Vendor Shows can be a great place to promote and share your product or service.
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Do’s

1. Do: A smile and greeting

• Customers are drawn to those having fun and being welcoming. With a big crowd, catching customers with a smile, and a hello can make a difference. A great way to start is: “Have you heard of (your company/ product/service) before?” and “Have you tried it and liked it?”  Prepare to see if there is anything you can assist with or a simple “Enjoy the rest of the event!” if the answer is no. If they say yes, this is your way in! Be ready to discuss your product or service. Whether it’s to hand them a sample of your food or a pamphlet discussing your packages, putting a piece of jewelry on them, or letting them hold a cockroach (I’m looking at you, bug exterminators). Show you are interested in them!

 
2. Do: drawings, coupons & specials

• People love free swag. Pens, paper, koozies, sunglasses, and even phone charges are in high demand.
• When it comes to prizes and drawings;  This is an opportunity to gain potential customers’ contact info. Collecting names, emails, and phone numbers gives you more contacts for your newsletter and a chance at new customers. A great way to draw is after the event, to get the winner into your place of business – they now know where you are and can see your success!

 
3. Do: Follow up fast

• Whether you’re collecting leads, inquiries, or contacts for the drawing, make sure you follow up within 24-48 hours. Following up with them via text, email, or newsletter will plant a seed and help them remember you in the long run. This also gives them a timeline for how responsive your customer service is.

Don’ts

1. Do not: Simply sit behind the table

• Create a unique and different display. Simply moving the table to the side opens your booth and gives you the space to invite attendees in. Standing up shows that you are interested and approachable and helps encourage conversation. It will assist in customers being more comfortable looking at your products. They then won’t feel like they’re bothering you by asking questions. Make eye contact, offer your assistance, and do not be on your computer the whole time! If you must enter client info, see Don’ts #2 – do not come alone.

 
2. Do not: Come alone

• Vendor shows are an exciting time to discuss and share your company. Having a second person assisting you at the booth will allow for more exposure and keep conversations flowing. This will also allow you to take turns meeting other vendors to network or take breaks.

​The Temple Chamber of Commerce is a member-driven organization committed to enhancing the success of our members and quality of life in the greater Temple area. The Chamber provides a venue where business owners, leaders, and their staff can connect, learn, and grow.

Amy Henderson Firth died suddenly in 2012. Amy was an organ donor whose organs and tissues either saved lives, or made lives better, for least 70 people. Jim Fly, the Executive Director and Chaplain of Amy’s House explained that in honor of Amy, an affordable, sanitized, and safe home-away-from-home was established in Temple, Texas.  He explained that Amy’s House is for living organ donors, organ recipients, and their support teams. Amy’s House provides rooms for patients who are gaining strength to return home, patients who still need to be close to the hospital, and the families and caregivers of transplant patients. Once a patient has stayed at Amy’s House, they are welcomed back when traveling into Temple for medical appointments related to their transplants. 

There are several things about Amy’s House that make it so unique and make it a huge asset for the community. Amy’s House knows how important sanitizing is for those who stay in the house. Most every patient who comes in is on an immunosuppressant, which makes patients very susceptible to infections. To minimize infections, several steps are in place. The air and surfaces are sanitized, guests are required to wear masks, and no children under the age of 16 are allowed in. In addition, separate food storage drawers and separate refrigerator spaces are assigned for each patient.
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Patients who stay at Amy’s House may stay anywhere from 1 night to around 2 months depending on their medical needs. Patients and their caregivers are encouraged to make donations. However, the Board of Amy’s House understands that many patients have expended large sums on necessary medical care, leaving little to cover the expenses of temporary lodging. Therefore, Amy’s House allows patients and caregivers to stay regardless of their ability to make donations. Amy’s House also has other ways of providing patients and caregivers with ways to satisfy other needs. One example of this is that financial donors often provide grocery vouchers that Amy’s House distributes to patients who need them.
In the future, Amy’s House plans to add opportunities for volunteers to help maintain the services Amy’s House provides. As for now, Amy’s House is focused on keeping the infection rate at low to none, and continuing to provide a home feel to patients who need peace, comfort, and a place to call home for a while. 

