The Manatee Chamber of Commerce is gearing up to host its largest Fall Expo to date this Thursday, bringing an expanded showcase of local businesses and opportunities for networking and connecting with the regional economic community. Designed to spotlight the strength and diversity of Manatee County’s business landscape, the annual Expo brings together organizations of all sizes for an event that focuses on collaboration, community engagement and locally driven economic growth.

“The Manatee chamber hosts our annual Fall Expo as a way to really shine a bright light on local businesses and employers. Our goal is to help the community connect with chamber member businesses, nonprofits and other employers, so that we can do more business locally, and so that we also can strengthen the connections between not just our Chamber members, but our connections with the broader community as well,” says Chamber President Jacki Dezelski.

This year, the Expo will take place at LECOM Park in Bradenton and will feature 103 businesses—the most participants the event has ever had—offering visitors a chance to explore a wide range of products and services. Dezelski says this growth reflects the momentum of Manatee County’s business community. “Now more than ever, it is so important for us to do business locally in every way that we can, whether that's for the needs that we have for our workplaces, or whether that is for our own personal needs. Supporting local businesses has never been more important,” she says.

Along with exhibitor booths, the Expo will feature entertainment, DJ music, prizes awarded throughout the evening, several local restaurants offering complimentary food and beverage samples and a Pirates and Marauders concession stand for those seeking classic ballpark fare. “The grand prize this year, and there's no purchase necessary to enter the grand prize drawing, is going to be the usage of the Mayor's Suite at LECOM Park, for up to 25 guests, at a 2026 Bradenton Marauders game, including a food and beverage package,” Dezelski says about the prize options.

“Many of the businesses and nonprofits that secure a booth will have engaging ways to invite the public to learn more about their business and organization through their booth,” says Dezelski. “Often, there are a lot of giveaways out of those booths as well.” To encourage community attendance, the Chamber is offering free admission for readers who register using the code GUEST to replace the regular $10 ticket fee. 

Pictured: The Fall Expo 2025 will be significantly larger than last year's event. Photo provided by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

Join us for an exclusive Investor Social, a private event to mix and mingle with fellow investors, community leaders, and the EDC team. Be among the first to get a sneak peek at our Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report, highlighting the milestones, momentum, and exciting future ahead for Sarasota County’s economy. November 17, 4-6pm, Waterworks. Enjoy great conversation, light refreshments, and an inside look at the impact your partnership helps make possible. 

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Sarasota Memorial Health Care System recognized two outstanding physicians for their exemplary service and leadership, honoring Eyad Almallouhi, MD, as 2025 Physician of the Year and Roger Shea, MD, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The health system also announced its newly appointed 2026 Chiefs of Staff for the Sarasota and Venice campuses. 

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For its November 21–22, 2025 engagement, The Sarasota Ballet presents Written Motion, a richly layered program of three works—each exploring movement as expressive narrative. The evening opens with Valses nobles et sentimentales by Sir Frederick Ashton, set to Maurice Ravel’s haunting waltz score. A ballet once lost to performance for 25 years, its revival by the company in 2012 and return now bring forward its poetic blend of elegance and nostalgia. Next comes The Letter V by Mark Morris, choreographed to Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G Major. This work exemplifies precision, wit, and deep musicality—qualities for which Morris is widely celebrated. The finale is a world premiere by Ashley Page, marking the company’s first collaboration with this former dancer of The Royal Ballet and ex-Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet. With a score by Igor Stravinsky and fresh creative design, it promises to illuminate new choreographic territory. Together, these three works craft a continuum from classical romance through music-driven modernity to bold novelty—offering audiences an immersive experience of how motion can become language. 

Photo Credit: The Sarasota Ballet in Sir Frederick Ashton's Valse Nobles Et Sentimentales | Photo by Foteini Christofilopoulou

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On Saturday, November 1, 2025, nearly 1,000 guests kicked up their cowboy boots at Rock the Roof, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s annual rooftop dance party benefiting Women and Children’s Services at Sarasota Memorial. Over $130,000 net proceeds were raised. The rooftop of SMH-Sarasota’s West Parking Garage was transformed into a high-energy country music celebration complete with food, beverages, live music, a DJ, a Fly Dance performance, a custom cowboy hat bar and mechanical bull riding. The event’s emcee was Lulu from 92.1 WCTQ. The night brought the community together for fun and festivity, and a shared commitment to supporting SMH. Proceeds from the event will directly benefit programs and services for women and children at Sarasota Memorial, continuing the Healthcare Foundation’s mission to help ensure SMH continues to provide world-class healthcare. 

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