The Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant will be hosting its 15th annual Chamber Trade Show at the Best Western Brantford Hotel and Conference Centre on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
The Chamber is inviting the public to come out to the free event as it celebrates this year’s Small Business Week.
Just over 50 Chamber members made up of diverse businesses and organizations will have tables set up around the conference centre and will be available to chat with visitors.
“It’s one of the biggest non-industry specific trade shows in the region and I think people will be surprised by the type of businesses that are there and the spectrum of industries they cover,” said Greg Evans, Business Development Coordinator for Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant. “We’ve got folks in the financial world, folks in the manufacturing world and we’ve got not-for-profits talking about what they do and the events that they have going on.”
David Prang, CEO of Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant, said that the event offers plenty of opportunities for both business owners and the public alike.
“One of the biggest components of the trade show is business networking, but we also want the public to come in, engage with and support those small business Chamber members,” he said.
Exhibitors will be sharing and exchanging information throughout the day, giving out product giveaways, as well as demonstrating what their organizations do to the public.
“A lot of the exhibitors will have things to give out, and so visitors will absolutely leave with their hands full, but they will also get to learn a lot about businesses they might not have even known existed, while making those important connections,” said Evans.
The Chamber will also be celebrating new members, both involved in the trade show and others who are not, that have joined over the past couple years.
The Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant was established under the leadership of Ignatius Cockshutt in 1866 and focused on transportation, rail lines and moving goods up and down the Grand River.
Over the past 157 years, it has morphed into an association with over 600 members that range from businesses to organizations, as well as, non-profit organizations.
The Chamber now advocates for small business needs and rates while trying to keep the local economy strong within Brantford and the County of Brant.
The tradeshow is one of the many events the Chamber hosts throughout the year and Prang said his team is looking forward to helping create connections.
“We are looking forward to the day and we’re proud to have this event going on for 15 years now,” said Prang. “Again, it’s really just a great opportunity for business owners to get out of their retail spaces or home offices and to connect with one another, and for the public to celebrate these local businesses at the same time.”
