LEA prepares to host second SMME Fair

MBONGENI MGUNI
Staff Writer | Thursday April 15, 2010 00:00

The exhibition will run from April 29 to May 1, 2010 under the theme 'Expanding the Local Procurement Base.'

Scores of LEA-registered SMMEs, their counterparts from the SADC region, procurement professionals from public and private institutions and other stakeholders are expected to participate in the fair whose official opening will be performed by the Vice President Mompati Merafhe.

LEA's Corporate Stakeholder and Communications Manager, Neo Mahube, says while this year's fair will focus on the exhibition, there will be several other events running simultaneously.

'Alongside this exhibition, there will be other events taking place,' Mahube says. 'One of these sub-events is a buyer-seller forum which will be a platform for SMMEs to promote their products to large procurement institutions from both the private and public sectors.

'The buyer-seller forum will take place throughout the duration of the fair. We will also be hosting sector-specific value chain meetings targeting tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.'

The sector-specific meetings will allow SMMEs and their stakeholders to identify their positions within the value chain; that is who their suppliers are, who their markets are and what synergies they can develop to maximise their businesses.

'We will also have workshops where we will offer education and skills to both participating exhibitors and registered LEA SMMEs who will not be exhibiting,' says Mahube. 'The reason we have widened our invitation for this workshop is because it is focused on imparting education and skills to SMMEs.'

An exciting feature of this year's SMME Fair will be workshops bringing together procurement personalities from leading industries to discuss and share on a wide range of relevant topics.

Procurement decision-makers from a leading retail store and a large mining company are expected to present on procurement processes and procedures, while officials from the Department of National Internship Programme will explain how SMMEs can tap into the pool of local talent available for the enhancement of their human resource base.

Other topics to be discussed are money management and the local procurement programme. 'Another exciting event will be held in the evening of the end of this year's Fair,' Mahube explains.

'It will end with an awards dinner where we will be rewarding those SMMEs that have worked hard during the fair.'

The last day of the Fair, May 1, will be a public day where people can tour the exhibits, view and purchase the various products on offer. The public day is part of LEA's efforts to enhance knowledge of local SMME products and procurement of these by Batswana.

'We have gathered SMMEs together in this fair so that they can promote their products and enhance procurement,' Mahube continues. 'We are hoping that the stakeholders we are bringing together at the fair will procure from the SMMEs on a long term or contractual basis.

'We would urge the public to come and see the products that SMMEs have, buy these products and also enjoy the fun that we have lined up for them during this year's event.'

Last year's exhibition featured approximately 200 SMMEs, the majority of them from Botswana.