TANZANIA: CLOSE to three-quarter of the exhibition space for micro-entrepreneurs in the forthcoming 48th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DIFT) well ahead of the opening day, the organisers have said.
Tanzania Trade Development Authority (Tantrade) Director General, Ms Latifa Khamis, told Daily News yesterday that 73 micro-entrepreneurs have booked space for the fair slated for July.
Tantrade allocated 100 standalone spaces for microentrepreneurs for the coming Sabasaba trade fair thanks to this year’s awareness campaign that saw early booking, almost a month and a half before the fair starts on last Friday of next month, she said.
“This year’s response is positive compared to previous years thanks to awareness campaign…. This will enable us to renovate pavilions and booths on time unlike last year,” Ms Khamis said.
The DG said the solo micro-entrepreneurs pavilion is apart from those participating under the umbrella of special groups. “These are individual micro-entrepreneurs want to exhibit without being into any group…,” she said.
In general, some 1,000 SMEs will participate in this year’s Sabasaba trade fair slated to start June 28th to July 13th under special groups.
Also Read: Dar set to become mining hub
She named those groups as the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO), Equal Opportunities (for all) Trust Fund (EOTF), Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC), Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC), Zanzibar National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCCO) and some councils.
“The bigger the number of SMEs participation the better since these are heavy industries of tomorrow and they will have a chance to exchange knowledge,” said Ms Khamis.
She challenges exhibitors to avoid the traditional tendency of booking space at the eleventh hour thus delaying the entire process of preparation, inspection and judging.
“This year Tantrade wants judges to start judging right on time, on the first day of the exhibition,” she said.
DITF has about 44,000 square metres of exhibiting spaces to host some 3,000 exhibitors and allow 40,000 visitors at a time, making it the biggest exhibition in East and Central Africa.
Sabasaba trade fair has established itself over the years as the shop window for the country’s products as well as the East, Central, and Southern African region.
The fairs enjoy patronage of the Tanzanian business community both exhibit and use it as a forum for business exchange.
Participation has ever been on the increase from a mere over 100 companies in the late 1980s to an expected over 4,000 this year.
No comments :
Post a Comment