Wide appeal at show
Annual Kivalliq Trade Show set to go in Rankin Inlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
RANKIN INLET/KIVALLIQ
Rankin Inlet will be booming with activity this coming week when the community hosts the sixth annual Kivalliq Trade Show from Sept. 28 to 30.
Alide Sanguin spins qiviut (muskox wool) at last year's Kivalliq Regional Trade Show's Art Market in Rankin Inlet. - NNSL file photo |
The 2015 trade show will be the first as committee president for Arviat community economic development officer Keith Collier.
Collier has been involved with the show for the past four years (three as a committee member), and takes over the president's chair from Robert Connelly of Rankin Inlet.
Collier said the show continues to grow a bit every year.
He said there are three main areas the event tries to focus on every year.
"First, as a trade show, we really try to provide a positive venue for all businesses, non-governmental organizations, governments and various organizations across the territory," said Collier.
"All stakeholders in the region and across the territory have a good place to come together, meet, make connections and, hopefully, put some names to faces and look for partnership opportunities to expand their businesses.
"We try, also, to always have a focus on arts and youth, so we have an art market, and an artist's program every year that includes a number of various workshops.
"We bring in youth from across the Kivalliq to take part in various workshops and this year we'll be featuring entrepreneurship workshops for youth."
The upcoming trade show is also bringing in the Moving Millennials group, which is expected to focus on anti-bullying workshops and social media: how to be safe online.
Collier said the show has, for the most part, maintained the same general agenda over the years but this year has moved to tighten up its schedule.
He said the 2015 show will feature a wide variety of presentations.
"As for the presentations, different people are looking forward to different things because of the variety we're able to offer," he said.
"Our theme this year is Making The Cuts, which we chose for its wide variety of applications.
"If you're a mining company you're cutting rock, if you're a hunter you're cutting meat and if you're a seamstress you're cutting material.
"I feel confident, when talking about the various presentations, in saying there should be something at the event for everybody."
