Space constraints prompt organisers to think big next year

The interest in this year's trade show has prompted conference organisers to think bigger for 2005. The 48 available booths were snapped up by this year's 28 exhibitors, says CanWEA president Robert Hornung, leaving "quite a long waiting list" of companies who wanted to display but couldn't because of lack of space. Next year's venue, the Toronto Congress Centre, will have room for 70-100 booths. GE Energy occupied a central spot at this year's exhibition and was finally able to display photos of turbines in Canada after this summer's commissioning of Alberta's 30 MW Magrath Wind Power Project. Vestas, with more installed capacity in Canada than any other manufacturer, was equally prominent. Gamesa Eólica, which has yet to break into the Canadian market, exhibited at CanWEA for the first time this year, and Nordic Windpower, which expects to have its two-blade wind power technology up and running in Nova Scotia next year, also had a presence. Enercon from Germany was also there, but lack of exhibition space forced it to rent its own room one floor above. This year's exhibition showcased a number of US firms looking for opportunities north of the border, including TIC, which has worked as a general contractor on a number of projects in the US. Reaction from delegates, said the company's Ted Purvis, was encouraging. "It has been very busy."