The Brantford-Brant Chamber of Commerce hosted its 16th annual Trade Show at on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.
As one of the four local events happening in celebration of this year’s Small Business Week, Greg Evans, Director of Member Relations for the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant, said the event was all about celebrating the small business owners and business leaders of the community.
“I think when people or the government talk about business, they’re often thinking about big business but the real life blood of the economy, whether we’re talking locally, provincially or federally, is small business,” said Evans. “I think supporting small businesses, and remembering that small businesses and business owners and business leaders are the lifeblood of the economy, is really important. At the Chamber, we’re really proud to be doing everything with our Small Business Week partners to promote all that we can for small businesses throughout the County of Brant and the City of Brantford.”
During the three-hour event, around 50 Chamber members, made up of diverse businesses, non-profit organizations and various service agencies, were set up around the hotel’s conference room to share and exchange information about their field. Prior to the event, the Chamber also hosted a new member’s social where all the new members over the last year were able to get together and meet the existing members.
“The fun thing about our trade show is that it’s not industry specific so we’ve got all sorts of exhibitors here today,” said Evans. “No matter who you are, no matter whether you’re a small business of one person, a solo practitioner, or even if you’re a larger business of a thousand people, here at the trade show you really have an opportunity to get your face out there, get your name out there, meet other people and get to know who’s in Brantford-Brant.”
Bahar JM, owner of Brantford’s Water Bar and one of the evening’s exhibitors, said that as someone who’s been a part of the Chamber for the last two years, she enjoys the trade show because it’s not only a chance to interact with members of the public, but to also support other local business owners.
“It’s nice because many people attend the event and they weren’t just from Brantford either, I had someone from Kitchener and another from Hamilton and it was great because they came out here to introduce themselves, to see the businesses and what they offer, and to just talk to other people and ask questions,” she said. “It’s good because I think everybody, every business that is here, cares about improving their business and making those connections.”
Overall, Evans said he was happy with another great turnout.
“We’re so happy about the turnout and it’s been a really great night,” he said. “There’s a lot of smiles, a lot of giveaways, a lot of business cards being exchanged, and a lot of relationships being built, which is the whole point of the Chamber, right?”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
