Trade show set to open Friday

A weekend of exhibits opens up at 3 pm on Friday, providing local and out of town businesses and services to showcase their products and opportunities and local residents to learn more about what’s available in the community.

The “Year of Opportunity Trade Show” is a co-production of the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce and the Northern View weekly newspaper taking place at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre from April 27 to 29.

The exhibit space is sold out with a diverse group of participants ranging from the ever present car dealers to Bounce a lot, the portable kids’ playground (which if inflated, is probably destined to be the most popular exhibit we suspect).

Trade shows have been hit and miss affairs over the years in the city, some years they are great successes, other years have the exhibitors left to talk to themselves as the population takes a pass. In more recent years gone by, the state of the economy deteriorated so far that the Trade show didn’t even take place.

The Daily News provided details on Tuesday, of the planned exhibits for the weekend, though they danced around mentioning one of the co-sponsors, The Northern View too much, which of course is a competitor in the increasingly crowded Prince Rupert printed media world.

Click on this link for a map of the configuration of the exhibits in the arena and other information from the Trade Show download.


SEE WHAT IS IN STORE AT ANNUAL CHAMBER TRADE SHOW
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Pages one and three

The Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with a local business to host the 2007 Prince Rupert Trade Show.

Called the Year of Opportunity Trade Show, the event takes place at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre Arena between April 27 and April 29.

On Friday, it starts at 3 p.m. and runs until 9 p. m., on Saturday from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. and Sunday, from 10 a. m. until 2 p. m.

Wendy Prystay, president of the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber has historically been involved with the trade show and they hope to continue that involvement on an annual basis.

“It’s an opportunity for our businesses to showcase themselves and perhaps attract new customers,” said Prystay.

“Given that the chamber of commerce is the voice of business, we are looking forward to mix and mingle with the public and talk about business that provides services in Prince Rupert.”

Prystay noted that generally people make a lot of assumptions of what kind of services may be available in town.

“There’s no better way to find out what actually is available than to have a chance to meet with a whole bunch of businesses at once, ask some questions and perhaps find out things you didn’t know, see products your weren’t aware of or didn’t know were available,” she said.

The event is being hosted by the Northern View in conjunction with the chamber of commerce.

Currently, there are only three booths left for the show.

On Saturday, there will also be a meet and greet session with the participants of the trade show.

Because this is a chamber-sponsored event, chamber members are being invited to attend this event as well.

The meet and greet takes place Sat., April 28 at the Underground at Prince Rupert Coast Hotel at 7 p. m. and there will be a buffet dinner provided.

Tickets are $30 dollars and can be purchased from the chamber.

Some of the businesses that will have booths at the trade show include Port City Ford, Sherman GM, Sight & Sound, Rupert Rides, Prince Rupert District Chamber of Commerce/Rising Stars program, the Ministry of Forests, Northwest Community College, Twilight Spas, the Skeena Native Development Society, the Queen Charlotte Islands Chamber of Commerce, Fisheries and Oceans, Canada, Van Houtte, bob on the Rocks, Investors Group, Speedee Printers, Rainbow Chrysler, Creative Systems, Prince Rupert Port Edward Economic Development, Tourism Prince Rupert, All West Glass, Anna’s Couture, Occasions to Remember, Hawkair, Rough Acres Camp, Finex, Silvertip, Coast Prince Rupert Hotel, The Northern View, CFNR, North Coast Professional Driving School, Northern Stitches, Hecate Strait Employment Development Society, Port Edward, Prince Rupert Port Authority, Northwest Science & Innovation, CMO Data, CityWest, SPCA, Bounce-A-Lot, Bandstra, Paintball Exhibit and Digital Printing.

However, the list is not necessarily complete and other businesses may be added to the list of participant as the week progresses.