Wellington North’s Agriculture Showcase has the potential to grow into an annual event along with its sister Business and Industry Showcase.
For the first such event of its type, Wellington North’s Business and Economic Manager Dale Small believed things went very well.
Along with seminars, the event offered a sample of tastes and treats from a variety of vendors were all grown, produced or prepared in Wellington North.
“I’m quite happy with the number of display booths. They were all booked and used. We’re very happy with that.”
He added “We had some great speakers from OMAFRA who conducted seminars as well as TD?Waterhouse, which did as well.”
“It’s the first one, so you never know how many people are going to come, whether they’ve heard about it.”
He said organizers did a lot of advertising and a mail drop to try to get the word out there.
“But … sometimes the first one is the first one.”
He said the businesses and organizations who set up display tables seemed pleased as well.
“It’s … a unique set up in there when you look around. We didn’t want to have a home and garden show. We wanted an opportunity for everyone to be able to set up a booth.
Because of the time of year, Small said organizers knew they could not have one large trade show because because the ice surfaces in Arthur and Mount Forest are still in use.
“We thought, let’s try to target different groups and set one up in Arthur with more of an agri-focus. In Mount Forest, the focus is business and industry. However, he added some of those with displays are taking part in both showcases. He estimated that at least half of the participants in the Arthur event will be at Mount Forest as well.
“We’re really hoping to make this an annual event,” Small said. He said it may end up being a different event, or one large combined show in the future.
“We’re looking at this as step one along the way.”
Small said there was also a lot of support from various organizations such as OMAFRA, the Saugeen Economic Development Corporation, and both the Arthur and Mount Forest Chambers of Commerce, and TD?Canada Trust which were actively involved.
“They’ve all made contributions in various ways to make the event successful,” Small said.
