Skip to content

Promoting business opportunities locally

The Fernie Chamber of Commerce invited local business to their first business trades show on Thursday, May 28.
98379ferniefpExposeyourselftradeshow
From left: Invest Kootenay Community Liaison Gerri Brightwell and Fernie Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Patty Vadnais hosted Fernie's first business-to-business trades show.

The Fernie Chamber of Commerce invited local business to their first business trades show on Thursday, May 28.

Hosted in conjunction with Invest Kootenay, the chamber’s B2B Support Tradeshow provided businesses with an opportunity to expose themselves and their company by networking with other local business and services.

“It’s really designed to promote businesses that are designed to promote business,” Fernie Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Patty Vadnais said.

Tradeshow exhibitors, including Invest Kootenay, the Kootenay Rockies Innovation Council and Community Futures were available to answer any inquiries and provide individuals with further information about their services.

“They provide business coaching and different tools to help grow your business,” noted Vadnais.”

During the tradeshow, businesses like Invest Kootenay had the opportunity to connect with the local market.

“We wanted to provide some outreach to the business community,” Invest Kootenay Community Liaison Gerri Brightwell said. “There are so many great, free services for businesses.”

Brightwell noted that those services include an online listing service, where local businesses can promote the sale of their commercial property and interested parties can review in depth details of a sale.

“If you’re looking for an investment opportunity in Fernie or in the Kootenay region, or if you’re looking to buy a business, Invest Kootenay is a great resource,” Vadnais said.

With so many great business opportunities available in Fernie, Brightwell said Invest Kootenay’s focus is to showcase those opportunities to anyone interested in living, working or investing in the area.

A total of 12 exhibitors attended the tradeshow, and although this was the chamber’s first business-to-business tradeshow, Vadnais said the evening was a success.

“We’ve had a good turn out as far as visitors coming to see and talk with the businesses,” she added. “It’s been a good night of networking, information sharing, connection making; and we look forward to doing it again.”