"Social Media" reality check - we need some Face-to-Face events

All the fun new tech is really neat, but the majority of buyers make their purchases offline (both businesses and consumers), and most new clients are obtained by physical face to face meetings.

What this area really needs is a showcase for local business people who either hold events in the state, to which outstate buyers and company owners are invited (with plenty of pre-show special offers and incentives) or a road show in which local business owners travel to outstate (or at least outmarket from SE MI) venues and promote their businesses.

Trust is built in person, and I think the "connect" in MCC needs to get more personal, and with a wider scope. If the economy here is poor, then we need to be sending ambassadors outside the area to make new connections.