Successful global expo winds down

Staff Writer | Monday November 22, 2010 00:00

 

The Expo ended on Saturday with hundreds of visitors thronging the fairgrounds to view exhibitions, make purchases and also indulge in the generous menu of entertainment available. This year's Expo was also bigger and better all round: six thousand visitors were expected up from last year's 4, 709; 250 local and international exhibitors showcased their goods and services up from 160 last year and P60 million in business generated up from P48.6 million last year.

Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA) Communications and Public Relations Deputy Director, Kungo Lentswe said the annual trade event had met the strategic objectives set for it.

'For me, the quality of exhibitors was higher than previous years as was the number that came through. One issue that has gone well is the trade between exhibitors as many of them were able to secure deals and purchase the products they were after,' she said.

'We even had 16 companies from the DRC coming all the way to buy products at the Expo.' This year, the Expo expected 60 exhibitors from South Africa, 25 from Brazil and 14 from India. Other exhibitors were due in from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan and Poland, making up the 15 countries that were expected at the Expo.

Lentswe said the event's theme 'Building Strategic Partnerships and Opportunities Beyond the Economic Crisis,' had also been achieved.

'I would say we were able to build these strategic partnerships; exhibitors from countries such as India, China and Russia keep coming to the Expo every year and bringing growing numbers of companies.

In addition, we received feedback from our buyers who said they want more Botswana craftwork. I therefore appeal to Batswana to come forward and participate in these exhibitions, in order to market their products and attract buyers,' she said.

De Beers Botswana CEO, Neo Moroka officially opened the four-day Expo last Thursday, amid pomp and fanfare, with the prevailing mood being that of having emerged from the worst of the recession.

The recession dampened last year's recession as companies responded to declining operating environments by cutting costs, usually placing marketing activities such as Expo attendance, first on the chopping block.