Spruce Meadows is a major equestrian show but it has also become a retail bonanza for many businesses that have set up shop during the annual event.
With about 90,000 people expected to visit the sprawling site south of Calgary this weekend, it has a host of retailers wearing big smiles in anticipate of a shopping spree.
To put it in perspective, Calgary’s top shopping mall, Chinook Centre, will see 100,000-plus people on some of its busiest days of the year.
It’s those numbers that have numerous retailers like Marie Craddock smiling this weekend at Spruce Meadows.
Craddock, independent consultant with Miglio Designer Jewellery, is at Spruce Meadows for her first time selling products in the Gallery on the Green building.
“I think it’s a good opportunity, the type of people and the amount of crowds that’s coming through,” she said.
She is hoping to attend other shows at Spruce Meadows this summer.
“I am planning. I only booked for this one just to see how it goes. Yeah, I think I will,” said Craddock.
“It’s a big thing to get the exposure.”
Other major Spruce Meadows events during the summer see about 130,000 people for the North American in July and another 250,000 at the Masters in September.
Margaret Przybyla, sales director with Cutco Cutlery, has made the journey from St. Albert to Spruce Meadows for the past nine years. She will be here six times this year.
“This is such a family-oriented place. A lot of people come here and the vendors are very friendly. The people from Spruce Meadows are like family,” she said. “Out of all of the shows that I do at venues through the year, this is my absolute favourite.
“A lot of people come. You build relationships with customers. They love the place. So they come back here. They know that every event is very, very interesting. So they bring friends and it’s just growing and growing.”
Przybyla said she travels to about 20 to 24 shows each year across the province in places like Edmonton, Red Deer and Fort McMurray.
She described Spruce Meadows as “very profitable” for her — one of the most profitable places she attends.
Bill Sumner, who with partner Brooke Wray, has run a concession stand out of Spruce Meadows for the past 32 years.
He said business is “very good” for Billbrooke Concessions Ltd. but it’s always contingent on the weather.
Ian Allison, senior vice-president of Spruce Meadows, said the Gallery on the Green building and the Spruce Meadows Plaza have numerous commercial activities this weekend.
He said there is also another area called Vendors’ Village which is close to the stabling area and is exclusively for athlete services.
“You’ve got about 600 riders plus all their support people and they’re here literally from six in the morning to midnight. So we try and have some services available so they don’t have to go off site whether it be for tack supplies or clothing,” said Allison.
The Gallery on the Green is in its first year of hosting vendors. In the past, it has been used for feature exhibits.
There are more than 40 vendors in the building. Vendors range from pet supplies to artists to crafts to roofing. A broad spectrum. In effect, it’s a miniature mall.
“We try and keep it so it’s kind of a unique shopping experience,” said Allison. “It’s an evolution of this format.”
Businesses at Spruce Meadows this weekend also include numerous food and drinking kiosks, a handful of retailers set up at the main Grandstand and some outdoor exhibitors.
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