One of the annual events in the Estevan that we look forward to each year is the Estevan Showcase Business Expo.
Exhibitors look to promote their products to the community. There is typically a good blend of local vendors and out-of-town folk, and they typically enjoy pretty good sales, while boosting awareness of their businesses.
Showcase also carries a nice economic spinoff, thanks to the out-of-town vendors who spend at least three days in the community before heading to the next trade show.
It appeared that Showcase would receive a big boost in 2011 when Spectra Place (now Affinity Place) opened, and the expo shifted locations from the Power Dodge Ice Centre (PDIC). More than 3,000 people attended Showcase in each of the first two years, and the event drew a record number of exhibitors as well.
But the numbers have been in steady decline in recent years. The issues with the vendors can be traced to the temporary arena floor that covers the ice at Affinity Place.
It became very wet during Showcase, soaking merchandise, damaging electrical cords and creating other problems for vendors.
Showcase’s organizers were left with three options: remaining at Affinity Place and risk losing more vendors; having the event to the early summer, when ice has not been installed at Affinity Place; or returning to the PDIC. They went with the latter.
To be clear, Showcase remains a good event for the community. And the move back to the PDIC had to happen. It might not be popular with some people, but it was the best choice for the event.
They couldn’t remain at Affinity Place during the ice sports season, and they couldn’t move the event to the summer. The vendors have prior commitments during the summer months, and besides, who wants to be indoors at a trade show in July?
Still, it’s ironic that this important community event is forced to return to a smaller arena with substandard lighting, when Estevan is home to such a beautiful events centre.
So many things were done right with the construction of Affinity Place. It remains a magnificent venue. But the temporary floor has always been a source of concern. Showcase isn’t the first event to experience problems with it.
At the same time, the city has more pressing needs than to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new temporary floor for Affinity Place.
It’s also unfortunate that an event is leaving Affinity Place. In the first two or three years that it was open, Affinity Place hosted numerous special and community events. However, the number of events has been declining.
There has been just one concert at the building this year. Showcase has moved to its old venue. Affinity Place is feeling more like an arena and less like an events centre.
