Bloomingdale adds talent show to annual B-Card initiative
The holiday shopping season isn't the only time to score a deal.
Bloomingdale merchants are already preparing special sales for the village's annual B-Card promotion in February.
Feb. 7-28 will mark the third year the Bloomingdale Business Promotion and Cultural Development Committee hands out the card, which offers various discounts at participating village businesses.
But unlike prior years, the 2010 B-Card will offer discount to all shoppers - not just Bloomingdale residents.
Organizers said the goal was always to encourage residents and people who work in the village to shop locally and increase sales tax revenues. And now they welcome the patronage of anyone who wants to shop with a B-Card.
"This way we can attract people from surrounding areas, so we want to disburse as many we can," said Remo Turano of Chicago Pastry, chairman of the development committee.
Starting in February, the B-Card will be available to anyone who wants to download it from the village Web site, villageofbloomingdale.org. It will also be mailed to residents in the February issue of the Village Almanac.
Both the newsletter and the Web site will list participating businesses and their respective discounts. These include retailers, as well as real estate offices, banks and service-oriented businesses.
Promotions vary, since each business devises its own discount. But organizers said merchants are encouraged to be creative and offer more than the usual discounts, so new customers will check them out.
"Our purpose is to promote businesses and we want to get as much exposure to them as possible," Turano said.
The B-Card campaign has been a success for Bloomingdale in the past, with last year's initiative extended a week beyond 2008's 10-day run.
But organizers said there are still many people unaware.
"We had so many people saying 'Oh, when was it?'" Turano said.
So to bring attention to the B-Card dates and continue its success, the village will host a new "Bloomingdale's Got Talent" talent show staring from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Stratford Square mall.
Turano said organizers hope the show will appeal to people who love TV shows like "America's Got Talent" and will attract contestants with all types of skills.
"There are a lot of people out there with closet talent just dying to show it," he said. "And we plan to find a judge who is a talent scout, so they can get some exposure."
The show is open only to Bloomingdale residents, workers or students affiliated with the village. A 3-minute audition tape or DVD must be submitted to the village by Dec. 28 at 201 S. Bloomingdale Road. More details are available on Bloomingdale's Web site.
The village is also still accepting applications from businesses who want to participate in the B-Card initiative. For details, visit villageofbloomingdale.org.