Ideal Supply Tradeshow Successful in its Return to an In-Person Event

May 4, 2023

By Blake Marchand

Ideal Supply returned to an in-person event for their annual trade show held this past week in Stratford, ON. The Welcome Back Tradeshow also featured a weeklong virtual portion to accommodate those that were unable to make the trip the Stratford Rotary Complex where the event was held. The show is unique because many shows of this size are held in the GTA, giving the industry in the southern region a unique opportunity to get a firsthand look at the latest products, tools, and solutions from many of the industry’s leading manufacturers.

The show featured electrical products, lighting, clean energy, EV charging, safety supplies, industrial solutions, with a growing focus on automation and robotics, as well as automotive equipment and parts. The show also featured live training sessions.

Ideal Supply Tradeshow

The show was well attended overall, we spoke to several contractors and crews that were excited to get together with the industry and get a look at some new products and solutions. The audience was mixed between electrical, industrial, and automotive, as well as a healthy contingent from the agricultural sector.

“We were thrilled to get back to a physical show this year. Engaging with our customers, conducting in-person training, showcasing new products and services, and building vendor relationships has always been what our show is about,” commented Peter Mackie, Ideal Supply Marketing Coordinator.

“While the virtual show provided a great tool for us over the past 3 years, we enjoyed getting back to our roots and seeing everyone in person. With that said, in addition to the physical show, we continued to run a weeklong virtual show, to help reach customers in our expansive trading area that could not make it to the physical two-day show.”

We chatted with a couple manufacturers that were happy with the mix of the in-person/virtual show. The online portion kept orders coming steadily between waves of in-person attendees.

IDEAL Industries had one of the more interesting booths, displaying the range of their products while also providing attendees with a chance to test their new line of augers. DeWalt and Milwaukee also had interactive set ups.

On the day one of the show, EIN was situated between RVE and Flo, two companies out of Quebec that are innovating in the EV charging space. It was interesting to see the traffic past those booths of electricians who either work with EV charging currently or were interested in learning more about it. It seemed that more tended to be the latter, the opportunity for EV charging installations is growing and contractors were interested in learning more. Schneider Electric had an interesting set up, with two large trailers featuring their industrial and automation offerings in one and commercial and residential in the other.

The Ideal Supply staff were busy touring customers around the show, which was split into two halls. The main hall housed the majority of the vendors ranging from automotive, electrical, lighting, automation, and industrial. Most of the large booths highlighted the second hall, as mentioned IDEAL, DeWalt, and Milwaukee had interesting set ups there, Liteline also highlighted the second hall, which also featured several automotive vendors.

Dewalt, Ideal Supply Trade Show

It was great to see the industry coming together, particularly for those in Stratford and the surrounding area, that don’t get a chance to come out to a show of this size. In total there was over 150 vendors. Electro-Federation Canada’s Daniela Demarco was on the show floor as well, chatting with member companies, and showing their support of the industry.

All-in-all it was a great event. The show ran from 2pm-9pm on both days, with educational sessions being held before show hours. A representative from FLO, which hosted one of the educational sessions, was impressed with the turnout on that front.

“The show as a whole was very successful – we saw a record number of accounts in attendance as well as record highs in training participants,” said Mackie. “I want to personally thank all of our customer and vendor partners that took part in the show, and we look forward to seeing everyone next year!”

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • IDEAL Canada Wraps up Eighth Season of Battle of the Schools

    IDEAL Canada Wraps up Eighth Season of Battle of the Schools

    This year, IDEAL Canada is celebrating 60 years of manufacturing in Canada. In the spirit of celebration, the company has given apprentices across the country another chance to show off their talents and celebrate their skills as burgeoning electricians with the Battle of the Schools. IDEAL awarded over $25,000 in cash in prizes to apprentices… Read More…

  • Ontario EV ChargeON Program Accepting Applications until January 31, 2024

    Ontario EV ChargeON Program Accepting Applications until January 31, 2024

    November 29, 2023 The province is accepting applications for the EV ChargeON program to build publicly accessible charging stations in communities with less than 170,000 people, as well as in any Indigenous community in Ontario. Eligible applicants include businesses, not-for-profit corporations, municipalities, Indigenous businesses, organizations and communities, and broader public sector organizations like hospitals and… Read More…

  • A Closer Look at ESA’s EV Charger Installation Blitz & EV Charger Considerations

    A Closer Look at ESA’s EV Charger Installation Blitz & EV Charger Considerations

    Earlier this year, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) conducted an EV charger installation ‘blitz’ as part of their campaign to educate homeowners and consumers, in an effort to improve EV charger installation safety in Ontario. Read More…

  • I Have Two Questions for You

    I Have Two Questions for You

    November 24, 2023 By Keith Sones, Valard EVP Strategy & Business Development I have two questions for you. First, how many people do you think you’ll meet in your life? It’s not that hard to determine, quite frankly. Yes, it requires a lot of assumptions to represent the “average” person, but it is possible. Before… Read More…


Changing Scene

  • Delta Transformers Unveils Newly Redesigned Website

    Delta Transformers Unveils Newly Redesigned Website

    December 8, 2023 Delta Transformers is proud to announce the launch of its redesigned website, updated to deliver a superior user experience through a blend of aesthetics and functionality.  This redesign marks a significant step forward, offering users improved navigation, enhanced content, and intuitive features aimed at simplifying the customer journey.  Key highlights of Delta’s… Read More…

  • Electrical Safety Authority Recognizes Safety Excellence in Ontario

    Electrical Safety Authority Recognizes Safety Excellence in Ontario

    December 7, 2023 Yesterday, December 6th, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) held its Annual Meeting and Ontario Electrical Safety Awards to celebrate leadership and electrical safety excellence. In addition to the awards, ESA’s Chair Christopher Hopper, and Chief Executive Officer, Josie Erzetic, highlighted ESA’s accomplishments from the previous year, and Patience Cathcart, Public Safety Officer provided key findings of… Read More…

  • ABB E-mobility Launches Terra AC Wallbox Solutions for Homes and Businesses in Canada

    ABB E-mobility Launches Terra AC Wallbox Solutions for Homes and Businesses in Canada

    December 6, 2023 ABB’s Terra AC Wallbox product family is now available through select ABB Installation Product electrical distribution partners across Canada. The solutions offer tailored, intelligent, and networked charging for business, home and a wide range of locations such as commercial or public facilities, workplaces, multifamily residences, and fleet parking lots. “The versatile e-mobility… Read More…

  • ECS contributes to UBC Solar’s “Brightside” Race Car Project

    ECS contributes to UBC Solar’s “Brightside” Race Car Project

    December 6, 2023 Electrical Wire Donation Powers Innovation and Education in Sustainable Engineering Electrical Cable Supply (ECS) is delighted to announce its recent contribution to UBC Solar – a student engineering design team at the University of British Columbia (UBC). In support of cutting-edge education and sustainable innovation, ECS has donated a diverse array of… Read More…