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While it was a success, 2016 was also a transition year for the Canadian Western Agribition.
The organization announced on Thursday it made a profit of $745,852 from operations.
Livestock sales from the event were $2.9 million, the second highest in the organization’s history.
The number of international buyers was also very strong, doing more business at the 2016 event than the previous four events combined.
Ticketed events reached a record high of 25,000 attendees and over 8,000 students attended. The jousting and professional rodeo events helped bring in those record numbers, with both events expected back in 2017.
Organizers said there was a provincial economic impact of $56 million.
Agribition President Stewart Stone said it’s been the event’s ability to stay innovative that has allowed it to remain successful.
“As the agricultural world and the urban world changes, we need to change as well.”
One of the changes that will be coming to the event in 2017 will be the move to the completed International Trade Centre.
CEO Chris Lane said he talked to vendors who had been coming to the event for 30 years and they’ve told him their impressed by how quickly the show has been changing.
“The pace of that change has accelerated in the last few years and it’s going to feel like it’s accelerating again as we move to the new facilities and what we’re able to do in there,” Lane said.
The move to the building won’t be the only change coming to the event.
While he couldn’t go into any specifics, Lane said there will be a “high adrenaline” event coming to Saturday night at the 2017 edition of Agribition.
The event will Run from Nov. 20-25.
