Description: There are Job Fairs…and then there is Employment Expo 2008!  As you contemplate the shrinking workforce and the soon-to-retire “boomer” generation, consider exhibiting your company – and its recruitment needs—to countless candidates from 10:00 a. m. to 6:00 p. m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, at the Eclipse Center, 100 Eclipse Center, Beloit, WI 53511.  Participation is limited.  Sponsorship/Registration information is available online or by contacting Rochell Cheplak at (608) 741-3525.
 
Sponsorship:
 
We value our partnerships in the business community and invite you to help sponsor Employment Expo 2008.  Gold ($1,000) or Silver ($700) sponsorship levels are available.
 
The Gold sponsorship level gives your company:

• Skirted double booth with electricity in a prominent location

• Four lunches and the Hospitality area

• Interview room

• Your company logo featured in all newspaper, radio, and other publicity relating to the Expo

• Sponsorship click here

 
The Silver sponsorship level gives your company:

• Skirted single booth with electricity

• Two lunches and the Hospitality area

• Your company logo featured in all newspaper, radio, and any other publicity relating to the Expo

• Sponsorship click here

 
Of course, one of the major benefits of sponsorship is the good feeling that comes with giving back to the community and boosting the economic well-being in our area.
 
Registration:  The early registration fee of $275 will give your company one 8’ x 10’ booth, one 8’ table, two chairs, two lunches, and advertising.  Electricity is an additional $25.  After March 28, 2008, the registration increases to $325.  The registration deadline is April 25, 2008.  No refunds after April 4, 2008. Registration click here.
 
Current Sponsors:  Click here for the sponsors page.
 
Our History:
 
It was what you would call an “Ah-ha” moment when a group of us at the Rock County Job Center decided to plan a major event – Employment Expo 2007 – to take place form 10:00 a. m. to 6:00 p. m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2007.
 
The Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce hosts legislative breakfasts to hear about issues of importance to the local business community.  Forward Janesville’s annual Business & Marketing Expo is the largest business-to-business opportunity in a five-count area.  Forward Janesville spearheads Career Expo events for high school students to learn about local businesses as they begin thinking about their future.  It was intention to build upon these shining examples of what was already being done in our communities.
 
Employment Expo 2007 gave southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois employers a quality opportunity to (1) recruit job candidates; (2) showcase their company; and (3) enlighten visitors about what their business does.
 
We are constantly amazed – and disheartened – by the fact that many of our finest employers are not known by soon to graduate high school seniors, soon to graduate college seniors, and adults thinking about a career change or facing a layoff.  In some respects, it is no wonder that we are experiencing a “brain drain.”  In addition, the demographics of our area’s aging population have prompted companies to begin pro-active planning to address concerns about the “gray drain.”  Employment Expo 2007 set out to be a valuable networking resource for employers and job seekers.
 
In partnership with the Beloit Daily News, Blackhawk Human Resource Association, Blackhawk Technical College, Forward Janesville, Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, Janesville Gazette, and University of Wisconsin – Rock County, the Rock County Job Center in Janesville hosted Employment Expo 2007.  Our best estimate is that over 2,500 job seekers walked through the doors of the Job Center on May 8, 2007, to meet 61 employers registered for the event.  There was a waiting list of 15 employers eager to participate, but we simply had no room to accommodate their requests.
 
Needless to say, we are convinced there is an unmet need in our region to connect employers and job seekers.  To this end, we are taking Employment Expo 2008 on the road to Beloit.