A local hair salon will open its doors to the public Thursday to showcase their business and new location.

Libby Trelz, owner of Eclipse Studio, 1505 18th St. #5, is hosting her own Business After Hours party which will allow any community members to take a tour, win a prize, eat some food and learn about the business.

Business After Hours is a party prearranged by the Charleston Chamber of Commerce.

Cindy White, the executive director of the chamber, said while the chamber organizes the party, the business takes it over and makes it their own.

“It’s their party,” she said.  “It’s not a chamber party.  We promote it and everything, but it’s up to them to do it.”

There is a Business After Hours event every second Thursday of the month and is from 5 to 7 p.m.

White said the party is used as a networking tool for the business.

“Business is all about building relationships,” she said.  “You can’t always build relationships if you’re stuck in your store or your delivery truck or wherever your business is.”

The party gives businesses an opportunity to do that, White said.

Trelz said she hopes to get a lot of people into her business for the party despite the forecast of bad weather.

“You have to get people into your business for that event, which I’m a little bit nervous about this Thursday because we’re supposed to have some bad weather,” she said.

White said the party is very casual, and attendees do not have to stay the whole two hours.

Amanda Wilkinson can 

be reached at 581-2812 

or [email protected].

“It says from 5 to 7, but that’s flow in, flow out,” White said.  “You can come and go as time allows.”

Trelz said the good thing about the event is that it brings current customers and possible new customers into her business.

“You’ll get a lot of people coming into your business because maybe they already are customers or they already have the relationship with you and they come to support you,” she said.  “Then you’ll have people who come that are looking for something new.  They don’t have any idea but they come to your Business After Hours to see what you have to offer, what is your atmosphere like.”

Trelz said they will have door prizes for guests every 15 minutes.

They will also have hair salon specific trivia for guests to participate in, she said.

“We try to do something that’s kind of fun and show our personalities, shows off that we like to have fun,” Trelz said.  “We’re not just all about business, business, business.”

She said there will also be appetizers and drinks available to guests.

Steven Jones, a stylist at Eclipse Studio, said the party is also great because they get to showcase the new location.

“We just moved here in May so we want to show it off a little bit,” he said.

Jones said the party was really cramped at their old location on the other side of Charleston.

“It seemed like hundreds (of people) but our old location was so small and compact,” he said.  “It filled up very quickly.”

While the chamber parties are traditionally for other business members, Trelz said she welcomes any person of the public to come to her party.

“I know the weather is supposed to be kind of yucky but we’re still going to have the event so whoever shows up is more than welcome to be there,” she said. 

Amanda Wilkinson can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].