Trade missions remain crucial

International trade shows and
exhibitions remain a leading
portal to finding buyers
and suppliers – despite the
escalating costs.
According to Jardine Omar
of the Department of Trade
and Industry (dti), trade
fairs in terms of the BRICS
countries are crucial. “We
understand that these shows
and exhibitions cost a lot of
money, but in certain countries
– such as India and China for
instance – they remain the best
way to connect with buyers,
investors and suppliers.”
He said at the India
International Trade Fair last
year, the last day of the two
week-long fair saw visitor
numbers peak at 120 000.
“And that was on a Sunday,”
Omar told exporters at a
Johannesburg Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
workshop recently. “Fairs
and trade shows are therefore
crucial.”
This after several delegates
raised their concerns about
the escalating costs of these
international missions which
they said did not always result
in trade and were therefore not
necessarily value for money.
Exporters said they were
bringing back fewer and fewer
leads from trade shows and
missions and could find more
value in a digital portal of
some kind.
According to Keith Brebnor,
CEO of the JCCI, trade shows
remained a very reliable way
of connecting with people.
“Exporters cannot stay
away from these shows and
exhibitions. They remain
an important tool in the
showcasing of their products.”