The Brantford-Brant Chamber of Commerce staged its 18th annual trade show and Business After Hours at the Affinity Conference Centre on Oct. 20, 2026, drawing a broad cross-section of the local business community as part of Small Business Week.
Business networking at the centre of the event
Just over 50 Chamber members — described by the event organiser as roughly 55 vendors — set up displays to promote products and services and to make connections with other firms and the public. The mix included non-profits, retailers, service agencies, insurance and construction companies, among others.
“We have about 55 vendors who are, for the most part, members of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as members of the Brantford-Brant business community,” said David Prang, CEO of the Brantford-Brant Chamber of Commerce.
Prang framed the trade show as a practical platform for relationship-building: exhibitors exchanged information, offered product giveaways and demonstrated services in order to boost visibility and generate referrals within the region.
Partners and local economic aims
The Chamber organised the show alongside partner groups including the County of Brant Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Brant, the Business Resource Centre and Ladies Who Lead. Organisers said the combined programming — trade show plus Business After Hours — was designed to draw fresh faces and new vendor relationships through the doors.
- Event: 18th annual Trade Show & Business After Hours
- Date: Oct. 20, 2026
- Location: Affinity Conference Centre, Brantford
- Exhibitors: about 55 vendors representing a variety of sectors
Prang emphasised the multiplier effect when firms collaborate: keeping transactions local helps preserve economic activity inside the community, he said, while also strengthening personal and business networks.
What the event signals
Small Business Week events often serve as a temperature check on grassroots commerce and entrepreneurship. In Brantford, organisers described turnout as one of the better showings in recent years, an indicator that local firms are engaging with customers and peers as they prepare for the coming holiday season and broader economic cycles.
For small firms, trade shows perform several practical functions: they are low-cost marketing channels, an avenue for direct customer feedback, and a place to cultivate supplier or referral relationships. The Brantford event combined those elements with evening networking to maximise attendee contact and to introduce businesses to groups they might not otherwise meet, organisers said.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual run | 18th |
| Vendors | About 55 |
| Partners | County of Brant Chamber, Enterprise Brant, Business Resource Centre, Ladies Who Lead |
Beyond immediate leads and sales, the Chamber framed the show as part of a broader civic effort to showcase local entrepreneurship and to encourage residents to support neighbourhood businesses. By pairing the trade show with Business After Hours, organisers expected to increase the variety of attendees and to strengthen cross-sector ties.
Exhibitors reported distributing promotional material and conducting live demonstrations at their booths, activities that help convert casual interest into measurable follow-up opportunities. While organisers did not publish attendance figures, they characterised the turnout as notably strong compared with recent years, suggesting renewed local momentum.
As Small Business Week continues across the province and nation, community-led events such as Brantford’s underscored a simple but persistent reality for small enterprises: direct connections — face-to-face conversations, sample-products and visible demonstrations — still matter in an increasingly digital economy.
