ROCKPORT — The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce has announced that the organization will reschedule their annual Business & Community Expo, originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, at the Samoset Resort. The Chamber’s announcement follows a recommendation from Maine Governor Janet Mills that indoor events attracting 250 people or more scheduled in the next 30 days should be postponed. The Governor’s recommendation was one of several updates she made on Thursday in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chamber will select a new date for the event as soon as Governor Mills and the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention issue updated guidance that would indicate that conditions are safe to hold large indoor public events. Businesses and organizations that have reserved exhibit space for the Business Expo will have their spaces held for them in anticipation of the event being held later in 2020. Well over 100 exhibit booths have already been reserved for the event, according to the Chamber, in a news release.

“The Business & Community Expo is highly anticipated each year, and is very important to our members and to the community. We don’t take rescheduling lightly,” said Thomas Peaco, president and CEO of the Chamber, in the release. “However, we have decided to reschedule not only to follow the Governor’s guidance, but also to ensure that we can deliver a safe, vibrant, and full event for our exhibitors and attendees.”

Now in its 27th year, this annual event fills over 120 exhibit booths and attracts over 700 people over a five-hour period, according to the Chamber.

Once a new date is announced, registered exhibitors who are unable to participate at that time will be offered a full refund of their exhibitor fee. Businesses and organizations who had not yet registered but who would like to exhibit on the rescheduled date can contact the Chamber to register.

The Chamber has consulted with all sponsors and partners for this year’s Business & Community Expo and has their full and unanimous support for the rescheduling under the circumstances.

“They all look forward to participating on the new date to be announced,” said the Chamber.

Sponsors include TD Bank, Sheila Lowe Aflac, January Peavey State Farm, First National Bank, Storm Warriors Media Foundation, LCI, Pen Bay Medical Center, and Camden National Bank.

Event Partners include Adventure Advertising, Courier Publications/Village Soup, Frank FM 106.9/The Wolf 105.5, the Samoset Resort, and Wallace Events.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce serves as a primary business conduit for the Camden-Rockland Region, which encompasses 27 municipalities within and surrounding Knox County. The Chamber provides a variety of platforms and opportunities for close to 800 business and nonprofit members to promote themselves to residents and visitors to the region. To learn more, visit www.CamdenRockland.com or call 207-596-0376.