ACTS | History

		Home \| Contact \| Resources

Learn More About Resources from Our Region

Would you like to Exhibit at ACTS?

Buyers learn about Our Incoming Buyer Program

History

The Atlantic Craft Trade Show (ACTS) was started in 1977 and is now in it's 30th year of operation. The trade show was started through a joint initiative of the Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island governments. In the first 3 years of operations the show was joined by the New Brunswick government and then by Newfoundland & Labrador. ACTS is one of the longest standing pan-Atlantic provincial government cooperation projects. This dedication to the craft industry in Atlantic Canada had seen the show grow from only 45 companies in 1997 to over 200 active companies participating in the annual trade show.

The show is held once a year during the spring wholesale buying season and is only open to the retail trade. It is held in February to coincide with another major giftware trade shows in the region, and as not to conflict with other major trade shows in Canada and the northeastern USA. All product in the show is juried and most companies are production craft oriented. Companies showing at ACTS must be located within the region and all products must be produced in the region as well. Many of our producers start off as small one or two person operations producing crafted items and generally move into larger production and small manufacturing as the business grows and demand warrants.

New Brunswick College of Craft & Design, Fredericton, NB (Photo: Michael Creagen, Communications Nova Scotia)

ACTS is a government project co-produced by the four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador. A permanent office is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia with a full time Manager who runs the day to day operation of the project. Policy, planning and development of the ACTS project is managed by an intergovernmental committee of representatives from the four provinces. These representatives work in the export, trade & cultural development sectors within their respective provinces.

ACTS is a unique project in Canada and has become the standard for quality in the craft, giftware and apparel industries. Other national giftware trade shows are now offering their buyers "handcrafted" sections in their shows, based on the success of ACTS and requests from their clients to see more handcrafted product.

Quidi Vidi Pewter, Newfoundland & Labrador

ACTS gets approx. 1200 buyers from across Canada and the northeastern USA. We have had buyers from as far away as New Mexico, Japan, Iceland, and Europe. ACTS is one of the only giftware trade shows in North America that has an Incoming Buyers Program (ICB). Interested retail buyers can apply to the ICB program to get funding assistance to attend the ACTS show. There is an application process for the program. This program assists retailers from other areas to attend the ACTS show for the first time. ACTS works closely with the Canadian Consulates in the USA and abroad to identify qualified and interested buyers for the ICB program. This close relationship with the Canadian Consulates has resulted in hundreds of buyers having attended the trade show over the years it has been in existence.

The ACTS trade Show continues to grow in the 21st century. The project helps to facilitate the introduction of 30-40 new giftware producers into the marketplace each year. The show has also become the first entry point into export marketing for many Atlantic Canadian producers of craft, giftware and apparel.