The shift to the Power Dodge Ice Centre appears to be paying dividends for the organizers of the Estevan Showcase Business Expo.
The showcase will happen from Sept. 22 to 24. Jackie Wall, who is the executive director of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, revealed earlier this year that the Showcase would be held at the ice centre for the first time since 2010. It was in Affinity Place from 2011 to 2016, but concerns about condensation on the temporary floor applied to Affinity Place necessitated the change in venue.
Wall said there has been very good feedback about the change in location, and the exhibitors who have registered have not complained about the shift.
“Booth sales are going really well,” said Wall. “There is an increase in traffic up to this point from last year. Last year it was very quiet in June and July, and this year I’m getting calls almost daily for Showcase, whether it’s to get more information or to get applications in.”
When a couple people asked where Showcase would happen this year, and were told that it was in the ice centre, they said they would go ahead with a booth this year. They weren’t sure if they would participate if Showcase remained in Affinity Place.
Wall noted that interest in Showcase is also often tied to whether there are other trade shows happening at the same time elsewhere in Western Canada.
Showcase organizers will be contacting those who have participated in the expo the last two years and haven’t booked a booth yet.
“We also promote this to the different trade show people to see if we can draw in some new exhibitors as well, and we do have some new exhibitors,” said Wall. “There will be some of the same exhibitors as previous years.”
Many exhibitors don’t think about booking for Showcase until after the summer months, so Wall wants to call them next month to avoid the last-minute rush.
“Showcase always fills up the last two weeks,” said Wall. “We’re at a really good point right now.”
A total of 37 booths have been booked already. Some exhibitors will have more than one booth. Seventy-one booths can fit inside the ice centre. It’s fewer booths than at Affinity Place, but if they have a surplus number of exhibitors this year, they can always put the extra participants inside the leisure centre’s hallway.
Outdoor booths will be located in the Power Dodge Ice Centre’s parking lot. They might also have exhibitors at the Estevan’s Leisure Centre’s courtyard.
Wall noted that people who attend Showcase will still enter through the Estevan Leisure Centre’s main doors, since the ice centre’s parking lot will be closed for the outdoor displays. Patrons will then walk down the leisure centre’s hallway to access the Showcase booths.
Patrons will have the option of whether they want to pay for a single-day ticket, or buy a bracelet to attend an unlimited number of times all three days. Wall said they have positive feedback about that promotion last year.
Showcase is a project of the chamber, the Rotary Club of Estevan and the Estevan Lions Club.
