CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - It was Damien Packwood’s first time with a booth at the Biz2Biz Expo in Charlottetown on Thursday, and by noon he’d already booked couple of work appointments.
“I think on P.E.I. it’s very important to network. It’s a small place, and if you can build connections, it’s almost better than regular marketing,” said Packwood, an interior designer and owner of Damien Morris Designs in Charlottetown.
Packwood’s booth was one of more than 100 at the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Biz2Biz Expo at the Eastlink Centre.
This is the event’s 13th year, which was attended by about 2,500 people.
The keynote speaker was Manjit Minhas, co-founder and CEO of Minhas Breweries, Distillery and Winery based in Alberta, and a cast member on the CBC show Dragons’ Den.
One of the busier booths was Grand Senses Spa. The business, located in the Confederation Court Mall and Holman Grand Hotel, has been represented at the event in the past.
Besides having a booth to network and meet potential clients, Virginia MacIsaac, the spa’s general manager, said the event is also important to discover other businesses in the city.
“This is extremely important to us. Actually, it’s one of the few trade shows I go to,” she said.
“I always been a big believer in this trade fair.”
- Virginia MacIsaac
Packwood, who moved to the Island 12 years ago from Newfoundland, started his business in June of 2017.
“The market right now is great with all the building,” said Packwood, who works with both residential and commercial builds.
“A lot of my clients come from Ontario. I get a lot of cottage people.”
He also has a Christmas decoration package for customers.
Packwood attended the expo last year to check it out. And as a result, he pre-booked a booth for this year.
“Not a lot of people know that there are interior designers on P.E.I.,” he said. “That’s why I find these events always helpful, because you never know when you’re going to get potential customers walking up the hall. It’s definitely paying off.”
