For a small manufacturer, pursuing new business is rarely someone's only job.

The person researching a new market may also be overseeing production, managing employees, responding to customers, or making sure an order ships on time. Finding prospective customers, researching suppliers, and developing relationships in another part of the state all take time and resources that smaller companies may not have readily available.

That reality shapes how CAMPS approaches partnerships.

Rather than expecting every member to find every useful relationship on its own, CAMPS works to develop connections that can give manufacturers access to companies, expertise, resources, and business opportunities beyond their existing contacts.

Our sponsorship of the 2026 Manufacturing Suppliers Expo, hosted by Dean Cameron and Top Drawer Media on October 19 and 20 in Spokane Valley, is one way we're putting that work into practice.

CAMPS is supporting the event as a Platinum Sponsor and Monday Night Networking Sponsor while bringing the opportunity directly to our members.

Reaching Beyond Existing Markets

A manufacturer can have valuable capabilities without necessarily having the time or staff to market those capabilities across multiple industries and regions.

The Manufacturing Suppliers Expo gives companies a focused setting to showcase what they do and meet businesses outside their usual circles.

For a CAMPS member, that could mean introducing its capabilities to a prospective customer in Eastern Washington, exploring whether its existing expertise could serve another industry sector, or beginning a relationship with a company it otherwise may not have encountered.

CAMPS is developing relationships in Eastern Washington, and our work with Dean and Top Drawer Media is an initial step in that effort.

The goal isn't simply to expand CAMPS' geographic reach. It's to create practical pathways that can help our members reach more of Washington's manufacturing market.

Finding Suppliers, Capacity and Capabilities

Business development is only one side of the opportunity.

Manufacturers also need reliable suppliers and access to specialized capabilities and capacity. Finding the right company can require significant research, particularly when the answer sits outside an existing supplier network.

The Manufacturing Suppliers Expo brings manufacturers and suppliers into the same setting so companies can learn what others do and determine whether there is a reason to continue the conversation.

That could help a manufacturer identify an additional supplier, find a capability it doesn't have internally, locate potential capacity, or broaden the group of companies it knows within the region.

There are no guarantees that attending an event leads to a new contract or supplier relationship. The practical value is access: creating a more efficient way for manufacturers to discover companies and start conversations that would otherwise require their own time and outreach.

Why CAMPS Is Working With Top Drawer Media

Led by Dean Cameron, Top Drawer Media works within the aerospace and manufacturing industries through publishing, marketing, industry resources, and events.

Its work includes Northwest Aerospace News and Aerospace Vendors, providing platforms for manufacturers and suppliers to present their capabilities to a broader industry audience.

Dean and his team are organizing the Manufacturing Suppliers Expo and have developed the relationships behind the event. CAMPS' role is to support that work and make sure our members know the opportunity is available to them.

This is the kind of partnership CAMPS wants to develop deliberately.

When another organization has relationships, expertise, or access that could be useful to Washington manufacturers, CAMPS can help create a bridge between that resource and our members rather than expecting an individual manufacturer to discover and develop every relationship independently.

An Opportunity for CAMPS Members

CAMPS members interested in exhibiting at the Manufacturing Suppliers Expo receive $100 off the booth fee through CAMPS' sponsorship.

More importantly, companies should consider the event based on what they're trying to accomplish.

If your business is looking to showcase its capabilities, meet prospective customers, identify suppliers, explore another industry sector, or begin developing relationships in Eastern Washington, the expo provides a focused opportunity to do that.

For CAMPS, supporting the event is part of a larger effort to make useful business relationships and opportunities easier for our members to access.

2026 Manufacturing Suppliers Expo
October 19-20, 2026
Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center
Spokane Valley, Washington

CAMPS members exhibiting at the event receive $100 off the booth fee.

[Register for the 2026 Manufacturing Suppliers Expo]