By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Kathleen Rana was preparing the free food samples that she would be giving out to hungry passers by who stopped at her table in Palmer Square late Tuesday afternoon.
Rana, a restaurant owner in Hamilton, was one of 75 area vendors who came to the borough this week to promote their business at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s sixth annual mid-summer marketing showcase. Organizations from Habitat for Humanity to the Princeton Symphony Orchestra paid to have a table Tuesday at the street fair-style event.
Nothing was up for sale Tuesday, but business owners Rana came “spreadin the word,” in her words, about what they do to the anticipated crowd of 800 people who were expected to attend the three-hour event. Businesses were looking to turn some of those people into clients.
Robert Powell, part of the family run Phrog Fitness, a first-timer at the showcase, said the event is a good opportunity to interact with the community. Although it was still early on in the event, he said he was getting a good response from the crowd.
The chamber said the showcase has almost doubled in participation from when it started.
Peter M. Crowley, president and CEO of the chamber, said 40 vendors participated in the first year. And they keep coming back, as Mr. Crowley said 80 percent of them on Tuesday were repeats.
The showcase is one of the roughly 100 events big and small that the chamber has throughout the year. As it has been in the past, the Bank of Princeton was the title sponsor of the showcase.
Bank president Ed Dietzler said Tuesday that it is “key” for the bank to be involved with the community and the businesses. He noted that a lot of businesses at the showcase have what he called partnerships with the bank.
Despite the still rough economy, some businesses expressed confidence that things were turning around.
”I think things are picking up,” said Ms. Rana, owner of the Jersey Girl Café.
Mr. Crowley said he thinks businesses that have survived “are doing well.”
Even in the bad economy, businesses are finding ways to be innovative.
Entrepreneur Suzanne O’ Rourke, making her first appearance at the showcase, said she started an online directory for businesses, a type of digital yellow pages called Localchatbox.com.

