Saltscapes Expo 2011

I just got back from the 2011 Saltscapes Expo in Halifax this past weekend. Miramichi Landings was there with the City of Miramichi, the Miramichi River Tourism Association, and Metepenagiag Heritage Park. This was my first trade show experience and I had a blast!

Our booth was conveniently located next to the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival stage, so I got to see Thom Swift and many other amazing East Coast artists perform. Another cool feature about our booth was, in addition to the typical pop-up banners, rack cards, etc., we were the only exhibitors with a Smart Board. Although we had limited internet capabilities, we made the most of our technological advantage by playing many exciting rounds of "Miramichi Jeopardy", created by the MRTA.

Last year, our booth showcased the infamous Headless Nun and created a shock value like no other at the show (in fact, we had a girl come to our booth asking where the Headless Nun was this year). In an attempt to keep our appeal fresh, we took a different route this year and sampled some Cedar tea from Metepenagiag. This medicinal tea was traditionally used by the Mi'kmaq as a remedy for throat colds and other ailments. Well, we ran out of cups!

This was by far the most successful of our offerings this year, sampling nearly 1,000 cups of tea! Most people were leery at first, "Does it taste like trees?" was a common question. Yes, it does taste like trees. The tea consisted of steeped Cedar branches and tea berry leaves. Although a few people were not exactly thrilled with the taste, most who tried it were amazed by its flavour, aroma and quality, some even asking where to buy it in Miramichi.

Overall, I must say that although I have no real first-hand basis for comparison, I really think this year's show went really well! We're already looking forward to next year's Saltscapes Expo, which will be even bigger and better than this year!

So for those of you who got a chance to see us in Halifax, or for those of you who missed us, be sure to stop by the Miramichi Landings Welcome Centre on Historic Water Street or the MRTA Visitor Information Centre on Highway 11 and Discover what we know...

-Jason