Toronto Market Week: The Show Floor (Part 2)
We arrived promptly in time for opening.
The building was quiet — that calm-before-the-storm kind of quiet — with exhibitors standing in their booths, waiting for the moment they could finally show off their products. Weeks, months, sometimes years of work… all leading to this.
You could feel the excitement in the air.
Our booth was located at the back of Hall 1, which at first felt like it took forever for buyers to make their way to us. We watched the aisles slowly fill, wondering when they’d finally reach our corner of the hall.
And then… they did.
Jaclyn and I were dressed head-to-toe in black for Day 1 — true boss babe energy. Confident, ready, and excited to finally share LOXX with the world. We knew that first smell would do the talking — and that once people experienced our products, they’d fall in love just like we did.
It didn’t take long before it happened.
Our first client. Our first wholesale order at the show.
The excitement we felt in that moment is hard to put into words. It was real. It was happening. LOXX was officially being chosen.
Day 1 honestly became a bit of a blur. Conversations flowed nonstop — orders, compliments, meaningful discussions, new connections, and the beginning of what we know will be long-lasting market friendships.
One thing we learned quickly?
We packed an obscene amount of product for cash-and-carry… only to realize we didn’t really need it. Many buyers were from out of province, so taking product home simply wasn’t an option — lesson learned for next time 😅
Thankfully, we had our amazing friend Tanya helping us at the show. She and her husband were there to support us and jump in wherever we needed them — and we truly couldn’t have done it without them.
They were also staying overnight, so we made plans for dinner together. Tanya and her husband were planning to attend another gift show nearby on Sunday.
But… little did we know… Sunday would also bring the biggest snowstorm of the last 10 years.
That tiny detail would later impact everyone’s plans — exhibitors, buyers, and our friends included.
Still, we pushed forward.
Jaclyn had the brilliant idea of sending some of our extra cash-and-carry inventory home with Tanya to free up space. So after the show, we loaded up their car straight from the Bronco and headed off to dinner.
And the laughs? Nonstop.
Jaclyn and Tanya laughed the entire night — while Tanya’s husband and I sat deep in conversation, joking that we were clearly at the adult table, while those two were at the kids’ table… even though we were all sitting in the same booth.
The night flew by.
After dinner, we finished loading their car with product, said our goodbyes, and headed back to our hotels. They planned to leave very early in the morning to beat the storm.
Meanwhile, all day I kept saying:
“We’re Canadians — how bad can the storm really be?”
“Twenty centimeters isn’t that much…”
Little did I know what the next day would bring. 😅
Stay tuned for Part 3 — because things were about to get very interesting.
💛