The communities of Municipality of Souris-Glenwood, RM of Pipestone, Town of Virden, RM of Wallace-Woodworth, Town of Melita, Municipality of Grassland, RM of Sifton, and Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester came together to organize and facilitate the Southwest Business & Entrepreneur Expo.
The Expo was held on February 12, 2020 at the Enns Brothers Place, Melita, MB. It is the third year for this regional business event to be offered in southwest Manitoba. The goal of this expo is to attract and support new and existing entrepreneurs in the region. An exhibition area was available to registrants. “The expo is geared to showcase numerous services available for entrepreneurs in different stages of their business life cycle,” stated chairperson, Iris Vercaigne, Economic Development Officer, Town of Melita. There were learning sessions from industry experts throughout the day. These sessions provided innovative ideas and tools to succeed in the competitive business environment.
Another unique feature of this event is the Business Pitch Competition. This is open to start-up entrepreneurs and existing ones looking to expand. Aside from receiving feedback from the expert panel of judges, they also had a chance to win cash prizes. This year’s winners were the following:
Community Futures Westman $1,000 - Best Pitch of The Day – Samantha’s Boutique
Enns Brothers Ltd. $250 - Young Entrepreneur Award – Sub Zero Refrigeration & Heating
Sunrise Credit Union $500 - Judges Choice – G.E.T. Glass
Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba $500 – IntelliFARM
Oak Lake Community Development Board $1,000 – Joe Dandy’s
Town of Virden $1,000 – Ayana Wellness Studios
Municipality of Wallace – Woodworth $1000 – Samantha’s Boutique
Melita & Area Economic Development Corporation $500 – Mama Stay at Home Yoga Studio
Melita & District Chamber of Commerce $500 + 1-year free membership – 83 Industries, Ltd.
Souris-Glenwood CDC$500 - Sound Business Model – Anastasia’s Serenity Wellness
Souris-Glenwood CDC $500 - Best Overall Presentation – Chabluk Service Repair
Souris-Glenwood Chamber of Commerce $250 + 1-year free membership – Chabluk Service Repair
Municipality of Two Borders $1,000 – The Den Designs
Other pitch prizes that were available but not issued due to ineligibility: Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester ($500); Deloraine & District Chamber of Commerce ($1,000); Municipality of Grassland ($250); RM of Pipestone ($2,000); Municipality of Brenda-Waskada ($500).
Next year’s event will be held on February 10, 2021 in Souris. You may also visit their website swbusinessexpo.com or find them on Facebook @SWentrepreneurexpo.
For more information regarding Press Release, contact:
Iris Vercaigne
Economic Development Officer, Town of Melita
204-522-3413 | melitadev@hotmail.com
Box 364 Melita, MB R0M 1L0