GUYEXPO 2010 was successful and educational and it placed emphasis on value-added, a concept that is receiving increasing attention in developing countries, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minster, Mr. Manniram Prashad said yesterday. He told the Guyana Chronicle that Guyana’s premiere trade fair, staged under the theme ‘Expanding Investment in a Sustainable Environment’, attracted 110,000 visitors, 40,000 on Sunday night alone.
“This is a large number for any one gathering, even cricket does not get that many people,” Prashad asserted.
He said, among the new features introduced this year and did very well were:

* the no-alcohol zone which enticed children with games and face painting, among other things;
* the Food Court that made mouths water, with a variety of everything from Chinese to Brazilian;
* an even more interesting entertainment area and
* a change in the main pavilion feature, which was dedicated to  manufacturers.
“There was more space for the manufacturers to do more…one furniture manufacturer was proud of the fact and told me that, in the first two nights, he had orders for 10 kitchen sets. That would earn him about $20M,” Prashad reported.
He said the small and medium size producers were given an excellent platform to advance their business interests and, more particularly, they were able to attract investors and create linkages.
“The success that these smaller producers had shows the effect that GuyExpo has and can have. A few of the larger companies that have not participated in GuyExpo for years came back this year. GuyExpo is making things happen for businesses and increasing the competition in the markets,” Prashad declared.
He said, too, that the security detail provided by Guyana Police Force (GPF) was excellent and ensured an incident free exposition.
“Commissioner Henry Greene and Assistant Commissioner George Vyphuis should be commended for their work,” Minister Prashad said.
He, however, pointed to the need for improved traffic control, to make getting in and out of the Sophia Exhibition Centre easier and said, already, organisers are working on a plan for 2011.
Executive Director of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Mr. Roubinder Rambarran said the 2010 staging was an improvement over last year and he gave a commitment to step up their support next year.
“This year was better organised and next GuyExpo will, definitely, be better,” he posited.
Rambarran disclosed that a Sector Fair is something the PSC is planning and expects to become a reality soon.
GuyExpo, inaugurated in 1994, is the single largest such event in the Caribbean, a fact confirmed by countries including Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.