A total of 300 exhibitors are expected to showcase their products and services at this year’s premiere Business to Business Exhibition Global expo from the 23rd to the 26th November 2011.
The annual trade exhibition, organised by the Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA), is expecting more exhibitors, visitors and revenue.
According to the Acting Director- Export Enterprise Development, Kungo Lentswe, 6, 000 visitors are expected to throng the exhibition at the Botswana conference and exhibition centre.
Business generated from the expo is also expected to increase to P60 million this year.
“So far, the targets are within reach as we have already received significant bookings, and we are still open for bookings as we still have more space,” she said.
She revealed that since the inception, the exhibition has realized a lot of growth with 2010 exhibition recording 237 exhibitors, 50000 visitors and P 39 million worth of business generated.
Last year, the expo saw participation by 15 different countries that included Bangladesh, Brazil, Botswana, India, Japan, Kenya, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, amongst other countries.
Lentswe said, “The global expo has proved to be the ideal platform for exhibitors who seek to explore new markets, grow their business, promote their goods and services in the local and international markets as well as form joint ventures and consolidate their market presence.”
In addition, she said most importantly the GEB has provided a platform to market and export their locally produced goods regionally.
According to Lentswe, the first three days of the expo will be strictly for business visits where there will be workshops, buyer-seller meetings, investment forums and seminars. The expo will be open to the public on the last day, which will be a Saturday, when selling of the exhibits will be allowed.
“The 2011 GEB will have business visitors during the exhibition days with no cash sales being generated; this is a way of encouraging longtime business relations. Transactions will only be made by placing orders as a way of realizing return on investment, usually several months after exhibition,” she said.
There will also be a matchmaking program that will be focused on profiling and matching exhibitors and visitors to enable ongoing buyer ÔÇôseller meetings between the parties as a form of encouraging trade.
“There will be an exciting lineup this year that will be of great benefit to those looking to turn their hobbies and passion into a profit spinning business and also be at par with international trends, we have invited regional speakers and locals.”
There are some interesting new features lined up for the 2011 Global Expo, among them fun filled, action packed program with Jen Summer Dance academy, various procurement procedures and entrepreneurship for adults.
The expo will be running under the banner promoting economic diversification and partnerships.
