Christian Expo launched in Toronto
Business and ministry trade show makes its debut
DOUG
KOOP
CW Editor
– Toronto –
Anyone with links to the Christian community was welcome at Christian Expo 2000, the first in what entrepreneur Tore Stautland anticipates will be an annual event in Toronto, and which he also hopes to introduce to centres across Canada.
Businesses eager to connect with the Christian public set up booths alongside established Christian ministries in the Queen Elizabeth complex at the Canadian National Exhibition May 4-6.
Groups such as the Shantymen, Prison Fellowship, Canada Christian College and Franciscan Friars rubbed shoulders with insurance brokers, sound systems sales staff, chair manufacturers, architects and web page designers.
Christian Expo even included a touch of politics when Canadian Alliance leadership contender Stockwell Day stopped by for a 30-minute whistle stop. In a short speech, Day observed that his unapologetic Christianity is helping to reassert the role of faith as legitimate player in public dialogue.
Trade display presentations and a roster of speakers including Bart Campolo, Brian Stiller, Grant Jeffrey and Todd Cantelon augmented the main event, which was the trade show. Musicians including Juno winners Steve Bell and Deborah Klassen as well as Burlap to Cashmere, Capstone, and Alvin Slaughter performed to rather thin evening crowds.
High hopes
“This is a first annual show,” says Stautland, who spent ten years as a youth pastor and also worked in marketing with Compassion Canada.
Now managing his own businesses, Stautland says he is “very happy” that nearly 5,000 people visited the Expo during its three-day run. He maintains that “most of our vendors are very pleased,” and that “some did very well.” But he does allow that others “had very good and positive constructive suggestions to make it better” next time.
“The last day was the best in terms of numbers coming through,” says Christian Expo PR director Dave Raakman, noting that many families came down to see the Veggie Tales in action. “It kind of made up for the show. The vendors appreciated the traffic.”
From its conception Christian Expo has been primarily geared toward exhibitors. “It will have a vendor-driven focus with a top priority given to ensure the success of the vendor,” states a brochure circulated to potential vendors late last summer.
The same brochure touted a tentative roster of speakers and musicians including Chuck Colson, Max Lucado, Michael W. Smith and others. Of the artists and authors featured in that first brochure, only the popular Veggie Tales characters actually made the event.
“That’s something we’ll definitely handle differently next year,” says Stautland, explaining that he canvassed potential vendors to find out who they wanted to bring to the show. “A lot was out of our hands until they came back with firm commitments.”
“We’ll start that process much earlier ourselves next time,” adds Raakman.
Stautland says he will continue to develop the event trumpeted on his website (www.christianexpo.on.ca) as “the event of the century.”
“You have to build it,” he says. “We’re not just working to draw a crowd, but trying to make a dent with our name–Christian Expo. We wanted to brand it and position it and create a building block for next year.”