The second annual Brantford Business Trade Show will take place at the Affinity Conference Centre on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
Sam Gernhart, event organizer and owner of Clarity Marketing and Design, said that the trade show provides an opportunity for local businesses in Brantford, the County of Brant and the surrounding area to get a head start in marketing their product or service.
“It’s really a trade show to kick off the new year, get ahead on your marketing and to get that extra exposure,” said Gernhart. “With the region growing so much and with these larger companies coming in that are hard to compete with, sometimes you need to get creative this time of year and so this is a great opportunity for those small business owners who may need more support and more exposure to let people know they’re still an option.”
She said that the major benefit of the tradeshow is the opportunity to network with others.
“A trade show or an expo is just one large networking event,” said Gernhart. “Not only are you getting the chance to mingle with the other businesses that are there, but anyone coming through those doors as well. You never know who may need your services and so you want to be able to make those face-to-face connections so they can remember you when they need you down the road.”
As far as what to expect from the event, Gernhart said that attendees will get the chance to discover a variety of industries from the area.
“I really wanted to make sure it was a neutral space with a variety of different industries and non-profits,” she said. “It was great because last year we actually had a handful of trade businesses that you may not typically see at those more corporate style events and so it ended up being a great space for them and everyone else to showcase themselves, and I wanted to continue that into this year.”
Speaking to how the 2025 event is shaping up, Gernhart said she’s happy that there are a number of returning exhibitors, as well as new ones too.
“Last year we had around 25 or so businesses partake in the event, and this year we’ve already surpassed that which is great,” she said. “We have a lot of returning businesses and organizations who signed up for 2025 so it’s nice to see that those who were there in year one saw the benefit and wanted to be a part of it again. Another thing I’ve seen this year is an uptick in non-profit organizations.”
Wanting to make sure the event was accessible to those organizations who may be struggling with marketing, Gernhart said she’s offered them a free table at the event so long as there’s space.
“Unfortunately, a lot of non-profits are struggling and don’t have the extra funds to promote themselves,” she said. “I really want those organizations to be able to take advantage of this event because they also need to build awareness and spread the word just like a business does.”
For those interested in having a table at the event, Gernhart said that while it depends on how much space is available, she’ll be keeping applications open until a couple days before, and that they can apply to register for the trade show or as a sponsor, by visiting the website: https://www.brantfordbusinesstradeshow.ca/
On the day, the event will take place inside Brantford’s Affinity Conference Centre from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and the networking portion will take place afterwards from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m..
“Both portions are free so people can come and check out the trade show, mingle, and grab some free stuff,” she said. “And then they can also attend the networking portion after. There’s no pressure to do both, they can also attend one or the other, but it’s completely free for people to attend.”
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.
