'We will see you next year': 2022 Agribition deemed a success

Following a busy week, the Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) in Regina came to a close over the weekend.

The annual agriculture trade show ran from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3 with its first full slate of events since the pandemic.

Shaun Kindopp, CEO of Agribition said the event was a success.

“I have done a lot of events and upon closing, (I was) ... able to reflect on a week and the support we received from the community,” Kindopp explained.

Vendors and producers stuck around on Dec. 4, cleaning out their sections before making their way home.

Mark Angus, a cattle producer from Manitoba said Agribition benefited his operation.

“It was a really fantastic week,” he said. “We did very well on our show and there was a lot of potential commerce done.”

Organizers were unsure of the support they would receive after a several years of restrictions.

However, Kindopp was pleasantly surprised at the engagement and support that came with this year’s show.

“You are hoping that the support is going to come back and it came back full force,” he said. “We are very humbled with the support we received.”

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Without restrictions, the CWA was able to bring back many events including the Ag Pavilion where children could learn about the agriculture industry.

“Even generations back, everybody remembers coming to Agribition as a kid,” Kindopp said. “So to be able to get people coming through for the first time and just introduce them to what Agribition is, I think is important.”

With such a large and diverse event, Kindopp added that volunteers were absolutely essential to success.

“I am very proud, we've got such a phenomenal team and volunteers and just the amount of work that they put it into seeing the event come off as well as it did,” Kindopp said.

Angus is already looking forward to Agribition in 2023.

“Thank you Regina for your hospitality,” he told CTV News.

“We will see you next year.”