Access Bank stand at the fair
The low patronage of the 22nd edition of the Ghana International Trade Fair has been attributed to inadequate publicity by the organizers.
Some exhibitors disclosed this to BUSINESS GUIDE during the fair, which commenced on February 28 and ended on March 7 in Accra under the theme, ‘Industrializing Ghana, creating Jobs.’
According to several exhibitors, the fair would have been successful if the organizers, the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, had publicized it effectively in the media.
They said even though this year 600 participants were registered for the fair, with 200 from other countries, it was not really advertised in the media.
The advertisement and allocation of space at the fair could have been intensified by the organizers, said Sales Executive at Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), Ferdinand Ayisi-Addo.
Jeffery Aboagye, Financial Coordinator at deVere Group, a British Offshore Financial Advisory Firm, said generally business has been slow and next time the publicity should be intensified.
Similar sentiments were shared by a staff of Access Bank, Joshua Darko.
He said due to the low patronage, very few people sign onto the bank’s products at the exhibition.
Marketing Executive at Gold Coast Nonipine Drinks, Tawiah Vandersen, said publicity was not really intensified, given the number of exhibitors that the fair attracted.
However, the exhibitors said that they had established business links.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, Dr Agnes Adu, was not available to make comment, as she was said to be heading for a meeting.
By Melvin Tarlue