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

  • Littelfuse: Solid-State Industrial Relays Quality Test Report

    Littelfuse: Solid-State Industrial Relays Quality Test Report

    April 21, 2025 Littelfuse Provides Insights Into Their Solid-State Industrial Relays Introduction Solid-State Relays (SSRs) are a critical component in modern electrical & electronic systems, providing reliable switching capabilities for various applications from industrial automation to consumer electronics. When it comes to choosing the right solid-state relay for your application, it’s important to know the… Read More…

  • PataBid vs. Accubid Classic: How Electrical Estimating Software is Evolving

    PataBid vs. Accubid Classic: How Electrical Estimating Software is Evolving

    April 21, 2025 By Melvin Newman, Patabid CEO The landscape of construction technology — especially in electrical estimating software—is evolving at a rapid pace. With the rise of cloud-based platforms, AI-driven automation, and advanced data integration, contractors now have more options than ever when choosing the right digital estimating tool.    With the rise of… Read More…

  • ESA has Identified Increasing Safety Concern Surrounding Meter Base Installations

    ESA has Identified Increasing Safety Concern Surrounding Meter Base Installations

    April 18, 2025 ESA and EFC are raising awareness on an increasing safety concern the ESA has identified surrounding meter base installations. ESA identified an increase of installed meter bases where the neutral block is isolated from the enclosure. According to OESC Rule 10-210 a bonding conductor must be installed between the meter base and… Read More…

  • Non-residential Construction Investment Continues to Reach Record Highs in January 2025

    Non-residential Construction Investment Continues to Reach Record Highs in January 2025

    April 18, 2025 Overall, investment in building construction rose 1.8% (+$393.7 million) to $22.1 billion in January. The residential sector increased 2.3% to $15.4 billion, while the non-residential sector was up 0.8% to $6.7 billion. Year over year, investment in building construction grew 5.7% in January. On a constant dollar basis (2017=100), investment in building construction increased 1.5% from the previous month to $13.2 billion… Read More…


Changing Scene

  • nVent Sustainability Report Highlights Progress and Focus on Electrification

    nVent Sustainability Report Highlights Progress and Focus on Electrification

    April 15, 2025 nVent Electric plc announced the release of its 2024 Sustainability Report. The new report highlights nVent’s achievements in each of its sustainability focus areas: People, Products, Planet and Governance. The report also highlights how nVent solutions support electrification, digitalization and sustainability efforts around the world. “nVent is becoming a more focused electrical… Read More…

  • Ontario Introduces Legistlation to Unlock Trade and Labour Mobility Within Canada

    Ontario Introduces Legistlation to Unlock Trade and Labour Mobility Within Canada

    April 18, 2025 As a next step in its plan to protect Ontario by unleashing the province’s economy, the Ontario government is introducing the Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act to unlock free trade and labour mobility within Canada. This legislation will, if passed, create new opportunities for job creation and investment attraction, supporting economic… Read More…

  • Ontario, P.E.I. Join Nova Scotia With Legislation to Remove Internal Trade Barriers

    Ontario, P.E.I. Join Nova Scotia With Legislation to Remove Internal Trade Barriers

    April 18, 2025 Prince Edward Island and Ontario have joined the Nova Scotia by introducing reciprocal legislation that will help foster an environment of mutual recognition of goods, services and labour mobility between these provinces. “Leaders across the country are expressing interest in removing trade barriers, and I’m very pleased that P.E.I. and Ontario have… Read More…

  • New Brunswick Signs MOU with Ontario to Reduce Trade and Labour Mobility Barriers

    New Brunswick Signs MOU with Ontario to Reduce Trade and Labour Mobility Barriers

    April 18, 2025 The governments of New Brunswick and Ontario have signed a memorandum of understanding on free trade and labour mobility. “Ontario is New Brunswick’s second-biggest trading partner, and we are excited to be building on the positive momentum to reduce internal trade barriers across Canada,” said Premier Susan Holt. “Today’s signing of this… Read More…