Innisfailians and scores of visitors from out of town eagerly braved spotty weather last weekend to check out business and service opportunities at the 33rd annual Innisfail Home and Trade Show.
The two-day fair, sponsored by the Innisfail & District Chamber of Commerce, began on the evening of April 25 and ran all day on April 26 on both sides of the Innisfail Arena.
The fair's popularity this year was boosted by the chamber's decision not to charge admission.
“Previously we always charged admission. We now hope to make our money by getting exhibiters in,” said Doug Boss, president of the chamber, adding a free barbecue from FortisAlberta as well as entertainment and plenty of activities for children also helped attract local citizens as well as the curious from out of town. “The key to getting exhibitors is to get people to look at their booths, so we need to get more people in.”
Bos said the fair was a sellout in terms of the number of booths sold this year. He said 100 businesses and community agencies purchased booths compared to about 85 last year.
Bos said the bill to the chamber to host the show will come in somewhere between $16,000 and $18,000.
“It's an investment for the community. That is what the chamber is for, to promote business and get people out,” he said.
Mayor Brian Spiller noted with the economy now beginning to surge in Alberta the fair was attracting plenty of traffic from out of town as entrepreneurs have become motivated to take a serious look at new opportunities throughout Central Alberta, including Innisfail.
“There is a trade fair going this weekend in Carstairs and others coming in Lacombe and Stettler,” said Spiller. “People are travelling around and are looking to see what the communities have to offer and hopefully we will pull in some of those new citizens.”
Those new citizens will include Didsbury's Karen Griffin and her mother Susan Duggan, co-owners of Ulla-La Boutique, a ladies' clothing store that offers footwear, gifts, jewelry, accessories and a kids' section. Griffin and Duggan are opening up a second outlet at Innisfail's Henday Mall in June.
“This is our first trade show ever. We are letting people know we are coming to their town. We are having a lot of fun,” said Griffin. “People are just really excited that we are coming here, over the moon.
“The fair benefits nicely as we are meeting a lot of people,” she added. “We are getting to know Innisfail just at the trade show.”
