Apr 9, 2021
TIABC writes to the City of Abbotsford to encourage the City to retain TRADEX as an event venue
Re: Future of the Fraser Valley Trade & Exhibition Centre (TRADEX)
Dear Mayor Braun & Council:
On behalf of the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC), I am writing to implore the City of Abbotsford to retain TRADEX as a venue for events.
This exceptional community facility has provided significant benefits to Abbotsford and the surrounding Fraser Valley region for more than two decades. In fact, an entire tourism ecosystem has been built around this important venue that supports hotels, restaurants, attractions, retail, transportation providers and a whole host of suppliers. As noted in a 2017 Pacific Analytics report, TRADEX hosted events annually generate some $17 million in economic impact for the region, and upwards of $19 million for the province.
Under the guise of Tourism Abbotsford, TRADEX continues to be a catalyst for innovation, creativity, learning, recreation and fun for hundreds of thousands of local residents and visitors each year. What’s more, countless businesses have generated substantial revenues by exhibiting at numerous TRADEX hosted trade and consumer shows. This has not only contributed to the City of Abbotsford’s economic development and success but has also provided employment for local residents.
On a personal note, I was part of the launch of TRADEX and still believe it to be one of the finest, most productive, and much-needed large-scale venues in British Columbia, especially now as we anticipate tourism recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the months ahead.
Mayor and Council, I strongly urge you to retain TRADEX for its intended purpose, managed by the very capable and skilled team at Tourism Abbotsford. Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
TIABC represents the interests of some 19,300+ tourism businesses with more than 310,000 employees around the province. Our role is to work with government at all levels to address issues and pursue opportunities on behalf of businesses, destination marketing organizations and sector associations.
Best Regards,
Walt Judas
CEO, TIABC
778-953-0620
