PLAINS TWP. — Pittston resident Christ Simmons offered people a 360-degree photo booth experience at Northeast Pennsylvania’s second annual Black-owned business expo Saturday in Mohegan Sun Pocono’s convention center.
Simmons said he started the business Dream Legacy 360 Photo Booth in June and named it after his 2-month-old daughter Dream.
His business offers spin photo booth services at parties, weddings and baby showers. He creates themes and brings props.
He advertises his business online, on Facebook and Instagram.
“People love it,” Simmons said, after offering a demonstration and showing the video. “Sometimes a party could be quiet but once you bring the 360 around, everybody enjoys it.”
Simmons said he thinks the Black-owned Business Expo is a good idea because it “gives light to everybody.”
“It brings all the entrepreneurs together for us to gather and share our products,” Simmons said. “I feel that things like this should be done more often because people out there have businesses but they are kind of hidden. This is perfect because everybody gets the opportunity to share.”
Thaine Cuttino, owner of Unk Tik’s Sauces, shared samples of the sweet barbeque, hot barbeque, mango habanero and bourbon sauces he made and was selling for $7 a bottle and two for $12.
Cuttino, who came to the expo from Philadelphia with his daughter Tianna Cain-Cuttino, said he works for the U.S. Post Office full time but he plans on retiring in December so he recently started selling the sauces that he makes and bottles himself. It was his first year participating in the expo.
“It gets the word out to people to help support each other,” Cuttino said. “We need support more than anything else.”
Brock Vieney, owner of Brock’s Fresh Breads, sold mini-loaves of pumpkin, pumpkin chocolate chip, banana, banana nut and zucchini bread for $3 for one flavor and $4 for two flavors.
He was one of about 40 business owners who participated in the expo to sell and showcase his products and market his services.
The expo grew into a two-day event this year to highlight Black and brown business owners in the region during National Black Business Month.
Prior to the expo, Vieney was one of about 30 vendors who participated in a “Breakfast of Champions” where he listened to motivational speakers.
Vieney, who has been working on opening his own storefront, said he learned from listening to successful people talk at the breakfast that there always will be struggles and roadblocks.
“You’re not going to become rich overnight and you’re not going to become famous overnight,” Vieney said. “It takes time. You just have to keep on grinding and everything will work out in the end.”
Janiece Montes, owner of Janiece’s Purse Collection LLC, organized the event with Vieney. She said the breakfast was “super successful” and will continue to be offered in the future to the first 30 vendors who sign up for the expo.
In addition to learning more about marketing and education, she said business owners also learned about a new nonprofit organization that is getting started to provide them with more information they need.
Montes said she is glad the expo has grown into a two-day event and that Black and brown business owners have “the opportunity to present ourselves to the community.”
“It’s rewarding,” she said. “I love to see everybody here networking.”
The expo will continue on Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. in Mohegan Sun Pocono’s convention center.
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