People who attend the Estevan Showcase Business Expo can look forward to seeing a strong contingent of exhibitors and a healthy variety of products.
This year’s Showcase will run from Sept. 23 to 25 at Affinity Place. The doors will be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 24, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 25.
Jackie Wall, the executive director of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, said booth sales are on pace with last year. They have 44 confirmed exhibitors thus far who will occupy a total of 60 booths.
“We have a lot of exhibitors who are calling and inquiring,” said Wall. “We just don’t have their official registration and payment.”
Last year they had a lot of vendors register in the last seven to 10 days, and they accepted participants until the day before the event. They wound up having 92 exhibitors. Wall expects the same thing will happen this year.
Affinity Place has enough space for more than 90 exhibitors on the arena floor.
“Some of the exhibitors are pairing up this year on bigger spaces, so there’s one booth, but it will have two or three exhibitors in that one space.”
They can also use Affinity Place’s concourse, if necessary, and they have one larger outdoor booth booked for the Leisure Centre’s forecourt.
Showcase will offer a good blend between local and out-of-town exhibitors, she said. They have some home-based businesses participating. There will also be businesses selling food, fashion, home décor, electronics, and bathroom and kitchen materials. Construction companies, professional services businesses and non-profit organizations will also be present.
“I would actually say the range is a little more diverse than it was last year,” said Wall.
There are some new exhibitors this year to join perennial favourites who will be back in Estevan this year.
In an effort to attract more people, the organizers have changed the admission. Last year it was $5 per day to get in. It will still be $5 to enter Showcase for the first time, but this year there will also be a weekend pass available for $6, which will allow people to visit Showcase as many times as they want.
Wall noted Showcase organizers would be taking steps to preserve the ice at Affinity Place in case the temperatures are warm during the weekend. They will bring in fans, and keep the east entrance closed as much as possible.
Showcase is a project of the chamber, the Estevan Lions Club and the Rotary Club of Estevan.
