Inspiring Lives Magazine Spring 2017: Issue 4 | Page 41
PATSY ANDERSON:
The Woman Behind the Women’s Expo
By Jen Forsyth • Photography by Laura’s Eye Photography
P
atsy Anderson has a passion for empower-
ing women and encouraging them to lead.
Women become effective leaders when you
teach them to recognize what they are worth.
For the past 15 years, Anderson has run the Mary-
land Women’s Expo, helping connect women and
their businesses, as well as educating the women who
participate about the types of events they participate in
so they can be successful and profitable.
Anderson says there truly is a difference between
a conference, a festival, and an expo, and women in
business should carefully consider which ones they
join.
“It’s like buying a vacuum cleaner to polish your
hardwood floors,” Anderson explains. “The two ma-
chines may look alike, but their purpose is different.
Without directions, you may never learn how to use
the machine properly. That is what I’m passionate
about—expos and conferences are different machines,
and you will not get the best results without under-
standing what you are buying into.”
“I’d love for others to have an idea of what a promot-
er is all about, their commitment to the community,
and exposure. It’s a topic I’ve dedicated my life to.”
Anderson began her expo crusade at a time when
there wasn’t a strong internet marketing presence and
when social media didn’t exist.
“I started the Maryland Women’s Expo 15 years
ago, pre-Facebook, social media, and event website
internet presence for women. Why? Because women
were not participating in expos, nor did they know or
understand the difference. Like many things, social
media and internet began to blur the lines of who is
a promoter and what is an expo or a conference. Sud-
denly anything with vendors was an expo or a confer-
ence.”
“We closed our first expo with over 200 women in
business and had no idea who was in business 15 min-
utes from where I live. Women still do not advertise
much, run television or
radio commercials, or in-
vest in billboards or large
exposure. They tend to run
in network circles. While
this is all wonderful, expos
invite in the general pub-
lic, and this is specifically
where the big difference is.
It has always amazed me
that the women’s industry
doesn’t often utilize so
many advertising outlets.”
This is the reason An-
Patsy Anderson
derson does more than
just feature a woman at
one of her expos. She gets to know the individual.
She empowers her. She counsels her. She makes sure
she follows up with that woman. This is not a case of
having that woman as a client and never seeing her
again. Anderson takes the time to find out the person’s
talents and what makes her tick. She wants her to have
the power to be as successful and make as much mon-
ey as possible.
“I am passionate about this line of work, and hope
this article will be a reminder of why promoters are
not event planners, and the critical role they play in
the community.”
The top four promoters who stand out as powerful
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