Prince Rupert set to host BC's Chamber of Commerce members

The last minute details have been taken care of and with the dawn of Thursday morning, Prince Rupert's time to shine on the provincial stage will be here.

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The 57th annual Chamber of Commerce General Meeting and Conference gets underway on Thursday, three days of meetings, networking, social events and instructional sessions, providing the provinces Chamber of Commerce members the chance to review the events of the last year and look ahead to the next.

Prince Rupert's three year wait to host the event is here, the first time in over ten years that the Chamber has held their convention in a northern community.

An ambitious program has been designed for the gathering, including an impressive list of guest speakers ranging from political commentators Keith Baldrey and Vaughn Palmer, to television newscaster Gloria Macarenko and Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and former federal politician Perrin Beatty.

Events are scheduled for three locations around town, the Highliner Plaza Hotel, Chances Convention Centre and the Crest Hotel.

The opening events get underway on Thursday, Friday night offers up a sample of what Prince Rupert has to offer as the delegates will head off to the North Pacific Cannery Museum for the evening, perhaps taking a boat ride to their destination, as well as be treated to a fish dinner and some night time entertainment.

The conclusion to the conference comes on Saturday evening and the delegates will begin the journey back to their hometowns on Sunday.

Locals that aren't Chamber members will have to content themselves with just fleeting glimpses of the province's Business leaders, the convention is a members only event and the guest list has long since been put to rest.

The conference should inject a fair amount of revenue into local bank accounts over the next few days, from accommodation to meals, sightseeing and shopping, the delegates should help provide a boost for local business.

As good an example as to what a Chamber of Commerce can do for a local economy as you're going to find we suspect.