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16 LBMAO Reporter - January-February 2026 www.lbmao.on.caWe are excited to announce that for the first time in 15 years we will be hosting an industry trade show. We have been working at getting all the details ironed out for months and it is done. We will be hosting a major buying show for our suppliers and our retail members. This show has support from all the buying groups in Ontario and will showcase products to retailers that are outside of their normal buying group options as well as some great deals!The event will occur over three days with Wednesday April 8th dedicated to training. We wanted to provide a forum that could get retailers and their staff members together GOLD SPONSOR:SHOWTIMEfor the LBMAO!to learn from industry experts on a wide variety of topics including human resources, negotiations, and loss prevention to name a few of the topics. We will be hosting this Training Day at the Delta Toronto Airport Hotel (655 Dixon Road in Etobicoke). Training sessions start at 9 am and run through 4 pm. Each training session is $49 and it includes a delicious lunch. You will want to sign up quickly before we are full! The 2026 LBMAO Buying Show will take place on Thursday April 9th and Friday April 10th. We are holding this show at the Toronto Congress Centre (650 Dixon Road in Etobicoke). The Congress Centre has ample free parking and is directly across the street from our host hotel and only minutes from the airport. The show will be open from 9 am to 5 pm on Thursday and 9 am to 2 pm on Friday and will feature a stage with informative vendor presentations. Come and see all the new products that retailers will be looking for this spring and summer in the new product showcase! There will also be an area to network with suppliers and other retailers and have an adult beverage if you are so inclined.We will be hosting a special Gala evening on Thursday night at the host hotel (Delta Toronto Airport). At 6 pm we begin with a cocktail hour to relax and network with colleagues in the industry. The Gala Dinner will kick off at 7 pm, featuring an amusing night of entertainment from the comedic geniuses of Yuk Yuk%u2019s comedy club. Tickets for the all-inclusive Gala evening are $199 plus tax, or you can get a table of ten of your friends for $1750 plus tax. You will not want to miss this evening of fun and laughter!Scan the QR code on the next page to register for Training Day, the Gala Dinner and the show itself, or visit our newly updated website: lbmao.on.ca. Please note that current LBMAO members will get free admission to the show, but preregistration is required. This is an industry only event, but non-members are invited to exhibit and attend the show.