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Are we prepared for this travel congress?
2008-04-01 08:48:17
By Editor
There is much that businesses, whether small, medium or large, stand to gain by attending business fairs or trade shows. In fact, many successful entrepreneurs or business owners readily admit that attending such shows is a major part of their business networking plan.
There is ample proof that serious entrepreneurs have always found trade important points at which they come in contact with other business owners, among them big company representatives.
This is how one business owner looks at the issue: ``Some people go to trade shows only to buy or sell products, but if you start thinking about the opportunity of a trade show for business networking, you don`t want to miss a single trade show around your area.``
He explains that during the last fabric trade show he visited, he collected more than 20 business cards, chatted with some five CEOs of large international fabric manufacturing companies, closed two fabric buying deals and created a valuable list of executives in his contact list.
His word to his fellow entrepreneurs: ``Prepare your business cards, wear a nice suit, and get ready to visit the next trade show near your area. Good luck.``
Now, we are told Arusha will next month host a five-day traditional artifacts exhibition organised by the Natural Resources and Tourism ministry.
The items on display will include miscellaneous textile handicrafts, arts, jewellery, batik and tie-and-dye products.
A high-ranking official with the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) says the specialised fair will come as a prelude to the 33rd Africa Travel Association (ATA) Annual Congress lined up for Arusha from May 19 through 23 this year.
Reports say the ministry sees both shows going a long way towards boosting both the participants` wares and the tourism industry and strengthening business links between and among the countries to take part.
Of course, all that is assuming that the exhibitors and those other people attracted to the fair will have taken heed from the business owner quoted above and therefore seriously thought about the wonderful opportunities for business networking that trade shows often create.
With particular respect to the travel exhibition to run on the sidelines of the ATA congress, the event`s official coordinator (TTB) has declared that the only products to be entertained would be those proved to be able to compete effectively locally and internationally.
The organisers of the fair have already given the green light to products known to have qualified for the African Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern African (Comesa).
This should pay handsome dividends, particularly in that the congress is expected to bring together some 500 delegates, chiefly travel business executives, tour operators and government ministers from Africa, Asia, Canada, EU member nations, and the US.
It remains to be seen how Tanzania will use its host nation status to make the congress and the international travel exhibition a resounding success and benefit from it. Regardless of how things will actually go, this is a golden opportunity we should not waste.
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