Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (June 17/02) - Organizers are working on the final preparations for one of the biggest conventions ever to hit Inuvik.

Now in its second year, the Inuvik Petroleum Show, June 19 to 21, is expected to draw 500 to 600 conference delegates and trade show exhibitors -- far more than the 200 conventional hotel and bed-and-breakfast rooms available in town.

Accommodations have been booked solid since mid-March. "We've had quite a few calls from surrounding areas that I guess thought they'd wait until the last minute," says Jane Leigh with the Mackenzie Delta Hotel Group.

"They phone and they say, 'Is there accommodations?' and all you can do is laugh. A lot of the hotel rooms were booked up to a year ago."

The hotel group has been co-ordinating additional accommodations, all of which are also booked out. Last week, the Arctic Star barge camp was floated down the Mackenzie River to provide 44 rooms at the town's dock. The McDonald Bros. Electric staff camp is providing 30 rooms, and another 25 rooms have been made available at the Aurora College student residence.

Petroleum Show co-ordinator Brian Desjardins estimates the show will inject as much as $2 million into the local economy, although the town itself is aiming to break even -- spending as much on the conference and facility upgrades as it brings in from conference fees.

"The phone's been ringing off the hook in the last two weeks," says Desjardins. "We're still getting a lot of people wanting to register. We've been telling them "yes," if you can make arrangements for accommodations -- if you know family, friends, or business connections where you can sleep on someone's couch, spare bedroom or floor." Desjardins says he has even referred delegates to the campgrounds. But as of last week there was still plenty of campsites available.

Meanwhile, every useable space at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex is being prepared for the show. Four temporary staff have been hired to set up, and upstairs, town workers are finishing construction on a new room and washrooms for the fitness centre, to be used for break-out sessions.

The new ceiling and floors might not be ready in time, but Desjardins says that's not important. What's needed is the space.

The majority of the trade fair booths and tables have been set up in the arena, and the curling rink will hold additional 35 to 40 booths this year. Even with 110 booths, there are still 10 companies on the waiting list for space.

Last year, there were 75 booths and 400 delegates and exhibitors.