 is a free, monthly pop-up market held at Fuzion Force LA in the NoHo Arts District. Each month, the expo features 10-12 small black and/or minority owned businesses with different products and services. We also have a live DJ, raffles, and give-aways, each month.){kind=link}
The NoHo Arts District’s unofficial motto is: “NoHo is only as great as its people.” Our NoHo Arts District creative community has been through a roller coaster ride during the pandemic and their resilience should be applauded. This week we feature The North Hollywood Black & Minority Business Expo (NoHo BMBE) as they approach their one-year anniversary.
We asked The North Hollywood Black & Minority Business Expo (NoHo BMBE) coordinator Joshua Carr some questions. Save the date for their next expo!
When:
June 20th (day after Juneteenth, Father’s Day) from 1-5pm.
Where:
NoHo Park
Magnolia and Tujunga
More Info:
http://www.instagram.com/NohoBMBE
What is the North Hollywood Black and Minority Business Expo?
The North Hollywood Black & Minority Business Expo (aka NoHo BMBE) is a free, monthly pop-up market held at Fuzion Force LA. Each month, the expo features 10-12 small black and/or minority owned businesses with different products and services. We also have a live DJ, raffles, and give-aways, each month.
How did the idea to start the North Hollywood Black and Minority Business Expo?
The Expo actually started off as one small event, in a full day of events, online and in-person, in honor of Juneteenth 2020. It was born, in response to the question: “How can I advocate for my community, in a unique and impactful way?” Especially considering the climate in our country in summer 2020 (COVID, George Floyd, etc.), I wanted to organize events with a focus on community. The first “expo” was actually the “Black & Minority Business Experience,” which was only four vendors in one room, all of whom were also close friends of mine. When I saw how far it could go, and how many people we could serve, I knew I had to keep going. Thank goodness Will and D’Jae signed on to help me coordinate the event because it’s taken a life of its own, since last year.
What type of vendor are you looking for? What have some of your past vendors sold/created?
We are looking for all types of vendors, especially those with physical products/services. Our event caters well to businesses that offer food, apparel, jewelery, skin care, home goods, art, and high fashion. We’ve also hosted other business types including personal trainers, massage therapists, tarot readers, and plant sales — anything you can think of, we’re interested in it. As of now, we are specifically looking for more food vendors, especially vegan food, desserts, and beverages (shakes, juices, etc.)
Please tell us more about the next event at NoHo Park.
Our next event, at NoHo Park, is scheduled for June 20th (day after Juneteenth, Fathers Day), from 1-5pm. Since it is our one-year anniversary, we are planning to bring out more vendors, particularly “crowds favorites,” from past expos. We’ll still have a DJ and raffles/give-aways, as well as live performances, a photo booth, and exclusive BMBE merch, for the one-year anniversary. We are finalizing details, but in terms of what to expect, we’ll have food, clothing, health/wellness, art, swimsuits, and other stuff for summer time. Again, this is our first outdoor event, so we’re just excited to bring the vibe we’ve been cultivating directly to The People. This will also be the first time, in a while, we’ve had all of our vendors in one space (as opposed to spread out in different rooms, in the studio), so the magnetism is going to be amazing.
Are you looking for anything in particular for this special event?
We are always looking for sponsors, to keep things going. The guys and I aren’t taking anything home with us, month to month — we want to prioritize the vendors making sales and the event being free entry. In that way, if any business or individuals in the area would like to make donations to help cover costs (rentals, supplies, etc), that is always appreciated and can be sent to Venmo (@NohoBMBE) or they can contact us directly. More than anything, though, we want people to come check out The Expo. We’ve been able to connect with some extremely talented and ambitious small-business owners, in the last year, and we just want other people to see what’s available right in their area. This is not only an opportunity to support Black and minority businesses, but it’s also a chance to shop locally — a majority of our vendors live in The Valley or LA, so we are emphasizing spending money in the community. We truly believe we are throwing one of the best events in NoHo (minus TGL Open Mic, obviously), and we know that if people come and FEEL what we have going, they’ll be looking for us every month.
Is there something you’d like to highlight?
I would like to highlight our pillars: Community, Entrepreneurship, and Inspiration (we like to say, “In that order!”). I’d like to emphasize that “Community” is first — this is intentional, as it reflects the original question (when The Expo was “The Experience”): How can we advocate for our community, in a unique and impactful way? We remind our vendors every month that we want them to sell out, but more than that, we want them to make connections with us, other vendors, and the rest of the community.
“Entrepreneurship” is second because that’s our modality. We are currently planning other events that will utilize other modalities — art and education, for insistence. In that way, The Expo is specifically focused on supporting small-business owners.
Last, but definitely not least, is “Inspiration,” which we believe is the inevitable outcome of a successful event. Our intention is to leave the vendors feeling confident and inspired, so they can continue to grow and innovate. At the same time, we want anyone who attends to be inspired to DO something because of the energy they felt or an interaction they had, at the Expo.
These three pillars have kept us focused, as we’ve grown and faced challenge, and I believe they’re undeniable, if you attend an event.