Iqaluit (May 12/03) - "Easily the best show we've ever had."

That's the way Bob Long of the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce summed up this year's Nunavut Trade Show.

Held May 1-3 in Iqaluit, the show had the Arctic Winter Games arena bursting at the seams.

"We didn't keep attendance figures, but I had one exhibitor tell me they gave away 1,000 free gifts in three hours on the Saturday," said Long.

The show attracted more than 100 exhibitors, with an emphasis on Baffin region entrepreneurs and crafts people.

Every community in Baffin was represented.

Long said organizers worked closely with community development officers in the region and will do the same next year in the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot.

The Chamber hasn't done a study on the show's economic impact on the city, but Long said it would be significant.

"All I know is that every hotel room in town was taken, restaurants and taxis were busy for three days, and the airlines were pretty happy with their business."

About half of the 100 exhibitor booths were booked by firms from outside the territory.

"Companies from NWT and the South were looking to network and explore opportunities and everybody seemed very pleased with the results."

The largest Southern delegation was from Labrador, which sent 17 business or government people, including the mayor of Goose Bay.

Organized by the North Labrador Chamber of Commerce (NLCC), the contingent included firms looking for opportunities in tourism, equipment supply, wood products, construction, engineering consulting, sporting goods, and greenhouse produce.

"It was just a terrific show and everybody was buzzing with ideas on the plane all the way home," said NLCC executive director Colin O'Brien.

"One company told me it was the most worthwhile Northern trade show he had ever attended, period."

Labrador firms have found business in the territory through past shows, but on a relatively small scale.

O'Brien said that will change with the addition of regular scheduled service by Air Labrador between Goose Bay and Iqaluit earlier this year.

"We are interested in doing business in the North and the Air Labrador link has definitely opened more opportunity to do that," he said.

"We see this as a North-South exchange. This isn't just about what Nunavut can do for us, but what we can do for Nunavut."

O'Brien said the chamber invited a Nunavut trade delegation to Labrador in June and is hopeful that will happen.

Exchange visits by economic development people from Iqaluit and Goose Bay is another possibility discussed, he said.

Another idea floated was off-loading Nunavut-harvested shrimp in Northern Labrador where it could be trucked to Southern plants or markets via the Trans Labrador Highway to Quebec.

"That would save the shrimp boats two or three days sea time on a return trip," he said.

"The cost savings would be dramatic. There is a lot of interest in pursuing this further."