One of the Chamber’s key focus areas for our mission-work is Small Business & Entrepreneurial Development. We have a passion for curating and providing essential resources for starting, running, and growing business for businesses of all sizes. We also open doors to new connections for our diverse group of small businesspeople through entrepreneurial events and programming like the new Northwest Arkansas Community Showcase coming in October.

NWA Community Showcase Coming October 15

The NWA Community Showcase Presented by Pepsi Co. convenes Northwest Arkansas businesses to help them make new business connections and reach new customers.

The Showcase is a place where business and community intersect by featuring a variety of things to do for all ages. Attendees will enjoy the IdeaFame Live Elevator Pitch Competition, Battle of the Chefs, Cultural Presentations, Kids Zone, Food Trucks, Pop-Up Seminars for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners, and much more to be announced.

Increasing Awareness of #ShopNWA
The Showcase creates an entrepreneurial platform for businesses to connect with other businesses and local consumers in the community by displaying their products and services in exhibits.

Whether you are a consumer discovering new places to shop, a local vendor prospecting for new business acquisition or a nonprofit organization exploring new partnerships, your business will benefit from the new relationships you make. It is also a wonderful way for the community to meet our diverse business owners and show their support by shopping local - #ShopNWA - with them.

Free to the Community
Attendance is free and open to the public. No registration or tickets required. Just check in when you arrive.

Exhibit Booths
Purchase your exhibit booth space to reach hundreds of attendees including a diverse group of businesses exhibiting in the trade show. This is a good opportunity for vendors who want to generate leads for new business.

There are two booth options to choose from:

Showcase Booth (inside): These include a 10x10 booth inside the Metroplex Event Center.

Experience Pavilion Booth (outside): These include a booth outside in the middle of the action, featuring additional room surrounded by food trucks and activities.

Battle of the Chefs
Who is the best chef in Northwest Arkansas? The NWA Community Showcase will feature food prepared by local chefs and give attendees an opportunity to vote for their favorite dish while sampling some of the best cuisine the area has to offer. A list of participating chefs will be released soon.

Cultural Performances
In recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the NWA Community Showcase will feature artistic performances throughout the event that highlight the diverse culture our area has to offer.

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

"IdeaFame Live” Elevator Pitch Competition
The IdeaFame Live Contest, brought to you by Startup Junkie, is a fun event created to promote startups and new ideas, and to increase "creative collisions" in emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems. Come pitch your new business, product, service, or solution for a chance to win. Or attend and help us vote for the People’s Choice Prize. We’re giving away $2,000 in prizes as follow:

Attendees: Open to anyone – bring your co-founders, friends, family, fiancé – anyone! (Attendees vote for the $1,000 People’s Choice Prize).

Contestants: Open to entrepreneurs, innovators, and dreamers who want to share their idea for a chance to win $1,000! You have 60 seconds to pitch your idea, no more. No slides. No notes. Only one contestant can speak per pitch.

And More To Be Announced Soon
There’s something for everyone. Bring your family to enjoy the Kids Zone and Food Trucks. We’re also putting together Pop-Up Seminars for those looking to learn more about hot business topics. Stay tuned for more information as we put together an outstanding program for our community celebrating our theme “Opportunities for All.”

Talk To Us About How to Get Involved

If you need more information or want to become a sponsor of the event, contact Geovanny Sarmiento at [email protected] or Jivette De Jesus at [email protected].