THE Linden Trade and Investment Fair and Exposition concluded on Sunday with local producers and entrepreneurs deeming the event a success.

The exposition provided them an opportunity to showcase their locally made products and services and was held at the Egbert Benjamin Conference Centre.
While several firms and businesses, based out of Linden, also had booths at the exposition, the attention was given to local producers and budding entrepreneurS.

The aim of the event was to give exposure to current and potential businesses in Linden, while also inviting foreign investors to set up shop in the mining town.

In the past, the exposition was a signature event of the Linden Chamber of Commerce (LCC). But this year, the chamber collaborated with the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) to host the event themed “Linden, the gateway for investment and opportunities, a window to future development.”

Several of the producers and entrepreneurs say the exposition opened up business opportunities for them as they were able to showcase their products, meet their competitors, network and edified on ways to improve their production or services.

One of them was seamstress Coreena Richman of Canvas City Linden, who showcased her craft work, as well as sewed clothing for the first time.

Richman told this publication that she was not getting much exposure at her home and used the exposition to showcase her skill to capture potential customers and to search out avenues to meet the standard of her competitors.

“I was encouraged by my teacher to come out because business is slow at home, much people don’t know about what I do, I do knitting, fabric designing, sewing and other things,” she said.

MUCH NEEDED EXPOSURE
Deron Adams, founder of Corporate Supplies, used the exposition to showcase his business Print Smart Initiative (PSI). The young entrepreneur said it has given him and others the opportunity to spread their wings. His business specialises in office services and is the first of its kind in Linden.

“This is a pre-paid print service, which allows students, teachers, nurses, churches to buy print in advance of using them,” he explained. The initiative allows the customer to purchase a smart card, which is reloadable and customers can use the various print packages to have convenient and cheap printing.

Representatives of other local producers, including Favourable Delights, Chanzar’s Enterprise, Denise Institute of Catering, Monica Fabric Designs and Mic James Production also lauded the efforts of the coordinators of the expo.

NEW BUSINESS
Jet’s Enterprise, though not a Linden-based business, utilised the exposition to seek out Linden customers since it has intentions in the near future to establish a branch in Linden.

Entrepreneur Paul Warner told the Guyana Chronicle that he is currently sourcing raw materials on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and is looking to establish a branch of his juice business there.

Jet’s Enterprise is located on the West Coast of Demerara and produces various citrus juices and concentrates ranging from guava, mauby, sorrel, ginger beer and medical drinks such as capadulla, sasparilla and honey.

The Guyana Islamic Foundation also had a booth at the expo, not to promote a product or service, but to promote peace and harmony.

Booth holder, Maqsood Mansoor, told Guyana Chronicle that with the recent upsurge in terrorist activities around the world, the foundation is using the exposition to edify Lindeners that Islam is a religion of peace and is not in any way affiliated with terrorism.

“The Holy Quran in fact said that if anyone kills an innocent person it is like if they killed the whole of humanity,” Mansoor posited. This is the third year the Islamic Foundation has used the Linden exposition to share the message of peace.

While many of the booth holders spoke positively of the initiative, several persons said that the event was not well organised and hope that next year there will be more support from the Linden community.

The producers believe that the forum was poorly advertised and the venue was a bad choice since it is not in the centre of Mackenzie where persons could have had easy access to it. They also called for lowering of the entrance fee since that may have resulted in a more satisfactory turnout. In addition to the exposition, there were also a cultural show, an investment seminar and a kiddies corner.