COLORADO SPRINGS — Setting up a new company is not generally effortless.
When a promoting management organization requested numerous tiny business enterprise homeowners to participate in a Women’s Expo in Colorado Springs, they jumped at the option.
Nonetheless, a number of of people members in the celebration explain to News 5 Investigates that they truly feel cheated and misled.
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Megan Morris, Jenna Wilson and Pari Sveinsson are a few small organization proprietors in Colorado. All a few women of all ages are voicing the similar issue with “Donnell Productions”—a marketing and advertising administration firm that hosts Women’s Expos where little small business house owners can publicize and promote their items in a farmers market place kind location.
The team suggests they had been pitched the very same story from the firm’s owner, Barbara Donnell.
Much better Business enterprise Bureau
“She stated she has been into my retail store and there is a Women’s Expo coming up that she thinks I might be fantastic healthy for,” Megan stated. “She (Barbara Donnell) claimed it’s heading to be this enormous expo with 3,000-5,000 individuals confirmed to come through.”
Pari states she also gained a connect with about obtaining a income booth at the event.
“She just referred to as me at my manufacturer new small business and recruited me,” Pari reported. “At the time I experienced just began having into farmers markets. I assumed that the rationale why I was currently being recruited was simply because I was so magnificent at farmers markets and that they preferred me at this Women’s Expo. I was honored and psyched. She built all these guarantees to me as properly.”
As for Jenna, she says she was skeptical at 1st, but eventually caved and signed up to participate.
“Identical spiel,” Jenna stated. “I was advised my goods are going to be totally excellent for the present.”
Information 5 also received an email Donnell Productions reportedly despatched to Jenna.
“I consider your organization would do quite properly in the Expo,” Donnell reported. “We frequently have all-around 3,000 to 3,500 attendees.”
When it arrived time for the celebration to kick off at the Norris Penrose Occasions Center, Jenna, Megan and Pari say it was a entire disappointment. They all said several folks showed up.
Women’s Expo world wide web web site (Womensexpoliving.com)
“You get to the show and there is no signage,” Megan claimed. “The morning of the occasion I’m at the improper constructing because there is not even a indicator telling the distributors the place to go. The celebration starts and no 1 is showing up. You are contemplating perhaps it’s a slow start off but no a single was there. The 3,000 to 5,000 persons that were promised, there were being possibly 300. It was distributors browsing from every single other since every person was so bored.”
Jenna and Pari agreed with Megan.
The team states they quickly questioned no matter if the Colorado Springs Women’s Expo was even set alongside one another by locals.
Even with “Colorado Springs” getting pictured on the major of the firm’s event logo, we observed Donnell Productions is really centered in Connecticut, in accordance to BBB documents.
We begun reaching out to Donnell many months ago. We named and sent a few individual email messages concerning January and April. We had hoped to discuss with Donnell about her promoting and promoting procedures as nicely as address the grievances that had been elevated.
Donnell did not respond.
Now, Information 5 Investigates has figured out the organization is advertising and marketing its latest Women’s Expo correct in this article in Colorado Springs later this year.
“We would like them not to occur again to Colorado Springs,” Pari stated.
For each their contractual agreements, there are “no refunds” and the $600 price each organization proprietor compensated certain a booth at the function.
In advance of you indication a agreement:
-Make absolutely sure you study the good print before signing
-When spending cash up front, it can be crucial to fully grasp what services you are acquiring
-If you see a “regional title” in a small business emblem or ad, do not immediately suppose a enterprise is local. You can confirm a business enterprise tackle by way of the Secretary of State’s web site or Far better Business enterprise Bureau
Have a tale thought or challenge you would like Information 5 Investigates to glance into? E mail: [email protected]
