9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. – Arrival & Registration (At the JA Information Table)

• Please check in at the Main Lobby of First Canadian Place (Street Level near King Street Entrance by the BMO/Starbucks).
• JA will indicate where to store your materials. Do not begin setting up your booth at this time. 

9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – Student Networking & Light Breakfast (Main Floor Gallery)

• A JA staff member will guide you to the Main Floor Gallery after registration.

9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Sales Workshop (Main Floor Gallery)

• This mandatory workshop is required for all students representing their team at Trade Show (maximum 4 students per team).

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Travel Time and Trade Show Booth Setup (Main Lobby)

• Proceed to the Main Lobby to set up your booth.

11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Trade Show (Public Event)

• Main Lobby – First Canadian Place (Street Level)
• This is the official public portion of the event. Family, friends, team members, and advisors are welcome and encouraged to attend.  

2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – Booth Clean Up

• Main Lobby – First Canadian Place (Street Level)

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM – Travel Time and Announcement of Award Winners

• Main Floor Gallery

3:15 PM – Student Departures

• Main Lobby – First Canadian Place (Street Level)

Registered Students: Each team must have one to four registered student members present at its booth at all times. Only registered participants may staff the booth, and substitutions are not permitted. Registered participants must also attend both the Sales Workshop and Trade Show and stay for the full event (9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.)

Other students: Students not registered to represent their team are encouraged to attend between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. These students cannot participate in selling or stand behind the booths. 

Advisors: Advisors are also encouraged, but not required, to attend between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to support their team. 

Students can only sell at their tables; they are not allowed to solicit sales in other areas of the venue.

Teams found violating event rules may be disqualified from the Trade Show and Company Program awards.

Registration:

Please arrive between 9 to 9:15 a.m. and check in at the JA registration table in the main lobby of First Canadian Place (street level) near the King Street Entrance. Nametags must be worn at all times.

Set Up & Personal Belongings:

After registration, a JA staff member will direct you to your table. Do not begin set up immediately - you will have designated setup time after the Sales Workshop.

Leave your belongings (i.e. jackets, product, supplies, decor) under your table before heading to the workshop; valuables (i.e. laptops, money) only may be taken with you. You may want to bring a box/bin to keep your belongings off the floor under the table. 

As the event space is public, JA and First Canadian Place are not responsible for any lost or stolen items. First Canadian Place will have security circulating the Trade Show area. 

JA Staff:

JA staff in blue/green shirts will be available throughout the event to assist teams. 

Transportation:

All students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the Trade Show.

TTC/GO: First Canadian Place is accessible via King, St. Andrew, or a short PATH walk from Union Station.

Drop Off: There is no stopping allowed in front of First Canadian Place; recommended drop-off to avoid getting a ticket is off of York Street at The Exchange Tower (a short walk into First Canadian Place). 

Parking: Parking is available but fairly expensive. Nearby options include First Canadian Place (accessed from both York and Adelaide) or Nathan Phillips Square (accessed off Queen). 

Meals:

A light breakfast (fruit, muffins, granola bars) and lunch (sandwiches/wraps, veggie and fruit trays, cookies) will be provided to registered students. 

Vegetarian options will be available, however, if you have any specific dietary restrictions, we recommend you bring your own food.

No eating is permitted at booths. We encourage you to schedule your lunch breaks in half-hour increments with your team, keeping in mind that the Trade Show may be busiest during the 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. period.

We will have some water bottles available, but we encourage you to bring your own water bottle for the event to stay hydrated. 

Breaks:

You’re encouraged to take a break when necessary – however, do not leave your booths unattended. Creating a break schedule is an excellent way to ensure all your members can take a break and/or circulate the Trade Show. If you are on a break, do not stand at your booth eating or on your phone.  

Start preparing well in advance

Prepare all booth materials including business cards, signage, receipts, product displays well in advance. JA Central Ontario will provide you with a 4 ft table and a black tablecloth.

