Duane Hicks
The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s newly re-branded Business & Community Expo is set for April 26-27 at the Memorial Sports Centre.
Formerly known as the Home and Leisure Show, the focus of the event has been shifted to put more emphasis on the vendors.
Chamber manager Annely Armstrong said she had talked to individuals who had been involved with the home show, as well as members of the events committee, to see what they had liked and didn’t like about previous trade shows, as well as the attendance numbers from last year.
The Chamber decided to rename the event “Business & Community Expo.” The name change is part of a total re-branding the Chamber is undergoing with its events.
“It seemed to be that it was getting away from the businesses themselves,” Armstrong explained.
“You’re paying money to be there, you want to make sure that you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
“You’re there to do business,” she stressed. “You’re taking all that time out with staff and the time to set it up, the cost.”
As such, Armstrong said organizers have decided not to have events, such as a “Strongman” competition, coinciding with the trade show that would take away from its main focus: the exhibitors.
Instead, she noted organizers are trying to get all the vendors to have some sort of special at their booth that only people coming to the trade show will be able to benefit from.
They’re also asking all vendors to have a draw at their booth so the public will have chances to win prizes.
Armstrong said that to encourage more businesses to come aboard, there is an early-bird special. If registrants book a booth by March 8, they’ll save $100.
If they do so between March 9 and 22, they’ll save $75.
For more information or for assistance with booking your booth, contact the Chamber at 274-5773
“We also want to make sure we have a seating area,” said Armstrong. “It was something that was missing from before.
“We want to put food vendors at the back with some seating area so that if people want to go and take their family and spend time there, they can,” she explained.
The expo also will include an appearance by comedian Don Kelly, who originally hails from Onigaming First Nation.
“We’re kind of staying with the ‘Go Local’ thing,” said Armstrong, noting Kelly originally was going to be at the Chamber’s recent business awards but couldn’t make it and recommended Kenny Robinson in his place.
“Don is wonderful,” lauded Armstrong. “He’s going to come and do autograph signings and pictures on Saturday.
“He’ll have a booth set up there [at the expo].”
Kelly then will perform Saturday evening in the arena auditorium.
Kelly has starred in numerous national comedy specials, including CTV’s “Comedy Now” and CBC’s “Comics,” along with numerous appearances on the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, “The Debators,” and “Madly Off in All Directions.”
He also is the host and star of the Gemini-nominated series “Fish out of Water” on APTN.
The business expo is set for Friday, April 26 from 4-9 p.m. and again Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission will be $3 for adults while children under 12 are free.
Armstrong noted dropping the admission cost for kids is a change that’s been made to encourage families to attend.
