In stark contrast to opening night, Guyana’s largest annual trade fair and investment exposition, GuyExpo, ended on Sunday with not only a capacity crowd in attendance but with both patrons and exhibitors giving glowing reviews.
“This year was just excellent and by far the biggest and best in terms of sales and persons coming to find out about our products…The pepper wine we debuted last Thurs-day was sold out since yesterday (Saturday) and now tonight we don’t even have samples …we are pleased,” Pandama Wines CEO Warren Douglas told Stabroek News on Sunday evening.
All of the booths that Stabroek News visited on opening night and revisited at the close expressed immense satisfaction with not only the attendance but the response to their products and services. Those on Thursday whose businesses looked bleak in the end praised patron sales.
At the Mangrove Conser-vation booth there was on display a live hive and attendees had the opportunity to witness firsthand the process of honey making, wax extraction and the candle making process. There were novelty candles made by the group on sale for prices ranging from $500 to as much as $2,000 a piece. Colin De Jesus, the representative for the candle business told this newspaper that most patrons did not believe that the candles were locally made. He said that the demonstration, using the solar wax melter, convinced them and even birthed new business ideas to some.
The objective of the Carnegie School of Home Economics was to teach persons the fine art of using soft furnishings and interior decoration. Teacher, Miss Harris, said that at the end of the fair the school was satisfied with its performance as many persons had enrolled for the $60,000 three-month programme. She hopes that next year some of those enrolled will have their own booths displaying pieces they produced, generating income for themselves.
While, the Princess Hotel had on hand an Arabian chef carving fruits into various shapes and forms for decorative purposes, spectators were disappointed that he was not Guyanese nor had he a local apprentice. “It is nice to see things like these like on TV yes but they have people right here that if somebody show them can do that and better…I never see these things in real life but now that I see how they doing it, I am sure that our people could master this because next year what will they do pay another one?” patron Shondelle Petrie asked.
Over in the main auditorium the sound of hammering and drilling in preparation of booths earlier in the week was replaced by the rhythmic beats of the National Steel Band Orchestra. The band itself seemed to have an audience as many crowded the area where they were performing and ‘shook’ to the pan version of familiar hits. The sounds provided a softer, more soothing ambience than previous years’ use of reggae from boom boxes.
On entering the Ministry of Agriculture’s centre, several men seemed awe-struck at the wide variety of options that seafood has to offer both as jobs and dishes. They were treated to the wonders of aquaculture as is being done at the ministry’s Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station built in honour of the late minister.
When this newspaper asked Dwayne Ward to give his views on the trade fair, the man, who attended the Expo for three of the four nights was not sure which barometer to use to measure the event’s success. “Not sure what would be the requirements for a successful Expo… if it’s the response of patrons to items on sale or if the overall crowd but if it’s the attendance then this by far is the best”.
Ward opined that the annual trade fair appears to have outgrown the Sophia Exhibition Centre. “The organizers though need to take into consideration this location because on Saturday it was pandemonium even the police couldn’t control the crowd,” he said.
In the end, several members of the public said that GuyExpo’s success will have to be measured by the number of business deals that have been made or are in the making. “Then again, experts in Guyana and the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have always hammered home the need for businesses to build the capacity to supply high quality goods at competitive prices. I personally feel this year we tried,” overseas-based businessman Sheldon Cumberbatch said.