Visit Amy's House online: ​https://www.amyshouse-temple.org/

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a national observance held annually since 1949 to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of good mental health for everyone.
 
According to Mental Health America, one-in-five American adults live with a diagnosable mental health condition. Mental health, defined as emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
 
Though we all experience emotional ups and downs, mental health conditions extend beyond these emotional reactions to become something longer lasting. They are diagnosable medical conditions that, like other diseases, are treatable. They are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. However, many individuals are ashamed to seek help because of misconceptions about mental health. 
 
The topic of mental health resonated with the Leadership Temple Class of 2022.
 
During their nine-month program, they saw first-hand how unaddressed mental health issues have led to homelessness, stressed the justice system and emergency departments, and became more aware of the landscape within the business community with employee burnout, distress, and suicide.
  
The group recognized a stigma still surrounds the topic of mental health and wanted to be part of changing the narrative.
 
Engaging the Temple High School Career & Technical Education Video Production students, the group produced a video public service announcement. In the video public service announcement, Mental Health is All Our Concern, the participants were vulnerable about their own mental health struggles, shared the facts surrounding mental health, and provided resources for those in need.
 
“We all have it [mental health]. Why are we so afraid to discuss it?” said Michael Rousell, CPA at Brockway, Gersbach, Franklin & Niemeier, and Leadership Temple Class of 2022 participant during the video public service announcement.
 
Typically when discussing mental health conditions, the language is clinical and impersonal. Though useful for doctors, it is isolating and unrelatable to those experiencing mental health conditions. 
 
“The video project by Leadership Temple was a labor of love by the professionals engaged in the program,” expressed Shawn Reynolds, Chief of Police, Temple Police Department, and Leadership Temple Class of 2022 participant. “These professionals further recognized many misconceptions related to mental health and wanted to share personal experiences with mental health conditions and the facts to tackle the stigma associated with mental health.”
 
The video served as the opening to the Central Texas Community Health Summit: Connecting the Dots 5.0 on April 27, 2022, at the Central Texas Council of Governments. The theme of the annual regional summit was Prioritizing Community Mental Health.
 
“Sharing is the key to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health conditions. It shows others that they are not alone in their feelings or symptoms,” noted Bre’Layshia Alexander, Baylor Scott & White Health and Leadership Temple Class of 2022 participant. “There are people that care and want to help and assist you.” 
 
Reach out to the following for support:

• Suicide Prevention Hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 9-8-8.
• Lifeline, available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis at 1-800-273-8255.
• NAMI Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
• Central Counties Services at 254-298-7000.
• Toll-free Crisis Hotline at 1-800-888-4036.
• Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7, confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones at 1-800-273-8255.

 
In May, the Leadership Temple Class of 2022 participants will complete the Mental Health First Aid Certification through Central Counties Services. This 8-hour training teaches one to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health conditions and substance use disorders. It gives participants the tools to help friends, family, colleagues, and community members experiencing a mental health crisis.
 
The Leadership Temple Class of 2022 participants are Bre’Layshia Alexander, Baylor Scott & White Health; Jake Blair, PE, Kasberg, Patrick & Associates, LP; Alfonzo James, Walmart Distribution Center #6083; Kevin Koonce, Right Sized Inventory; Tyson McLaughlin, Extraco Banks; Nanette Pace, 4 Legs of Love Boarding & Boutique; Shawn Reynolds, City of Temple - Police Department; Michael Rousell, Brockway, Gersbach, Franklin & Niemeier, P.C.; David Shine, Shine Richardson Group of Wells Fargo Advisors; Brian Stokes, Woodward Creative Group; Jordan Valentin, SweetTooth Growth Solutions, LLC; and Branan Walker, Lengefeld Lumber Company.
 
Watch the video public service announcement Mental Health is All Our Concern on the Temple Chamber of Commerce YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/templetexaschamber, or website www.templechamber.com/mentalhealth.