GUYEXPO 2012 is expected to have an impact of in excess of $1B on Guyana’s economy.

This is according to Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Indranauth Haralsingh, during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday.
According to Haralsingh, in excess of four hundred exhibitors confirmed their participation in this year’s expo.
“We don’t have any more space. We would like to accommodate more exhibits, but we are currently fishing around to make more space… People have been calling, but there’s nothing more we could do,” Haralsingh said.
Some of the new exhibitors participating in this year’s trade fair include Giftland OfficeMax, Topco, Zafiko, Guyana Prison Service (GPS) and Zoon.
Haralsingh said Giftland will be basically showcasing and promoting their new mall, which will be helping to boost visitors’ shopping experience in Guyana.
This will see a top-of-the-line mall that has games and video arcades, 3D movie theatres, and a lot of other new and exciting features.
“This mall will also include cinema, games and other things. At GuyExpo, they will be basically doing some previews of some of the movies, to give people a feel of what should be expected,” Haralsingh highlighted.
He said Giftland is also using the opportunity to announce job openings and spaces to rent in the new mall.
“They are also here to look for prospective vendors to be a part of the mall, and for employees as well. Obviously, it will create a number of jobs,” he said.
Haralsingh also said there will be a new cement company coming on board GuyExpo. This, he said, is good for Guyana, given the construction boom in the country.
“Zafiko is now on board, and since there is a lot of demand for cement, given the construction of all the housing schemes, road projects and so on, there is a need for such company in the housing industry, which has been rapidly growing in Guyana,” Haralsingh said.
Topco, he said, will be bringing new products besides juices to the market. These include windows and doors, among other infrastructure items.
“Again, this will help to contribute to the construction of the housing industry. This whole new line of products will help to contribute to the boom in the housing industry also; and we are giving you more product offers and a variety on this lucrative and expanding marketing of windows and doors,” he pointed out.
In addition, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) will be participating in GuyExpo 2012 for the first time. “It’s not bad, in the sense that you get behind bars and that is it. The prison helps to prepare a person for life back in the community through skills training and so on,” he stated.
He said this will ensure that persons go back into their communities after they would have acquired some new skill and new hope.

Future City
This year, visitors and exhibitors to GuyExpo will also have a chance to view Guyana in a 2020/2025 vision, pinpointing areas for development and what the country is expected to look like in those years ahead.
“You would have seen some aspect of Future City outside. It’s basically to give Guyanese an idea of what more is to come from our vision, and it’s always good to dream; and if you don’t have a vision for something, nothing will happen,” he emphasized.
The areas that are expected to be of focus in that 2020/2025 village are: the airport expansion, massive road and infrastructure works, Amaila Falls Hydro Project, rural electrification projects, and the bridging of the Corentyne River.
“Everything that happens will showcase what Guyana would look like in the future.”
In addition, there will also be a Tourism Village, which will be a central attraction to showcase tourism and numerous other attractions in Guyana.
Haralsingh also said that there will be no usual loud music being played at the Expo to disturb persons. He said the music at the venue will be confined to the area where the beverage companies are located. Those companies are ANSA McAL, Banks DIH Ltd and DDL. The music will be regulated at a very medium decibel, and be completely shut off at 23:00 hrs nightly.
He said that while this will be the regulation, the event must have music, since the activity remains a unique one and entertainment is an integral part of GuyExpo. He said GuyExpo was designed with the family and business community in mind.
During that period, no music will be played, in order to facilitate an atmosphere that is conducive for shopping, where the customers and exhibitors can communicate without difficulty hearing each other.
The traffic situation was also addressed, with Haralsingh saying that there are arrangements in place to ensure that there is limited congestion for getting to the venue.
Asked about the successes over the years relative to increased sales for the exhibitors, he said that the GTA and Tourism Ministry conduct yearly exit surveys in which the benefits and advantages of the expo are measured. Over the years, it was discovered that there have been success stories for companies which would have participated in GuyExpo.
The Trade Department of the United States Embassy is also expected to participate in GuyExpo 2012; as are Canada, India, Venezuela, Mexico, French Guiana, Suriname, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and St. Lucia.
The expo will be held from September 27 to 30 under the theme “Strengthening the traditional, embracing the new”, and will have a broad and concentrated focus on securing international buyers for the products and produce of exhibitors.
This year’s GuyExpo will also see several formal activities, such as business seminars as well as one on the “Jagdeo Initiative” on agriculture, which will outline the challenges of the sector.