The Sherwood Park & District Chamber of Commerce has made the difficult decision to cancel the Sherwood Park & District Fall Trade Fair scheduled for September 19 & 20 at Millennium Place.
The Fall Trade Fair was designed to replace the Great Canadian Trade Fair on April 17-19, 2020. The Great Canadian Trade Fair was postponed due to the COVID – 19 pandemic. Many of our members left their Trade Fair booth registration deposits with us last spring in anticipation of planning a fall event to help promote our business community. The decision to postpone the Great Canadian Trade Fair was made in March when we anticipated that the impacts of COVID – 19 would have diminished to the point that an in-person event would be acceptable by fall.
The recent resurgence in cases of COVID – 19 has raised concerns from residents of our community, including the business community. Debates about mandatory mask bylaws and students returning to school this fall, as well as the recent development that British Columbia has once again closed businesses such as night clubs and banquet halls, has contributed to heightened anxiety for residents and businesses alike.
We at the chamber have listened to your concerns, as well as the concerns of our membership. We understand that this pandemic is a fluid situation and that there will be many twists and turns on the road to recovery from COVID – 19. This decision was difficult, but mental and physical health is our first and foremost priority within our organization and the community as a whole.
We want to extend a thank you to the businesses and chamber members who wanted to participate in this Fall Trade Fair. We appreciate your continued support for our business community. We would also like to thank our partners Goodkey Show Services and Strathcona County, for their assistance in planning these valuable community events. On behalf of myself and the Board of Directors, I would also like to thank Madison, our Events specialist and the great team working here in the office. You all have put a lot of great work into this project, and it is appreciated very much!
The Chamber Board of Directors will continue to meet monthly to plan when we can provide future opportunities for our members to participate in physical events. We invite you to subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch with our upcoming news and events.
Todd Banks,
Executive Director and Public Relations
Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce