There is a lot of interest for the biennial Redvers and District Oil Showcase and Dinner, according to committee member Leta Brisebois.

The event will be held on Thursday, May 10, and Friday, May 11. It's held in the years in which the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show in Weyburn isn't taking place.

Indoor and outdoor displays have generated a lot of interest, she said. More than half of the 68 indoor booths available inside the Redvers Arena have been sold, she said.

Outdoor exhibits will be located on the grounds surrounding the area. Thirteen have already been confirmed, and Brisebois says they are waiting for confirmation from a dozen more. There isn't a limit on the number of outdoor spaces that are available.

The outdoor booths are for larger exhibits such as semi trucks, trailers and drilling rigs, Brisebois said.

They have a wide variety of exhibitors confirmed for the event. Not only will there be oilfield companies, but business connected to the industry in many ways will also be participating. Brisebois expects a wide variety of technology will also be on display.

The trade show will run from noon to 4 p.m. on May 10, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 11. A banquet will take place on May 10.

Painted Pony Petroleum president and CEO Patrick Ward will be the keynote speaker for the supper. Ward has been at the helm of Painted Pony for nearly five years, and he has more than 31 years of experience in the oil and gas sector.

Tickets for the banquet are about 35 per cent sold, Brisebois said.

The committee also hopes to have a guest speaker on May 11.

Brisebois said the organizing committee hopes the oil showcase will continue to grow. They had more than 100 exhibitors in 2010, and they want to surpass the 1,100 people who were in attendance two years ago.

They have switched from having the show on a Friday and Saturday, to having it on a Thursday and a Friday, because attendance on Saturday dropped two years ago.

The oil showcase is a good opportunity for the industry to showcase new technologies, Brisebois said, and it's a way for Redvers to promote itself as a thriving town, and as a community that's willing to support the oil industry.