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While many business connections can be formed using mediums available on the worldwide web, nothing compares to the opportunity of meeting with and showcasing one’s services to prospective clients.
The face-to-face interaction is simply a distinct marketing advantage. With this premise in mind, Guyana’s Ministry of Business is gearing to host the country’s first small business exposition.
The Business Expo, as it is being called, is scheduled to be held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre from November 27 to 29 under the theme: “Guyanese Products and Services – Our Gateway Forward”. The activity will see the participation of more than 300 local companies. Officials have confirmed that the Business Expo will be replacing the Guyana Trade Fair and Exposition (GuyExpo) this year.
The Business Expo is designed to be somewhat dissimilar from the conventional trade fair since its primary focus would be on the small business sector. Emphasising that the objective of the exposition is to create awareness of and open new markets for local products, Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin underscored the importance of this event in developing small and medium-size local businesses.
The Business Minister said that helping small businesses to grow, develop and move forward is the main objective of the planned activity. By bringing small businesses from across the country together in one place and providing them with a wealth of resources, the Ministry aims to propel them to take their operations to the next stage.
Gaskin said that the Government would like to be sure that if it choses to carry on this event, that the model and format used were aligned with its vision. The Minister said GuyExpo was designed to be a trade fair to promote Guyanese businesses and the Government of Guyana would like to ensure that the priorities of the grand event were in keeping with this vision. Gaskin noted that many businesses, both large and small, rely on GuyExpo as a money-making venture.
He said that exhibitions provide a great platform to meet and build relationships with key people in various industries, and although social media has revolutionized how people interact, nothing beats the opportunity to market your business on a face-to-face basis.
It was also emphasized that exhibitions can also provide the opportunity to meet new faces and open businesses to new markets. The Business Minister also noted that by exhibiting at a business expo, entrepreneurs also have the opportunity to meet a large audience.
The Minister belaboured that the number of persons that the small businesses would contact in one day at the Business Exposition would otherwise take them months to come into contact with. This saves time and reduces the period required to close a sales lead, Gaskin said.
He elaborated that there are many reasons to attend the 2015 Business Expo.
Networking is one of the most valuable tools available to any business, and the 2015 Business Expo, he said, will provide a perfect opportunity for this. With some 400 stands expected to be set up and thousands of visitors projected, Gaskin said that there will be many opportunities for business professionals to meet and develop their contact base.
Gaskin added that networking in this way can help businesses in finding new clients or to secure high-quality products and services that will help their entity to grow at competitive rates.
Alternatively, he said that it can simply be an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skill-set by talking to other professionals with a wide range of strengths and specialisms.
For Gaskin, activities like networking are all designed to support one goal: business growth. By attending the event, businesses and attendants will have the opportunity to take full advantage of the tools and opportunities it offers.
Some participating businesses in the first-ever Business Expo include members of the Guyana Agro-Processors Association, Guyana Aquaculture Association, Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association, Guyana Beekeepers Association, Fashion Designers as well as Children Funland owners, cooperatives, and tourism operatives.