By JARRETT ARSENAULT
The Pilot
LEWISPORTE – The annual Craft and Trade Show resulted in the second highest attendance ever, and the most money ever won at the Mad Dash for the Cash event.
On the opening day, over 4,200 people walked through the Lewisporte Stadium doors to attend the trade show. The visitors didn’t just come from all over central Newfoundland, but some found their way to the three-day event as far as a country away.
“There were people there from all over the central area, and some even a fair distance away. Even tourists came in. I had one lady there from B.C.,” said Mayor Brian Sceviour.
The Mad Dash for the Cash event winner, Phronie Patterson, won $583 in a scramble to scoop up the all the money laid out at the Armstrong and Quaile booth for the event. The law office donated $620 to the Calypso Foundation this year.
“Regardless of how much they pick up, we donate the full amount we put down for the event anyway,” said Lewisporte Chamber of Commerce president Brian Pike.
The hard work and countless hours the trade show committee put in certainly paid off this year. The variety of exhibitors, events, games, and positive feedback merchants got from their booths all played a role in making this year’s show a success.
“We’re very pleased with it, and it turned out to be a pretty well sold out show,” said Craft and Trade Show committee chairperson Derek Bennett.
People who went to the show also gave the town a boost by going to the shops and restaurants afterwards.
“It was a great variety of people who went to the show, and a lot of them took to the stores and shops around town. It was a good spinoff for the town in that way,” said Mr. Bennett.
The trade show committee is already gearing up for next year, with a lot of the exhibitors already registered for the event. The event will accept applications from new exhibitors in about a month, and the committee tries to keep it varied.
“We’ll be accepting new exhibitors around the end of October, but we really try to give the greatest variety. We won’t have any more than four jewellery booths, for example. We want to have the best experience for both the exhibitor and the people attending the trade show,” said Mr. Bennett.
So mark your calendars for the next Lewisporte Craft and Trade Show, scheduled to start Sept. 19, 2013.
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