The long-anticipated Passport to Wellness healthy living trade show is taking place this weekend, giving numerous vendors in the health and wellness industry a chance to show the community what products and services they have to offer.
Running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each consecutive day, the event took place Saturday and will take place again with the same vendors – and perhaps a few new tables – on Sunday at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Convention Centre.
The first day of the show featured 45 official vendors and eight additional static displays.
At the show, residents have a rare opportunity to learn about many products and services they may not be aware of, and many of these services are not widely advertised or promoted compared to traditional alternatives.
In turn, these vendors who seek to improve the lives of people in the community can benefit by what is described as the best form of marketing available.
“The goal here is to create significant awareness in health and wellness in the (Moose Jaw) area,” explained Michelle Power, the show’s organizer and owner of Fit 4 Life Moose Jaw.
Power said many of the show’s health practitioners may not be referred by a doctor, but that’s simply because some of them explore non-traditional approaches to health.
At the same time, some vendors maintain more of a mainstream approach but offer alternatives. One example is Motion Moose Jaw, who provides mobility equipment for seniors, and another is the Mulberry Estates senior’s home. Beltone Hearing Care Centre offers a free hearing test, sells top-quality hearing aids, and can even fashion a custom device that perfectly matches your individual ear canal.
“We’re in January, and all those people that set resolutions – this is the time for them to come out and really re-acquaint themselves with the resolution and the renewal that they wanted for 2024.
“Maybe (these vendors can connect) us to what is a good lifestyle, now that we’ve come through three years of uncertainty. This is a great opportunity for people to connect with that and get back into finding out what’s best for their health and wellness,” Power said.
“That’s our motto – ‘Be all that and more in 2024.’”
According to Power, the first day of the trade show went well. She said attendance was steady and vendors reportedly made a lot of great new connections. Still, she hopes to see more people attend Sunday’s event.
“It (lower attendance than was anticipated) may be due to weather, (and) people had other things on their mind. We’re looking forward to Sunday being a day where a lot of people come out and learn about health and wellness that’s available here in Moose Jaw and in Southern Saskatchewan.”
A wide range of vendors provide something for almost everyone. From a small-town Manitoba iron chef who created a top-quality condensed butter product to walk-in tubs to help seniors to remain living at home for longer, it’s a show worth visiting.
Admittance is $10 per person and children 12 and under can enter free of charge. All proceeds help make the show possible and allow vendors to share their health-giving products and services.
If you missed the trade show on Saturday, a second day is planned for Sunday, Jan. 28. The Moose Jaw Exhibition Convention Centre is located at 250 Thatcher Drive and guests can enter through the building’s south entrance.
“We will re-tool and re-kit for tomorrow. It’s another fresh day,” Power said.
