EIGHTY-five international exhibitors will be coming to GUYEXPO this year, compared to 36 last year and these exhibitors combined with locals will make this   exposition the biggest one to date.

Meanwhile, the entrance fee remains the same as last year and arrangements have been made to reduce congestion at the Sophia Complex for both pedestrians and vehicles and enable residents of Sophia and its environs  to get to their homes without inconvenience during the four day event.
These disclosures were made by Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority Indranauth Haralsingh and GUYEXPO event coordinator  Tameca Sukdeo Singh during the first of several planned media briefings and updates on  preparations for the Exposition scheduled to be held  from October 3 – 6 next, at Sophia under the theme ‘Advancing productivity through innovation,  modernisation and expansion’.
GUYEXPO 2013 is hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce jointly with the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA) which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its establishment this year.
The involvement of the GMSA means that there will be a great deal of emphasis on manufacturers and manufacturing at the exposition.
The four-day programme includes an investment forum which will facilitate connections and networking between local and international businessmen, the launch of a special GUYEXPO 2013  magazine as well as nightly cultural entertainment, including performances by international guest artistes .
Sukdeo-Singh disclosed that the 85 international participants include Argentina, Grenada, China, St Lucia, Suriname and French Guiana, among others, with  some fifty of them bringing their goods to Guyana for the first time.
Haralsingh disclosed that the entrance fee remains at $500 for adults and $300 for children as a deliberate means of making the event affordable. And to reduce congestion of pedestrian visitors, instead of one entrance to the exhibition site as obtained last year there will be three entrances making access easier.

NO OVERCROWDING
Additionally, the organisers plan to sell a fixed number of tickets daily. “The fixed amount is part of the plan to prevent overcrowding,” Haralsingh said.
“When those tickets are finished no more persons will be allowed to enter for that particular day,” he said and urged visitors to ensure that they buy their tickets early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets will be sold at various outlets and a list of these will be made available as the Expo date draws closer.
Sukdeo-Singh said the ministry was aware of problems experienced by residents in Sophia and its environs to get to their homes during the exposition.
“We know that generally these residents have been supportive and this year we will be making a special effort to reduce their access problems which are peculiar to the duration of the exposition.”
Security is also being fine-tuned with the support of the Guyana Police Force.  The Expo organisers will also field their own internal security, including  plain clothes personnel, for the duration of the Exposition.
Harlasingh yesterday assured that all the arrangements are in place for the successful hosting of GUYEXPO 2013. He said that the public will be updated from time to time via the media of developments of importance with respect to the event.