Eighteen local companies drawn from various sectors are expected to be represented at the October 9th – 10th Florida International Trade Conference and Expo (FITCE) in Florida. Making the announcement last evening at a reception hosted by The Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) for participants in the event and other guests, President of the Chamber Wesley Kirton said that the Chamber was pleased that it has been able, once again, to facilitate, free of cost, the participation of small and medium-sized businesses from Guyana in the Expo.
And while, according to Kirton, the Trade Conference will see a limited registered Guyanese presence, arrangements are being made to facilitate the display of “products from Guyana made by companies which are unable to participate.” According to Kirton, the Guyanese-American Chamber will also be seeking to arrange meetings between the Guyanese businesses and others from the United States and the various countries participating in the event.
With several local companies ‘straining at the leash’ to secure inroads into both regional and extra-regional markets, the participation of the Guyanese contingent in the event is likely to be monitored by both the public and private sectors with a view to evaluating the outcomes and determining whether their participation has realized anything that can be built on. In an invited comment aside from his presentation Kirton told Stabroek Business that while the Chamber was happy to be associated with providing support to the Guyana contingent, how the representatives of the various companies performed during their particular engagements with other business houses could determine the outcomes for the particular participants. “These events are not just a matter of showing up with your products, they are about making deals and matches that satisfy the people that you are engaging. The Chamber will be pushing but in the final analysis, once we lay the groundwork it is then up to the vendors to take over,” Kirton said.
“We especially hope that the Guyanese participants will take advantage of the free workshops that will address issues such as the steps for exporting to and from the United States; packaging and other product quality requirements as well as the phyto-sanitary measures in place for the export of food crops and other agriculture products. Understanding these regulations, requirements and procedures for exporting to the US are critical so as to avoid delays and possible losses of product and income.”
The Workshops that form part of the event are likely to be critical for the Guyanese participants in the event since, increasingly, access for local goods to international markets has been dogged by packaging and labeling related constraints as well as a lack of knowledge of what, in recent years, have been the significantly raised food safety standards that apply in metropolitan countries, including the United States. Kirton told Stabroek Business that the Chamber would be urging Guyanese participants in the Expo to take advantage of the “highly valuable information” that will come out of the Workshops. “These events in First World Countries are not just about buying and selling. It is about understanding the commercial culture of the various host countries and about how your understanding of those cultures can impact on your fortunes in those markets,” Kirton said, adding that “understanding these regulations, requirements and procedures for exporting to the US are critical so as to avoid delays and possible losses of product and income.”
One of the highlights of the event for Guyana will be a Demerara Distillers Ltd. ‘tasting reception’ for its internationally acclaimed El Dorado rum, arrangements for which are now being finalized.
According to Kirton, the GACC continues to place emphasis on protecting and promoting the best interests of SME’s. He said that trade shows like the FITCE “present a wealth of opportunities to promote businesses, their brand, and products and services. They are also a great way to interact and engage face-to-face with current and potential customers.”
