Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 6

126 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 6 Shance Sizemore, CEO of the Bedford Chamber of Commerce. “We had hoped that we were just going to delay it until the fall and see what it looks like, but after we got to the point of no return we decided it was for the best to cancel. The military base was starting to shut down, things were starting to go into lockdown, so we just cancelled it.” But the pandemic couldn’t keep the event down for long. Back after more than a year, the Expo and its organizers are ready to connect businesses with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) once again. Sizemore explains, “We had planned on doing it the following year in the spring, but with so much uncertainty up until this past month with mask mandates and social distancing and all that, we thought that the safest and best route to host this in person would be to delay until the August timeframe.” This year’s event, hosted by the Bedford Chamber of Commerce, will take place on August 31 at the French Lick Resort and Casino in French Lick, Indiana. Organizers are continuously at work ensuring they can roll out a successful event that follows local guidelines, keeps people safe, all while connecting businesses to NSWC Crane. “We’ve had enough time to better understand how the vaccine rollout was going to work, and what in-person events were going to look like,” says Sizemore. “Obviously, things are still AT A GLANCE BUY INDIANA EXPO WHAT: A regional trade show to connect businesses with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane WHERE: French Lick, Indiana WEBSITE: www.bedfordchamber.com/connect/2021-buy-indiana-expo