Eight communities from southwestern Manitoba plus an employment centre have come together to organize a brand new pro-business event slated for Feb. 7 in Virden.
The Southwest Business & Entrepreneur Expo was created to attract new entrepreneurs to the region and support existing ones by offering an opportunity to learn and network.
Working together on the Expo are the RM of Souris-Glenwood, RM of Pipestone, the Town of Virden, RM of Wallace-Woodworth, Town of Melita, Municipality of Grassland, RM of Sifton, RM of Deloraine-Winchester, and Virden Skills Training Inc.
Chairperson Tanis Chalmers is the manager of economic development for the RM of Pipestone. She said, “The expo is geared to showcase numerous services available for entrepreneurs in different stages of their business life cycle.”
Along with a trade show, there will be educational sessions with industry experts throughout the day to provide innovative ideas and tools to succeed in a competitive business environment.
Pitch Session
Another unique feature of this event is the Pitch Session. Start-up entrepreneurs and existing ones looking to expand will not only get feedback from the expert panel of judges, they will also get a chance to win cash prizes.
Chalmers said, “Sponsorships are a key element to the success of this event.
“We are fortunate to have a very supportive business resource sector and so far have been successful in arranging funds from various sources, such as financial intuitions and government agencies.”
The expo’s organizing committee will continue to pursue sponsorships for the event including tradeshow booths in the coming weeks.
Anyone interested in the expo as an exhibitor or sponsor is asked to notify the committee at their earliest convenience. For more information, see the Southwest Business & Entrepreneur Expo page on Facebook.
The Expo is scheduled for February 7, 2018 at Tundra Oil & Gas Place in Virden.
