19th Edition of Ghana International Trade Fair

The ongoing eleven-day international Trade Fair, the 19th in the series, aims at promoting made-in-Ghana goods, stimulating a culture of entrepreneurship and attracting foreign direct investment, among others. 

It is being organised under the special theme: “Trade – The Bridge for Industry and Research.” The theme seeks to highlight on trade and exhibitions as a basis for researching into new grounds that will drive industry towards economic growth. Products exhibited during the fair must, therefore, showcase the results of products that have emerged over the years due to various researches carried out in different sectors of the economy. This way, the exhibition will help showcase available domestic products and services to facilitate the creation of export trade linkages between Ghanaian and foreign business representatives who visit the fair. The significance of the on-going fair lies in three functional areas, namely, business, macro-economic and social functions. To begin with, the fair serves to develop and cultivate customer relations while increasing public awareness of participating companies. This means that it serves as a preparatory ground for very crucial and strategic positioning in local and international markets. 

Furthermore, in terms of macro-economic significance, the fair will not only benefit exhibitors, but also the local economy of the areas surrounding the Trade Fair venue though the benefits will be temporary. In particular, beneficiaries in the local economy include hotels and restaurants, transport companies, organisations providing trade fair service for exhibitors such as construction of stands, interpretation and hostess services. 

Finally, in terms of its social function the on-going fair provides a useful platform for the exchange of knowledge which can be processed, refined and placed in the right context for positive application in business activity. For this reason, conferences organised in relation to the on-going trade fair are increasingly regarded and made use for rapid business results.  In essence, the 19th Ghana International Trade Fair offers a professionally organised forum for direct and measurable business contacts and opportunities in Ghana. In addition, the fair has offered the platform for participants to introduce various products and services from around the world to major decision makers and buyers on one-on-one basis. The number of countries participating in the fair spreads across various parts of the world, including Africa and Asia. In spite of a few encountered difficulties, it is the hope of every Ghanaian that the fair will engineer and foster innovation among participants, business operators, educational institutions, trade associations, individuals and business researchers so that the aims for which the fair is organised will ultimately be achieved in the interest of the country as a whole. 

As the same time, the organisers of the fair must take note of all shortcomings and deficiencies noted in the current fair and use it as a basis for organising improved versions of any future international trade fair. This is the only way to bring some improvement into the system for maximisation of benefits in trade fair organisation in subsequent years.

BY KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO, HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, GHANA STANDARDS AUTHORITY