INTERVIEW: Behind the Scenes of the Sanz Klausenburg Business Expo

By Y.M. Lowy
The Sanz Klausenburg Business Expo was a groundbreaking event that brought together over 120 businesses and thousands of attendees, showcasing the creativity and talent within the Kehilla. In this exclusive interview, the leaders behind the initiative share the story of its inception, the challenges faced, the overwhelming success, and their hopes for the future of the Parnassah Committee.
1. When and why was this idea born, and how was it implemented into reality?
With such a large and dynamic Kehilla, it felt like the right time to take on this initiative. The Sanz Klausenburg Rebbe was very supportive of this initiative, he gave his full support and wished us success.
The initial push came from Yitzy Salamon of Builders Group USA, and Ari Prero of Fleck Free, who were instrumental in driving the vision forward. It was treated like a business venture, with six intense weeks of preparation. Naftuli Tessler, Chief of Staff of Hamaspik of Kings County, joined the project as the spokesman and host. Many volunteers and askanim helped in the months leading up to ensure everything would go well.
To help our exhibitors perform well, we brought in marketing experts to coach them before and during the expo, and follow-up sessions are ongoing. We also had business coaches available for extra guidance. The expo concluded with a panel of three successful business owners who shared how they achieved their success. Interestingly, all three panelists started by doing work in the Kehilla.
2. How many businesses attended, how many booths were there, and how many attendees?
The event exceeded our initial expectations with over 120 booths and more than 2,200 attendees. Shia Heskel Caterer arranged the food for the crowd, which was sponsored by Taam Eden and Catch & Co for the brunch, and a delicious fleishig supper, catered by Sruly’s.
3. Were there any unexpected challenges or good surprises along the way, or during the event?
There were a few surprises along the way. One of the highlights was the Magid Shiur giving a shiur in the middle of the event in the Expo Bais Medrash area, which was scheduled at 2:30 on Daf Yomi. Many people wanted more or missed it, so he graciously returned at 4:30 for another Shiur, which was appreciated.
Every exhibitor was beyond successful. The most interesting thing was seeing a smile on each attendee, every single participant enjoyed the event immensely, and there was an electrifying atmosphere throughout.
The only hiccup came with registration, as it was the first time we were doing something on this scale, but everything was smoothly handled after the initial bumps.
4. What feedback has been received now that the expo booths are packed away?
After the expo, the feedback has been amazing. A Dryveup campaign is currently underway to gather feedback from exhibitors, with a goal to reach 1,420 comments because our headquarters is located at 1420 50th Street.
The creativity displayed in each booth has been remarkable, sending an important message to our yeshiva education system. The expo showed that yeshiva graduates show incredible innovation and have immense talent we have to start noticing and celebrating our children.
One standout example was Shmuel Dovid Schwartz of Samkup, who created a booth modeled after a Mikva and used the wall to display his various projects with a creative twist on the advertisements plastered on the walls of our mikvahs. With towels, floor mats, benches, and a fake turnstile, the space was converted into a place to schmooze business.
Another example of sheer creativity was a collaboration between the Dryve booth and Shia Fischer’s Life Financial Services. The booths stood right across each other with a sign in the center with two arrows pointing in either direction, the choice between life insurance or launching a campaign.
5. What are the plans for the future of the parnasah committee?
There are no concrete plans yet, as of now it is still in the honeymoon phase. The event is not intended to be annual. One possibility is to alternate every other year between a day of Torah and a business expo. A special shoutout goes to the Builders Group staff for their incredible efforts in making the expo a success.