MILFORD — In an economy that often seems dominated by slow growth and caution, there was plenty of fresh success and optimism on display Thursday at the seventh annual Southern New Hampshire Business Expo.

More than 200 businesses and organizations spread out through the Hampshire Dome to tout everything from gourmet crackers and hand-dipped chocolates to home generators and snowmobiles. And while a few business owners said the long-promised economic recovery still hasn’t quite kicked in, most local entrepreneurs were talking about record sales and expansion plans.

“This area has seen continuous positive growth,” said May Balsama, executive director of the Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event. “We haven’t felt the downturn of the economy like other areas.”

Balsama said the Expo gives businesses large and small a chance to show local customers everything they have to offer.

“Even with all the emphasis on Internet marketing and social media, nothing beats face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball communication,” she said.

And expo organizers knew how to draw in a crowd. While the business booths were the main event, there were plenty of musicians, magic shows and student demonstrations for viewers to watch and enjoy.

Local restaurants and specialty food businesses doled out samples and shared stories about their businesses.

Michele Holbrook started popping gourmet popcorn at home five years ago, and she just recently opened up a retail store in Epsom.

“We’re a family business, and our goal is to grow this into something we can pass along to our kids,” Holbrook said.

It isn’t exactly easy. Holbrook said she works seven days a week, and not everyone is inclined to splurge on high-end fun food.Still, after five years, she’s happy that she’ll soon be able to hire her son as a full-time employee.

Chris Noble and Scott Forrester were talking up the opening of their new restaurant, Blu Aqua, which will serve American dishes with a French accent in Milford’s Salzburg Square.

Both Noble and Forrester know the odds of success.

“Ninety percent of new restaurants fail within the first two years,” said Noble as he prepared samples of tenderloin covered with a rich-looking sauce for a line of people at the Blu Aqua booth. “We’ve done the research, and we love the location, and we’re confident in our product,” said Forrester, who shared an entrepreneurial jump-feet-first attitude with many others at the expo.

Some businesses, like Milford’s Mojo Dog Center, actually opened their doors during the height of the recession.

But owners Stewart and Deniece Johnson knew they were offering something that devoted pet owners couldn’t find anywhere else — cage-free boarding and day care.

“We cater to people who really love their dogs,” Deniece Johnson said. “We actually sleep in bed with the dogs that board with us.”

In addition to training and grooming, Mojo’s also has an online webcam feed so owners can login from work and see what kind of day their dogs are having.

The expo featured plenty of credit, banking and financial service businesses where people could chat and ask questions about mortgages, loans and other business issues.

And there were also many civic organizations that offered a full picture of the quality of life in southern New Hampshire.

The expo is a snapshot of what Main Street would look like if Milford had a Main Street, Balsama said. “There is something here for everyone,” she said.

btaormina@newstote.com