Meet, Greet, Eat brings businesses and Longboat Key residents together

The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce hosted its 15th annual Meet, Greet, Eat event on Feb. 18 at Harbourside Dining Room at the Longboat Key Club. 

The chamber event is part trade show, part social event and features booths in which chamber members can showcase their services and interact with potential customers. This is the second year that the event has been open for community members to attend. 

“We opened it to the public in 2019 and we’ve had more reservations and booths than we’ve ever had,” Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce president Gail Loefgren said. “So many businesses (in the chamber) are service-oriented ones that we don’t have on the island that community members can see here.” 

Loefgren said that before this year’s event, residents were stopping by the Chamber office, asking when the 2020 event would be because they had enjoyed the 2019 version so much. Dozens of community members turned out to get to know the businesses near them, both professionally and personally.  

“There is great support from residents on the key,” Loefgren said. 

The “eat” part of the event featured bites from Tommy Bahama Bar and Restaurant, Anna Maria Oyster Bar, Harry’s Continental Kitchens and The Blue Dolphin Cafe, which vendors and visitors alike nibbled on as they mingled.