Think ahead about:

• Promotions or special offers for Trade Show guests
• Sales pitch - ensure all registered students know and can deliver a consistent pitch. Practice ahead of time! 
• Judging criteria - familiarize yourself with the judging criteria noted in the awards section below
• Social media promotion before and during the event. We encourage you to post on social media about your excitement!  
• Inviting friends, family, teachers and colleagues to increase booth traffic. If you know someone who might be interested in joining Company Program, this is a great way to introduce them! 
• Inventory - You will have three hours to sell. The audience will mainly be business professionals, students, advisors, and other JA stakeholders. Teams should bring sufficient product inventory (as much as you're comfortable budgeting for) and consider order forms in case they sell out. You may have anywhere between 50 to 90 visitors but not everyone will make a purchase. Last year, sales per booth ranged from 5 to 60 items depending on the product (average per booth was around 28 items). 
• Dress Code - Registered students should be dressed in business/business casual attire or team appropriate attire (i.e., if your team has personalized t-shirts/sweatshirts or if you are wearing matching clothing). Be mindful that you will be meeting many business professionals and will want to make a good first impression!  A best practice is to coordinate your outfits – it definitely shows team spirit!

Other Practical Considerations

• Free Wi-Fi will be available. Keep in mind connection can sometimes be slow with the amount of traffic in the space.
• Consider supplying bags/boxes for customer purchases
• Electrical outlets will be provided to teams based on a random assignment. Please note that from previous experience, the electrical outlets may not always be reliable! It is prohibited to use any electrical apparatus likely to cause an overload of circuits. We recommend charging all electrical devices in advance and/or bring extra chargers/power banks.

Money

Assign one student to oversee payments and cash security. Use a cashbox, never leave it unattended, and bring adequate float/change. JA cannot provide change.

Payment Methods & Receipts

Teams may accept cash, e-transfer, or electronic payment tools (e.g. Square). Ensure receipts can be issued and transactions are tracked accurately. Don’t forget to bring paper and pens.

Trade Show is a high-energy event with lots of potential customers. However, you are competing against other student companies for their attention.

Here are a few tips to help you succeed!

Practice, practice, practice! Prepare your sales strategy and pitch in advance and make sure you practice with your team! Offer each other feedback and tweak as you go. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will be.

Focus on communicating your product's value and benefits simply and clearly. Don't just list what your product does, explain why the product will benefit your customer, why they need it or who they could gift it to (if they are not the right target market). 

Be prepared to answer questions. Know your business (including your mission, value proposition, marketing, production, financials, etc.) and be prepared to answer questions from both customers and judges. You should also be ready to explain JA and the Company Program.

Be flexible. In a Trade Show environment, it's not a one-size fits all. You may be interrupted, get questions or comments throughout and/or meet different individuals who may be distracted/simply walking by. Be prepared to tailor your pitch as you go. Keep your pitch more of a conversation and make it interactive! 

Most importantly, be confident, active, friendly and engaging! Don’t be afraid to talk to people but don’t be pushy or aggressive.

Please do not solicit people outside of the Trade Show area and/or disrupt people who are visiting other booths/stores.

A strong pitch should:

• Capture attention
• Tell a consistent, concise story
• Use simple language
• Tailor messaging to the audience
• Demonstrate passion
• End with a clear call to action (e.g. Ask to them to buy a product!)

There are many ways to create an engaging booth!

Make it fun and interactive:

• Offer branded swag such as buttons, pens or stickers - everyone likes free stuff!
• Simple, compelling draws, contests or activities (free to enter)
• Social media incentives including photo prompts, hashtags, etc.
• Interesting/interactive visuals such as mascots, promo items, videos, demos, etc. 

Please note: Mascots count toward your four-student limit and must remain within booth boundaries. Mascots must not walk around the Trade Show space or First Canadian Place. Any large promo items (i.e. large signage/banners/decor) must also remain within your booth boundaries and cannot block guests or other teams. 

Consider the following to create an appealing booth:

Product Display: Letting customers feel, touch or interact with your product is very important. Use different elements to add depth, height, texture and visual appeal to your booth. For example, platforms/boxes to add height, tablecloths to add texture, or unique display cases to add visual appeal. 

