ANDERSON­ — It wasn’t all business at the Business-to-Business Trade Show Thursday at the Wigwam.

“I enjoy it every year,” Connie Warner from Maplewood Cemetery said as she collected goodies from one of the 59 booths of exhibitors at the 27th annual event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce for Anderson & Madison County.

She stopped by the Mounds Mall booth where Susan Ramsey, assistant manager for customer relations, was passing out boxes of popcorn and talking up the mall’s coming attractions.

“We think the future really looks bright,” she said of the shopping center’s recent sale to a group led by Virgil Cook Jr. and his sister, Natalie Campbell. A new coffee shop, Maxine’s, will open soon in the food court. It’s named in honor of Virgil and Natalie’s mother, Ramsey said.

WiFi is being installed at the mall. A holiday display with more than 30,000 LED lights is being planned. New tenants are being recruited.

Jesse Wilkerson is one of them. He’s moving his architecture firm’s office to the mall, and also helping attract new tenants. “This is going to be a destination site,” he said of the mall’s makeover.

Not far away, KeyBank downtown branch manager Aaron Sheets had a steady line coming to the bank’s booth to try out the Wii video bowling game. “A ton of people have come in and played,” he said.

“The idea was beat the banker.” Turns out people just wanted to have fun, though, so the competition turned out more friendly than fierce, he said.

Those who worked up an appetite on the virtual lanes were in the right place, especially if they walked over to the Good’s Candy booth.

“Who doesn’t like warm, flowing chocolate?” owner Randy Good said as he showed off a fountain that seemed to have its own gravitational pull. “It’s a mood enhancer.”

Good said the trade show comes at a good time for his shop, which he said is the largest candy shop in central Indiana with the largest selection.

“Our holiday packages in particular ... companies are looking for gifts for their customers, employees, families and friends,” he said.

“They always leave my booth smiling.”

Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com