Patricia Maganu
10 April 2008
Gaborone — Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower(BOCCIM) northern region manager Eileen Van der Est said yesterday that they are working hard to improve the northern trade fair this year.
The BOCCIM Northern Trade Fair (BNTF) has in the past received a lot of criticism from the public andexhibitors who rated it as poorly organised. This year's edition is scheduled for May 22-25. Most people have always complained that the fair grounds are too dusty.
Van der Est said they are addressing the problem and they paved the area between the two main halls to try and reduce the dust. She said preparations for the fair are at an advanced stage and already about 50 companies have registered to take part and many more entrants are expected. "Most companies are even occupying bigger floor areas as compared to last year," she said. She added that the number of exhibitors have been rising since 2004. Last year, there were 95 exhibitors compared to 72 in 2004. She added that they are expecting more exhibitors since they have made a number of improvements. The official opening for the trade fair will be on May 22. The public days are May 23-24 and the final day is May 25.
Van der Est said they are still preparing for the fashion show and the gala dinner that is hosted annually by BOCCIM before the trade fair. "We are looking to book some artists to perform during the trade fair," she added. The theme of the fair is 'Making SMME's Competent for Sustainable Economic Growth'. The fair will be officially opened by Local Enterprise Authority
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