Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Business Expo Opens New Oppor

PHILADELPHIA, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies throughout the Greater Philadelphia area are gearing up to take advantage of a spectacular day of new business opportunities at the 2005 Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. The Expo will be held on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

More than 300 regional companies will display their goods and services as they network with their peers and the 4,000 professionals expected to attend the Expo. For the exhibiting companies, like Disk Makers of Pennsauken, NJ, the one-day Business Expo yields roughly the same advantages of a sustained advertising campaign to attract new clients.

"So many different businesses have a legitimate need for Disc Makers' CD/DVD manufacturing services," said Jim Brett, of Disk Makers. "The GPCC Business Expo is the best place for us to showcase our products and services to folks in our own backyard. Disc Makers benefits from the local presence and allows us to build even stronger ties within our surrounding business community."

In addition to unique networking opportunities, the Business Expo offers exhibitors and attendees the chance to gain insight and advice from successful speakers including:

-- Deborah Roberts, Anchorwoman, ABC News and 20/20, who will talk about how refined leadership skills can generate new opportunities essential to creating career momentum; -- Raj Peter Bhakta, former contestant on Donald Trump NBC reality program The Apprentice II, who will speak on early entrepreneurial activity; and -- A panel discussion on brand awareness for non-profit companies featuring - Sara Moran, Executive Director, Delaware Valley Habitat for Humanity; David Brown, President, Brown Partners; Chas Hermann, Senior Vice President, Retail Marketing, Commerce Bank; David Herr, Managing Director, Corporate Value Consulting Practice, Standard & Poor's; Jonathan Rivard, Manager, Marketing Programs, Subaru of America; and moderated by Laura Otten, Ph.D., Director, Nonprofit Center, La Salle University.

"The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Business Expo presents growth opportunities like no other single event in our region," said Mark S. Schweiker, President & CEO, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. "This is the 26th year of the Business Expo and it remains a very effective medium through which regional businesses build their network and introduce their products and services to new clientele."

The 2005 Greater Philadelphia Business Expo is sponsored by Commerce Bank, Independence Blue Cross, La Salle University, Office Depot, UPS, 6 ABC, 20nine

Design Studios, ANRO Inc., Berry & Homer, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Daily News, and KYW News Radio.

"Commerce Bank is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Business Expo for the third straight year," said Roger Bomgardner, Senior Vice President, Commerce Bank. "Our partnership with the Chamber of Commerce is an effective way to support their exceptional work and contribute to the growth of the local business community."

About the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce consists of 5,500 members serving approximately 175,000 Philadelphia area employees. In 2003, the Chamber merged with Greater Philadelphia First and united the Greater Philadelphia business community under one organization with a renewed purpose. The Chamber's agenda includes aggressive economy-building activities, the attraction and retention of businesses, and repositioning the Greater Philadelphia region as an international center of commerce. In addition, the Chamber hosts more than 150 programs and seminars throughout the year, reaching out to small, large and mid-sized businesses, as well as initiatives targeting women and the international and educational communities. The Chamber is also an active advocate on behalf of its members for a variety of issues on the local, state and federal levels. More information about the Chamber can be found online at http://www.philachamber.com/.

About Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank, "America's Most Convenient Bank," is a leading retailer of financial services with more than 320 convenient stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 2005, the bank plans to open 55-plus new locations and create 1,800 new career opportunities throughout its markets. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., Commerce Bancorp has $32 billion in assets and, in first quarter 2005, achieved a deposit increase of 29% and earnings per share growth of 22%. For more information about Commerce, please visit the company's interactive financial resource center at commerceonline.com.