Business & Tech

Business Expo to Highlight Hispanics

The Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is playing host to Saturday's event in Land O' Lakes.

Rocio “Rosie” Paulsen sees Saturday’s second annual Business Expo as a way to raise awareness about Pasco’s growing Hispanic population and the impact it has on the community.

“If your businesses are not targeting that community, you’re losing out,” said Paulsen, who is the president and founder of the Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The business expo is staged to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. The annual celebration is designed to raise awareness about the contributions Hispanics have made in America.

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The expo, she said, is another way to raise awareness among business owners and consumers.

Last year’s expo featured 15 exhibitors and more than 150 visitors. This year, Paulsen said the exhibitors have doubled and she’s hoping to double the crowd, too.

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The Hispanic population in Central Pasco is fast growing, Paulsen said. It’s up “48.9 percent in Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Land O’ Lakes,” she said, citing U.S. Census data from 2000 to 2010.

That’s why, she said, it’s important for businesses to target this community and for residents to become more familiar with Hispanic owned and operated businesses, too.

As for the expo, participants and visitors don’t have to be Hispanic to attend, Paulsen stressed.

“It’s open to everybody,” she said.

Julio Fuentes, the president and founder of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the guest speaker for the event.

The expo takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes, 186000 Fernview St. For more information about the chamber, visit phhchamber.org. The chamber plays host to regular meetings that are conducted in English.


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