Decor: Keep decor attractive but not cluttered. Think about interesting and unique visual elements you can add to your booth (try researching booth/fair table designs online). This can include string lights, garlands, streamers, fabric/tablecloths, plants/flowers, frames/foam board/posters, etc. *Please avoid any decor that can create a mess to clean up at the end (i.e. glitter, confetti, etc.) 

Branding: Ensure the branding of your booth is cohesive. Use bright colours that align with your brand, show videos if relevant, and maintain consistent branding - including your company name, and logo. 

Signage: All signage should be neat and professional. *Please note that nothing can be hung on walls or placed on the floor. 

Please review the restrictions below carefully to avoid any disappointments or issues on the day of the event. If you have any questions or require any clarifications, please email [email protected]. 

• Booths must remain within the assigned space; do not block walkways or neighbouring teams
• Do not litter - place all garbage in the designated bins in the venue
• Your decor is limited to your table (Table size is: 4' x 30"). Do not bring large items that may not fit around your area or items that require pinning to a wall. 
• Any large promo items (i.e. large signage/banners/decor) must also remain within your booth boundaries and cannot block guests or other teams. 
• Do not post/stick anything on the floor.
• Table locations are assigned randomly and may not be changed.
• Chairs are not provided; if you require accommodation, please reach out to JA. 
• Music must be quiet and free of offensive language; no loud speakers or amplifiers
• Paid raffles (where you sell tickets) require a lottery license and therefore are not allowed. Any raffle or draws must be free.
• Donations to your company are not permitted; supporters should purchase a product or donate directly to JA at the info table. 
• No handing out food or drinks; except small sealed packaged food (i.e. pre-packaged candy with ingredients listed). No homemade goods allowed.
• No helium balloons allowed. Any brought to the venue will be removed. Any costs associated with retrieving lost balloons from the ceiling will be the responsibility of the student team. 
• No open flames allowed for safety reasons. For example, candles cannot be lit.
• Mascots count toward your four-student limit and must remain within booth boundaries. Mascots must not walk around the Trade Show space or First Canadian Place.

There will be judges circulating between your booths throughout the event. The judges will be evaluating your team for two awards including:

• Best Booth – This will be awarded to the booth with the best aesthetics: graphics, appeal, booth design, brand consistency, neatness and creativity
• Best Sales Pitch – This will be awarded to the top team with the best sales techniques, product knowledge, customer service, delivery of pitch and call to action

The judges will be identified with a nametag and will stay at your booth for an average of 5 minutes.

Your pitch should be 30 seconds to 1 minute long but keep in mind that in-person sales involves some back and forth and is not always the same from customer to customer. Be prepared to adapt your pitch as needed depending on your audience and to answer any questions your customers or judges may have.

Representing JA

Please remember that we are guests at First Canadian Place, and we must respect the building, staff members and the general public at all times. Please ensure that all team members are representing their company and JA in the best manner possible!

Sponsors

This event would not be possible without our sponsors and the support of all our Company Program partners. If you come across anyone from our partner companies, please express your gratitude to them.

Media

If you are approached by a member of the press/media at our event, please let them know they must contact a JA representative (at the JA information table) first. We welcome all media attention but have a process in place that MUST be followed.

Is Trade Show open to the public?

• Yes, Trade Show is a public event, and we encourage you, your friends and your family to attend.

We might not have our product ready to sell for Trade Show. Should we still come?

• Yes, absolutely! While Trade Show is an opportunity to sell, it’s not always the right place for all student companies depending on your target market.
• You may opt to use Trade Show as an opportunity to practice your pitch and showcase your company instead.

How many visitors should we expect at Trade Show?

• It is hard to know the exact the number of visitors you will receive but to give you an idea, last year's Trade Show had an average about 50 to 90 visitors per booth. This is a best guesstimate/average.
• Sales per booth ranged from 5 to 60 items depending on what was being sold (average per booth was around 28 items)
• Remember - not everyone will make a purchase. Our recommendation is only produce and bring as much as you and your team are comfortable budgeting for!

Have a question that hasn't been answered here?

• Email [email protected]