"It's a great opportunity to find out what has opened since last year," the Knightdale resident says.

She makes one of her first stops at the town of Knightdale's engineering department booth. She knows what questions to ask, Thigpen says and, armed with that information, she and a friend make their way through the large crowds that fill passageways between more than 100 display booths promoting everything from government services and restaurants to local churches and fitness centers.

Thursday's Expo was held at Knightdale High School and a total of 114 vendors packed the hallway and cafeteria at the school and spilled out into the parking lot in front of the school.

Knightdale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennifer Bryan said the event met all its goals.

"It's a fun way for vendors to see their clients as well as get new ones," Bryan said. "Even if you get just one or two new customers it's a success and it's paid for itself."

That's the apprach Barry Jones takes. The executive pastor at Cornerstone Community Church, which meets at the high school on Sundays, said the Expo has been a great way to introduce the church to the community.

"We came out last year because one of our members asked if we were going to have a booth. He offered to pay for it, so we came out. We ended up getting several new members from people we met at the Expo," Jones said

The church's bright display at this year's Expo featured an audio presentation highlighting some of the church's work and gave visitors a chance to see how the contemporary nature of the church plays itself out. Other church volunteers kept a popcorn maker busy and Jones and the church's youth pastor took opportunties to talk to anyone who stopped long enough to have a conversation.

Aside from casting about for new customers, the Expo also gives participating vendors an opportunity to catch up with their business neighbors.

"People don't have time anymore to just get out and walk up and down the street and stop in to visit with other business owners. People are busy. They are working for every dollar they make. The Expo is a relaxed time and it gives our business people an opportunity to catch up with each other," Bryan said.

The event also gives vendors and visitors alike an opportunity to gain some professional development. Seminars stretched throughout the five-hour event, on topics from record keeping and how to use Quickbooks to grow a business to making the most of networking opportunities.

And, there were plenty of opportunities to walk away with a little something extra. Door prizes were awarded and several businesses were recognized for their booths. Lowe's Home Improvement won the award for having the most effective booth, while Michael Blake's Garden Center won for the most colorful booth and Kid's Educational Center won the award for the most creative display.