Creator of Square card reader to keynote chamber's B2B Expo

Last edited 2:36 p.m., Oct. 2, 2013

The co-creator of a technology that has facilitated $22 million in commerce throughout the Springfield area will be in town tomorrow to deliver a keynote address during a business-to-business exposition downtown.

Jim McKelvey co-founded Square Inc. in St. Louis to develop a mobile payment option for merchants. The square card reader for smartphones and tablets reportedly has been used in more than 500,000 local transactions. In all, more than 1 million merchants use the device, and his company is processing more than $5 billion in transactions annually.

McKelvey’s keynote, scheduled noon–1 p.m., is among a few changes to the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce annual B2B Expo.

The event is at the same place, downtown’s Springfield Expo Center, but at different times. The B2B Expo immediately follows the 7:30 a.m. Good Morning, Springfield! breakfast and vendor booths will be set up until 2 p.m. In recent years, the expo ran into the evening and concluded with Business After Hours.

Also new to the lineup are 120 tabletop displays, a new feature offered to chamber members who joined during August’s record membership drive.

Chamber officials say vendors have signed up for 150 booth spaces, up from 130 last year. This is the chamber’s 21st year to hold the business expo.