Trade show rolls into Toronto
By Nicosia Smith
Stabroek News
June 18, 2004
After a successful trade show in Trinidad two weeks ago, local exporters are hoping for a similar response as they head for Toronto this weekend.
Apart from showcasing their products they will be attending a cocktail/lunch and a seminar.
The proposed itinerary for the weekend at the Travelodge Hotel in Toronto includes a seminar on trade and investment with the theme "Guyana: The gateway into South America."
The cocktail reception will see the launch of the Guyana-Canada Business and Professional Associa-tion this evening with around 400 persons expected.
The Guyana Office for Investment is organising the Guyana Investment Trade Show which is similar to the Trinidad trade show last weekend and another earlier this year in Barbados.
Tomorrow and Sunday at the L'Amoreaux Com-munity Centre, in Toronto, local manufacturers will showcase their products/ produce at what is touted as a Grand Festival.
This trade show coincides with the Indepen-dence Festival to be held by Guyanese living in Canada to mark Guyana's Independence celebrated on May 26.
An awards show is also expected to be held sometime during the duration of the trade show, but repeated calls to the Guyana Office for Investment for information on this and details on the proposed itinerary did not yield any additional information.
The cost for a booth is US$450 and this includes booth space for both the hotel and the community centre.
Over 53 companies are expected to attend the show.
Officials from Precision Woodworking Ltd., at Industrial Site Ruimveldt, which is showcasing their furniture, explained that unlike trade shows where they retail their items this time the items are just for exhibition purposes.
Ronald Bulkhan, a director at Precision Woodworking Ltd., expects considerable interest by overseas investors.
Manager of Tandy's Manufacturing Ltd, Rodwell Denny noted that their main expectation is to develop additional markets by understanding more about the Canadian market.
Tandy's Manufacturing Ltd., for the last three years has exported its jams, jellies and peanut products to the Canadian market which Denny describes as having done extremely well.
While there, representatives have plans to visit their retailers.
Only a small sample of Tandy's products will be on show since the company does not have plans to retail as was done last weekend in Trinidad where the company sold out.
One businessman told Stabroek Business that he would be unable to attend the show because he was unable to get a broker in Canada to receive his products.
He had already purchased booth space and regrets that he will be unable to attend.