380 Buyers Registered for Expo Jamaica 2012

Expo Jamaica 2012 promises to be bigger and better than previous years, with some 380 buyers from 24 countries and 240 corporate companies/exhibitors registered for the event.

The four-day show, from April 26 to 29 at the National Arena in Kingston, will allow for buyers, manufacturers, distributors and investors to showcase all things Jamaican under the theme: ‘Brand Jamaica to the World’.

Co-Chairman for the event, Paulette Rhoden, told JIS News that a large contingent is expected from Trinidad, and close to 60 buyers from the United States and 30 from the United Kingdom. There will also be representatives from Canada and all the Caribbean islands, and far away as Africa.

“We are expecting a big, successful event and hoping to see increased business over the next six to 12 months,” she said.

According to Mrs. Rhoden, the expo, held biennially, serves to highlight the significant contribution that local manufacturers, exporters and service providers make to Jamaica’s socio-economic development by creating jobs, earning foreign exchange and contributing to government revenues.

“The expo allows Jamaican companies that are manufacturing or offering service in different areas to showcase their wares.  So if you are a chemical company, you might be showing and demonstrating all the chemicals that you produce, how they are bottled and labeled, so that people can become familiar with this brand. The paint companies will be there, biscuit and bread companies, the apparel and art industry…so it is a variety of sectors that will be on show,” she pointed out.

She added that the event provides the opportunity for networking, trading and the exchange of information among buyers and sellers. “There are products out there that a lot of people do not know about or are not aware that they are made in Jamaica, and this is the opportunity to let all our clients and prospective clients see, feel or experience what Jamaica has to offer,” she said.

New to this year’s staging is the ‘To the World’ platform, which is a special showcase area in the arena, where companies can do 30-minute demonstrations, talks and other means of showcasing their products and services via multimedia.

This promotional measure, Ms. Rhoden said, will drive traffic to the booths and exhibits in order for persons to get more information or purchase the products and services.  

She is urging Jamaicans to “come out to see the expo and give the manufacturers some moral support…come see what they are actually making and how good Jamaica has progressed over the last few years in producing and packaging superior products that can compete with those in the overseas markets."

Expo Jamaica 2012 is being staged by the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) and the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA) in partnership with Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).

By Kadian Brown, JIS PRO