San Marcos businesses gathered for the 39th annual Business Showcase on Aug. 28 at the Embassy Suites Conference Center. The showcase featured a variety of vendors, from restaurants like Baskin-Robbins, Chuy’s and Black’s Barbecue to nonprofits like School Fuel, Kiwanis and PALS.
Spirit was evident on the showcase floor, where vendors greeted visitors with energy and enthusiasm, eager to share their stories and promote their businesses. For attendees, the event offered a chance to discover new places to support and a reminder of the community’s collaborative spirit.
The showcase served as a networking event for businesses and a way to give back to the community. Page Michel, president and CEO of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce, has led the event for the past three years.
“People love to do business with people they know,” Michel said. “They love to meet them, shake hands and feel like they know them. And so, when they’re ready for their air conditioning to be fixed or need a chiropractor or want to try a new restaurant, they love that they’ve met that person.”
For Tiffany Harris, a Chamber of Commerce ambassador who attended four previous showcases, the event is as much about fun as it is about networking.
“The whole point of this is to engage businesses and have residents find out about what’s available,” Harris said. “I think [Michel] was trying to make it more lively. Instead of people just wandering around booths, she wanted to bring in school spirit.”
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Texas State cheerleaders perform a halftime routine for the tailgate themed Business Showcase, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center.
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Equitable Advisors consultant Katie Blevins (Left) and advisor Jacob Schlosser (Right) sample nachos from Chuy’s during the Business Showcase at the Embassy Suites Conference Center, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. The pair attended the show to network with local businesses.
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Charlotte Lund (Left) receives a special show edition of the San Marcos Daily Record newspaper from media account executive Jacob Jones (Right) during the Business Showcase, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center.
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Kelly Spears (Center) and family win an inflatable cupholder from the Ozona Bank booth after playing a yard game during the Business Showcase, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center. The 39th annual showcase saw over 500 attendees.
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San Marcos Chamber of Commerce Membership Development Executive Tiffany Quibodeaux (Right) referees an attendee as they fill out their Business Showcase passport for entry into the final prize drawing, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center. The Chamber of Commerce hosts the event and all proceeds support the Hays County Food Bank.
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Rotary Club of San Marcos members Henry Oles, Peter Baen and Bruce Smith gather at the San Marcos Rotary Club booth during the Business Showcase, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center. The Rotary club is a non-profit that connects people to local community service opportunities.
