“Merge the Erongo Expo and Swakopmund’s SWAITEX”
If the Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Ports Authority (Namport), Mr Bisey Uirab has his way, the road is paved for a merger of two of the coast’s biggest trade expo’s – the Namport Erongo Business and Tourism Expo and the Swakopmund International Trade Expo (SWAITEX).
At the recent launch of 2017 Erongo Trade Expo in Walvis Bay, Mr Uirab said over the years he witnessed a fragmentation among towns in hosting events such as trade expo’s. In the case of the coast the towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund is only thirty kilometres apart, yet the two towns host two parallel events of the same magnitude and nature.
Terming it “disconnect”, Mr Uirab said: “If we are to grow our regional economies and ultimately that of our country, I believe there is an urgent need to address such disconnect”.
Adding: “With this I particularly refer to Swakopmund (hosts of SWAITEX) and Walvis Bay (host of the Namport Erongo Business and Tourism Expo).
My dream is to see a merge of these two events into one big exposition for the west coast”.
He described such coalition as having the potential to accelerate regional economic growth whereby the different economic sectors can benefit from one big event and at the same time a huge business spin-off potential is unlocked for indigenous Namibians to empower themselves.
Trade expos to the likes of the Namport Erongo Business and Tourism Expo creates two needs: the one need is for exhibitors to introduce their products and services and to network with potential new clients and suppliers [medium and long term]. On the other hand, there is a need for local entrepreneurs to sell their goods for sale to exhibitors and visitors in the form of food items, refreshments and general retail [short term business needs].
One large event can become an engine to satisfy these categories of needs to the wider benefit of all inhabitants of the Erongo Region.
Mr Uirab in his keynote address confirmed Namport this year contributes N$500 000 towards the hosting of the Erongo Trade Expo and said this is a continuation of the port authority’s Growth at Home Strategy.
On the picture at the launch: (fltr) Mr Uirab, The Governor of Erongo Clr Cleopas Mutjavikua, Mr Tobias Nambala of the Walvis Bay Municipality, Mr Freddie Vries of Erongo RED and the events organiser Mr Eddie Stevens.
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