Business people went from booth to booth in the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday, collecting business cards, keychains, chapstick and -- most of all -- candy at the first regional business and industry expo, in which 219 businesses participated.

The expo, hosted by the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC), hosted insurance companies, travel agencies, wholesalers, car dealerships and others who set up booths to showcase their products and services.

Connie Corl, events and publications coordinator for the CBICC, said the event was primarily a way for businesses to get in touch with other businesses.

Phil Park, business incubation manager at the Centre County Industrial Development Corporation, called the expo a big success.

"First, we have brought in a record number of exhibitors," he said.

"The second thing is the amount of publicity we've been able to draw out."

The expo's first level was filled with the sounds of Billy Joel's "Piano Man." The music was being played on a "Sync-A-Vision" baby grand auto-piano located at a booth hosted by Robert M. Sides Family Music Centers.

At another booth, a man in a tie walked on a treadmill as he checked the latest CNN.com headlines on his laptop computer. He represented McCartney's, a company that sells office furniture and printers.

A graphic on the company's booth hailed the treadmill-computer combination as "a better way to do business."

A red convertible sat prominently in front of Saturn of State College's booth, where car salesmen invited people passing by to try their hands on an astro-turf putting green.

The event kicked off with a 300-person luncheon, hosting Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis and Athletic Director Tim Curley as speakers.

Later in the day, the expo sponsored an "AfterHours TweetUp." The event allowed users of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites to meet in person.

"It's for people who do networking online to see the face behind the computer screen," Corl said.