sales pitch for their (or any) company’s products or services.

How can I find out more about becoming a presenter at the fair?

How many people attend the fair?

After 23 successful in-person events with attendance averaging between 250-600 attendees, we had about 2000 attendees at the 2020 virtual BizFair and aim to have 5000 attendees in 2021. BizFair potentially allows access to over 300,000 small businesses in the state of Washington as well as those unemployed workers seeking self-employment opportunities.

Who plans and sponsors the fair?

The BizFair planning committee puts on the fair. The planning committee is composed of 10-20 representatives from federal, state and local government agencies, business and trade organizations, and small business owners. Without the generous contributions of our sponsors, this free to attend virtual event would not have been possible.

What were participants' responses to the fair? How is the success of the fair measured?

Evaluations on the overall quality of the fair are distributed to all participants. Most participants have been in business less than two years, and the majority are between the ages of 30 to 50. See our Testimonials section for reactions to the fair from some of the participants.