Inaugural Prairie Connect conference looking for exhibitors

Date:

Central Manitoba Tourism has come up with a new way to shine a spotlight on what the region all has to offer.

The first annual Prairie Connect 2026 is taking over the Access Event Centre in Morden on Saturday, March 28.

CMT is inviting all its member municipalities—which encompasses 16 different communities across southern Manitoba—as well as tourism-related businesses and community organizations out to connect and promote local attractions.

“We’re hoping it will bring together a wide range of organizations from across the Central Manitoba region,” said CMT general manager June Letkeman. “We really want to showcase local organizations, encourage regional collaboration, and promote tourism activities.”

There will be music from the Beer Jammers and food available on site throughout the day. Admission is free.

“We want it to be a fun day for everyone,” Letkeman said, noting it’ll be a great way for people to learn more about the tourism treasures that exist right in their own backyard, including potentially connecting with organizations looking for volunteers to get more involved.

“This is for business owners, volunteers, and anyone who loves their town,” she said. 

If the day is a success, Letkeman hopes to hold Prairie Connect annually, rotating it to communities throughout CMT’s coverage area.

If you’d like to register as an exhibitor, head to centralmb.ca for details or connect with Letkeman at 1-204-362-0501 or gm@centralmbtourism.ca.

Ashleigh Viveiros
Ashleigh Viveiros
Editor, Winkler Morden Voice and Altona Rhineland Voice. Ashleigh has been covering the goings-on in the Pembina Valley since 2000, starting as cub reporter on the high school news beat for the former Winkler Times and working her way up to the editor’s chair at the Winkler Morden Voice (2010) and Altona Rhineland Voice (2022). Ashleigh has a passion for community journalism, sharing the stories that really matter to people and helping to shine a spotlight on some of the amazing individuals, organizations, programs, and events that together create the wonderful mosaic that is this community. Under her leadership, the Voice has received numerous awards from the Manitoba Community Newspapers Association, including Best All-Around Newspaper, Best in Class, and Best Layout and Design. Ashleigh herself has been honoured with multiple writing awards in various categories—tourism, arts and culture, education, history, health, and news, among others—and received a second-place nod for the Reporter of the Year Award in 2022. She has also received top-three finishes multiple times in the Better Communities Story of the Year category, which recognizes the best article with a focus on outstanding local leadership and citizenship, volunteerism, and/or non-profit efforts deemed innovative or of overall benefit to community living.  It’s these stories that Ashleigh most loves to pursue, as they truly depict the heart and soul of the community. In her spare time, Ashleigh has been involved as a volunteer with United Way Pembina Valley, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pembina Valley, and the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre.

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