One becomes two

By Lethbridge Herald on September 19, 2025.

RJ Sigurdson speaks on behalf of the provincial government about the newly formed Excite Lethbridge and Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society Thursday afternoon at the Lethbridge Trade & Convention Centre, formerly known as the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge and District Exhibition has officially split into two distinct and focused entities, The Lethbridge and District Agricultural Society (LDAS) and Excite Lethbridge. 

With each entity focusing on specific areas, LDAS will promote agriculture in the region while Excite Lethbridge will enhance event development for the community, and will focus on expanding trade and convention opportunities, bringing more events and visitors to Lethbridge through the newly named Lethbridge Trade & Convention Centre, formerly known as the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre. 

While Excite Lethbridge is a brand new municipally controlled non-profit organization, the Lethbridge and District Agricultural Society was originally created in 1897, and the new entity is returning to this original name with a renewed focus.  

The split is not a complete separation, as both entities will partner to help develop and host agricultural events for the region like farmers markets, Ag Expo and Whoop-Up Days. 

The creation of both entities was announced on Thursday at the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre, where Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson, Mayor Blaine Hyggen, various city councillors and representatives of multiple local organizations were in attendance. 

Minister Sigurdson said  after the event that he was excited about the partnership between Excite Lethbridge and LDAS. 

“Agriculture is at the heart of Alberta, and here in southern Alberta is very important. A massive output happens here in southern Alberta and having hub here and the opportunities that can come out of this are going to benefit the entire province.”

He said the partnership between LDAS and Excite Lethbridge will benefit from having a world-class building like the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre, as it provides them with an opportunity to showcase both agriculture and the community. 

Hyggen said he’s excited to see what the split can do for the community now that it’s official. 

“We thought it was important to separate those two, go back to the grassroots of having that ag society, but also to continue forward with event attraction. I think they complement each other very well,” said Hyggen. 

When talking about Excite Lethbridge being a municipally controlled non-profit organization, Hyggen said this allows them to access funding. 

“And it’s still at arms-length of the city, which is something that was an important part for council. It is something that is very new, so we are learning as we go. But I think it’s a very important thing to have and we heard from consultants that it is the way to go,” said Hyggen. 

Lloyd Brierley, city manager and board chair for Excite Lethbridge, said this announcement comes after a long journey and a lot of work. 

“It is about having the right people, at the right place, doing the right job. This is the first step, there is a lot more to come and more to be determined,” said Brierley. 

When talking about splitting Lethbridge & District Exhibition into two separate entities, Brierley said this did not have any job impacts on those employed by LDE and explained that it was just a matter of placing the right people in the right jobs. 

Kim Gallucci, who had been acting as Interim CEO of the Lethbridge & District Exhibition, has been named the CEO of Excite Lethbridge and said that he feels honoured to receive his new title. 

“It really has been a work in progress and there is a lot more work to do, so given all the different things we started, this will allow us to continue and bring a lot of our different projects into conclusion,” said Gallucci. 

He said that with two separate entities having specific areas of focus, he believes this will help generate new ideas and new opportunities. 

In the next phase of this project, the City will look at ways in which Excite Lethbridge can help streamline event attraction functions to be more efficient and effective.

While LDAS and Excite Lethbridge will each have their own specialties, they will also be close partners as they evolve and grow their organizations together. The full transition to these new entities will happen over the next several months as the brand identities are publicly updated.

For information on Excite Lethbridge visit www.excitelethbridge.ca and for information on the Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society, visit www.lethbridgeagsociety.ca.