Fort Smith (Apr 24/06) - Fort Smith will stagea trade show on May 6.

Organizer Wes Steed, general manager of Thebacha Business Development Services, says he is not sure why there has never before been a trade show in the community.

However, he speculates it could have something to do with Fort Smith being a predominantly government town.

As of last week, 35 of the 40 booths available at the Fort Smith Trade Show had been rented to about 28 different businesses and government agencies.

Steed says he is pleased with the response, but has been pounding the pavement to rent the last five booths.

"It's an opportunity for us to promote ourselves and to show that we are open for business and that business does thrive in this community," he says.

"If people are looking for opportunities, they're right here in their own back yard."

Steed said he would like to see the trade show become an annual event.

About 70 per cent of the participants are from Fort Smith, while the remainder are mainly from Hay River and Yellowknife.

So far, organizations that have signed up include Aurora College, Diavik, Reliance Airways, Kingland Ford, Northwestern Air Lease and the Mackenzie Gas Project.

Bernie Minute, the newly-elected president of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, is looking forward to the trade show.

"I think it's going to be an amazing opportunity for Fort Smith," says Minute, the owner of Phoenix Automotive.

The one-day trade show will be held at the Fort Smith arena from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 6.

"I hope to see 1,000 people go through the place," Steed says.

The trade show is being jointly presented by Thebacha Business Development Services, the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.