Duane Hicks
While it won’t be coming up until spring, plans for the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s 21st-annual home and leisure show already are afoot—and exhibitor packages should be sent out by month’s end.
Chamber manager Dawn Booth said the trade show planning committee met yesterday and set May 1-2 as the dates for event, which once again will be held at the Memorial Sports Centre.
The trade show used to be held in late April but was moved to the first weekend in May last year in order to avoid conflicting with one in Kenora.
“It worked out really, really well for us. There were no home shows conflicting anywhere in Northwestern Ontario,” noted Booth.
“It worked out for all the different communities, and as it looks right now, there isn’t going to be any conflictions [this year].”
Planning is still in the early stages, but Booth said it’s likely the home and leisure show will be quite similar to last year’s, with amateur and children’s photo contests, a penny auction, and “Plinko,” in addition to all of the exhibitors and what they bring to the event.
After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, reasoned Booth.
“Last year, I think, may have been one of the best shows ever. Everything went off perfectly,” she enthused. “With it being our 20th-annual, we got lots of compliments from exhibitors and the people that came in, who said it was a really great show.
“Hopefully, we can match that, if not exceed it, this year.”
The committee still is discussing a theme for the 2009 show. With it being the Chamber’s 100th anniversary, this year promises to be extra special, noted Booth, adding while it hasn’t been decided whether that milestone will be the actual theme, there likely will be some sort of birthday party coinciding with the two-day event.
Booth said she’s started contacting some of the major exhibitors already, and also is confirming event sponsors. After some details are firmed up, she’ll be able to start sending out exhibitor packages.
“We’re looking at, instead of mailing out exhibitor packages, to do them more electronically to save time and money and paper,” she noted, adding she plans to get all of the information out to exhibitors in the next couple of weeks.
For more information, call Booth at 274-5773 or drop by the Chamber office at 474 Scott St. (across from Safeway).
