Guyana has stage yet another successful Guyexpo which concluded on

Sunday and this is testimony to the vibrancy of our business community and the organizing ability of those who are responsible for the hosting of the event.
Of course there were some feeble and unsuccessful attempts by some to portray the event in a negative light. It has become the norm with a tiny group, along with their media allies, to paint any major event or project in Guyana in a negative manner. So this is not surprising. One of those in the camp of the cynics, who writes an idiotic column in another newspaper, even argued that Guyana does not need a National Stadium. How much crazier can these cynics become?
Fortunately the vast majority of Guyanese is fully supportive of these events and projects.
What is undeniable is the fact that Guyexpo was a success once again and to large extent fulfilled its objectives and purpose.
Trade fairs are used by most countries to boost their products and promote investment and trade much to the benefit of their national economies.
According to The Economic Times, Trade fairs, conferences, business events, economic forums and exhibitions can be defined in a unified manner as sophisticated platform for conducting business on a national and international scale. It is more than just a marketing tool as the entire marketplace is at your fingertips. As a source of market information they fulfil your needs in a centralized way.
They provide an excellent opportunity to assess opinions from clients and determine market potential, conduct research and evaluate competition, develop commercial structures by identifying new agents and distributors, and initiating joint ventures and project partnerships.
“Exhibitions provide a unique networking platform to both Indian and foreign participants. They help in promotion, marketing and publicity efforts of participating companies. Exhibitions lead to joint ventures, tie-ups and they also help bring in investment into the Country”, says Dr. Amit Mitra, secretary general, FICCI.
As a reliable media for exchange of information, exhibitions are being globally recognized as the apt medium for doing business today. In the words of Prem Behl, Chairman and MD, Exhibitions India Group, “The current economic slowdown is the ideal time for the industry to showcase its presence on exhibition floor as the industry is very much in a position to reinforce its tenacity, strength and collaborative nature.
At our recently concluded trade fair there were some definite achievements as it has resulted in some keen interest in accessing our manufactured products, as well as our agricultural produce.
Among those who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle about their desire to import several of the local products were members of a 15-strong delegation from New York in the United States (U.S.).
One of them is the Chief Executive Officer of Dave West Indian Imports, Mr. Dave
Narine, who said he has been participating in GuyExpo since its inception and seen significant improvement over the years.
His company is a wholesale importer and distributor of Guyanese foodstuff and, according to him they also import utensils such as the ‘belna’ and ‘chowkie.’
He said he works with all the major companies in Guyana, including Banks DIH and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), as well as the small scale farmers, as he is trying to facilitate everyone.
His imports to New York are ‘achar’, casareep and pepper sauce, which are distributed across the U.S. through stores and retail supermarkets.
This is exactly what trade affairs are all about, getting markets for your products.
However, Guyana has a unique advantage in South America when it comes to trade links because of its geographic location and language and this could lead to huge benefits if harnessed in the right manner as currently many Asian countries are trying to penetrate the South American market.