In another hopeful sign that the worst of the pandemic is (finally) behind us, destination marketing organization Travel Penticton held in its first Tourism Expo in three years this past Saturday at the Trade and Convention Centre.
Officially dubbed the "TRUE Penticton Tourism Expo" ("TRUE" being an acronym for "Think Remarkable Unique Experiences"), the event was primed for its fifth iteration in early 2020 when COVID crashed ashore and brought so much of the world to a halt.
But Saturday it made its return, and 56 member businesses -- all with ties to local tourism -- took the opportunity to show the public and each other all they do.
And while some expos can be rather, um, humdrum, this one has a history of being the opposite.
In attendance Saturday was a who's who of the leisure, hospitality and entertainment biz -- from hotels and tour outfits to e-bike and paddleboard rental shops, restaurants and food trucks, local artisans, wineries, breweries and distilleries, and reps from just about every major Penticton-area festival.
That there were copious contests and swag give-ways only added to the appeal.
New for 2022, the event featured a job fair competent.
"The expo is basically to get the public to come out and learn about all there is to do in Penticton," said Travel Penticton Member & Visitor Services Coordinator Paige Schulz. "The events, the things to see, do and explore, the places to stay and play, and where to eat and drink.
"But this year because so many places are looking to hire in the summer, we added a job fair portion to it. And we had a good response. Half the exhibitors were looking for staff, and a lot of them ended up hiring on site today."
Lily Knelsen, chair of local pop culture festival The Penti-Con, was grateful for the chance to "feel that sense of community" once again.
"Today was the first time to get out and connect with people in a long, long time and to showcase our event for Penticton and that we're back again this year," she said. "It was nice to see other businesses and just to feel that sense of community."
Knelsen dstributed volunteer information to several people as she readies for the first Penti-Con since the summer of 2019, happening Oct. 22nd and 23rd at the very same Trade and Convention Centre.
"We made some really good business connections today and came up with some good ideas for future events," she said. "I invite everyone to come out and hang with us in October and embrace your weird."
Anette Engel of Maple Leaf Spirits on the Naramata Bench is a long-time Tourism Expo supporter.
"This was the third one we've done," she said afterward. "I like the opportunity to network and to meet people from other industries. We're all in one boat together, and I firmly believe that if my neighbours or another Penticton business does well, then it's good for me. And vice versa."
Engel said she was looking for potential employees at the event and ultimately found two good leads.
"But I'm waiting for them to come over to see what the job is really about," she added with a laugh. "It's not just standing there pouring alcohol."
As for this year's tourist season, Engel thinks it'll be big and that local businesses should take advantage of events like the Expo to get their names out to locals.
"It's important to reach out to locals because they're multipliers for the information we give them," she said. "So then their advice is more specific than, 'Oh, there's a winery.' Now it's, 'This winery is good for red wine,' or 'Here's a distillery.'
"So this was a fantastic opportunity and I thank Travel Penticton for organizing it so well."
For more information on Travel Penticton and/or to become a member, go to the website here.
