"These are busy people with tight budgets and I don't think they'd give up a day in the office if they weren't getting results from it," said Kathy Cockrell, member services coordinator for the Zebulon Chamber of Commerce.

The 2011 Zebulon Business Expo is slated for next Thursday, Sept. 29, from 2-7 p.m. at East Wake Academy located at 400 NMC Drive in Zebulon.

Cockrell said the goal of the chamber's largest annual business-to-business event is two fold -- it allows the businesses to interact with each other and is an opportunity for the businesses to advertise themselves to the general public.

"Normally they're all working and don't get the chance to do so," she said.

Before-seen exhibitors as well as a handful of new businesses are set to participate in this year's expo. Cockrell said participation is on track with last year's expo and she expects close to 60 businesses to be represented at the event.

First-year expo participants include the chamber's newest member, AllCare Health Source, and Community Home Care and Hospice. Systel Business Equipment will set up a booth for the first time, as will Shutterworks, a Middlesex company.

For the second year the American Wildlife Refuge will attend the expo with live animals on hand, and about eight food vendors are expected to attend the expo. Those registered as of last week include Papa Jack's Pig Pickin - which brought barbecue and jambalaya to last year's expo - Food Lion, Hunter Cooking Solutions and Sonic.

Cockrell is pleased with the variety of exhibitors that showcase at the annual event.

"We have everything from non-profit organizations like the Zebulon Boys & Girls Club to Wake Tech, the Zebulon Library, churches, restaurants, construction companies, insurance agencies, newspapers and health care representatives," she said. "It's hard to think of a major business category that's not represented in some way."

It marks the fifth year Cockrell has helped organize the expo, and the eighth year of the expo itself. The first expo was held at the former Zebulon Civic Center - now the East Wake Academy Senior Academy. The expo relocated to Five County Stadium before returning to the East Wake Academy campus in 2009 where it's been held ever since.

Cockrell hopes this year's event will be as successful for new and returning businesses as it has been in the past.

"When we're there we overhear conversations among the general public and each year we hear some version of, 'oh i didn't know you were right here or close by' " Cockrell said. "In terms of educating the public as to what's in eastern Wake County or right here in their back yard I would say absolutely the expos work."