adminMighty Movies chief executive Mr Supa Mandiwanzira, who officially opened the expo, hailed the MASXPO team for coming up with such an initiative that seeks to bridge the gap between marketers and suppliers and their customers saying it was good for the country.
“This is such a noble idea and apart from creating synergies between buyers and their suppliers the expo is great for business, industry and manufacturers as it stimulates growth for the country’s economy at large,” he said.
Mr Mandiwanzira also challenged local businesses to take advantage of the opportunities that are available in the country so that they can take charge as far as rebuilding the economy is concerned.
“Our country is a market with great business opportunities and we urge our local businesses to take full advantage of them while also striving to add value to our products to get the best benefits.
“Reputable franchises such as Pick ‘n’ Pay have since opened in the country, a sign that Zimbabwe provides great business opportunities,” added Mr Mandiwanzira.
MASXPO secretary-general Mr Gillian Rusike challenged businesses to fully participate in the inaugural expo to reach out to all potential customers with the intention of broadening their market share.
“Since this is the first and also unique exhibition targeted to all relevant suppliers we urge you to maximise your companies’ presence at this expo through interaction with both existing and new customers so that you can improve your market visibility,” said Mr Rusike.
One of the companies exhibiting at the expo, Tarinaka, which is into branding, graphic design and printing, marketing communication and consulting and is based in South Africa, said their Zimbabwe branch would be opening soon though they already have a representative in Harare.
Co-founder and director of the company Mr Washington Mashanda was optimistic that the expo will bring positive results to their business as witnessed by the number of inquiries they had received by mid-morning on the first day of the expo.
“We are delighted to be part of this exhibition at its inception and we are hopeful we will clinch some deals by the end of the event as we have already been approached by a number of corporates who want branded wear for their organisations.
“If the deals come to fruition we are looking at getting revenue of maybe about US$100 000 by the end of the expo,” said Mr Mashanda.
Such expos are not new to countries such as South Africa and they have over the years proved to be a success.
Some of the more than 30 exhibitors taking part at the expo include Select Research, IQ Media, Trust Academy, Zimpapers, First Mutual Life and Chinhoyi University of Technology.
MASXPO will be an annual two-day event with the possibility of an extension depending on the level of success.
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