21st Annual Senior's Resource Fair

Saturday May 31, 2008
9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Calgary Municipal Building Atrium (City Hall)
800 Macleod Trail SE

FREE Admission to the Public
Entertainment, Give Aways, Information Sessions

Visit more than 100 Exhibitors whose focus is on the services, products, care and support available to help Calgary and area Seniors lead happy, healthy, active and independent lives!

Note: Ramp/Wheelchair access on west side of building

Get in on the action! Join the Seniors’ Resource Fair by signing up for a booth.

Exhibitor Information - Click Here

Contact: Lesley Rybchynski, (403) 618-2227
or email: fair@ccaag.com
Please note: as registration is staffed by volunteers, calls will be returned within one week.

Mailing address: Calgary Chapter - AAG
Seniors Resource Fair
PO Box 46011, RPO Inglewood
Calgary, AB T2G 5H7

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  Senior's Resource Fair 2007

The 20 th Annual Senior’s Resource Fair held June 9 th, 2007 at the Calgary City Hall Atrium was another success, with attendance of over 2500 members of the public. Our initial goal was to attract over 100 booth holders; however our final number was 88 and we ended up with a diverse mix of booths (from housing, to weight loss, to relationship/companionship booths). As with prior years, various entertainers throughout the day enhanced the experience for all. The Calgary Outstanding Seniors Awards were very well attended, which translated into more interest in the fair itself as attendees took in the booths both prior to the awards presentation.

The committee

An energetic committee consisting of Board members and volunteers met monthly, and the results ensured the success of this year’s fair. Core committee members and associated responsibilities were as follows:

Roopa McKellar, Chair/Logistics/Banners

Jaryll Dunne, Marketing/Advertising/Media/Banners

Lesley Rybchynski, Registration

Debra Hartley, Outstanding Seniors Awards/Volunteers/Evaluations/Entertainment

Jean Dreger, Marketing support/Volunteer

Carrie Erickson, Volunteer

Other previous and current members of the CC-AAG Board contributed greatly and are much appreciated! Also appreciated was the feedback received from the public at last year’s fair, as recommendations/suggestions were reviewed to ensure that any feedback was implemented as was possible.

Volunteers

We secured volunteers from the Boys and Girls club for the day to assist with:

• Attendance counting and map distribution

• Float to assist booth holders and public where possible

• Distribute and collect booth holder/public evaluation forms

The Boys and Girls club had 2 leaders that kept the volunteers organized, which greatly reduced the amount of time that the volunteer coordinator (Debra Hartley) had to spend on this task on the day of the fair.

Booth Information

The booth rental prices were maintained as per last year.

Not for Profit - 90.00

Business or government - 155.00

These rates are seen as reasonable and attractive for both small and large organizations that apply for booths at the fair.

Advertising

Our advertising plan was intended to attract interested individuals and increase public awareness. Advertising was varied; ads were placed in the Calgary Herald, and an article in Mature Living leading up to the Fair. Flyers/posters were distributed to seniors clubs and community associations, public service announcements were delivered, and banners were placed in key locations throughout the city to raise the community awareness.

Seniors’ Recognition

Outstanding Calgary Seniors’ Awards .

The awards were held at 1:30 in the afternoon and were presented in 6 categories to recognize accomplishments achieved since reaching the age of 65. Accomplishments referred to a broad range of achievements and applications were submitted to a volunteer group of judges who chose the winners.

Entertainment

The entertainment consisted of:

• The Bow Valley Fiddlers

• A belly dancing demonstration from a class at the Kerby Centre

• Al Owchar - cowboy poet

As a committee, we decided not to hold the 50/50 draw this year.

 Services

The catering was arranged through City Hall. The exhibitor’s hospitality room offered complimentary coffee/tea and pastries and feedback received the day of the fair was very positive. The cafeteria offered a lunch special consisting of one hot entree and/or a soup and sandwich special, which provided the exhibitors a nice break to enjoy a lunch in an expedient manner. In addition, volunteers received lunch coupons that entitled them to a sandwich, soup, and pop.

Evaluations

Evaluations were provided, filled out, and collected from booth holders and the public. This information will be reviewed by the committee to enhance/improve the 2008 Fair, our 21 st anniversary.

21 st Annual Seniors’ Resource Fair

We have a large task this year to maintain the interest and support for our 21st Annual Seniors’ Resource Fair. Plans are well underway. The fair will be held on Saturday May 31, 2008 (tentatively) at City Hall Atrium. Our goal is to attract at least 100 booths and to be attended by over 2000 members of the community keen to seek information and knowledge relating to seniors.

 Summary

In summary, the SRF this year was successful, both in the number and diversity of the booth-holders as well as the attendees. We will continue to meet as a committee to review the evaluation summary and how we might implement changes/improvements for next year.

Our sincere thanks goes out to all the committee members and volunteers who effortlessly give of their time and support to ensure the success of the fair. See you next year!

Roopa McKellar, Chair Senior's Resource Fair 2007

Seniors Resource Fair 2007 pictures

 

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