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Herald Correspondent
Suppliers of goods and services to Zimbabwe’s hospitality industry have a new platform for showcasing their offerings with the return of a previously-successful annual expo, HospEx.
Modelled on the well-known South African Hostex event, HospEx was last held in 2001, and is now being revived as a means of helping in the national effort to stimulate the growth of the country’s travel and tourism sector.
A spokesman for the organising committee said the event would take place in Harare in late October and would offer a platform for fruitful interaction between operators and suppliers as the industry works towards post-Covid revival.
“It will allow exhibitors to showcase their products and services, while for operators it is a chance to see in one place the range of inputs available to them as they work towards growth after a time of closure or partial operation,” he said.
HospEx will take place at Harare’s Cresta Lodge on Friday October 28 and Saturday October 29, with exhibition space being taken up by suppliers of a wide range of goods and services for the hospitality industry in particular and the travel and tourism sector in general.
Attendance on the trade day is open to all travel and tourism operators and their staff, while day two will enable members of the general public access to the event.
Running alongside the expo will be a series of workshops, linked to the HospEx 2022 theme of Adding Insight and covering four areas that are of interest to operators and suppliers alike: bedroom design, kitchen design, restaurant design and trends in cuisine.
These workshops will be addressed by Mardre Meyer, one of Southern Africa’s leading design consultants in these fields.
“This will be an insightful and useful event for all parties and will be a major showcase for products and services that play a role in redeveloping the industry,” the spokesman said.
In a working kitchen the Zimbabwe Chefs’ Association and other participants will be providing ‘live’ activities related to cuisine and cooking.
“It is not a travel expo but a trade show featuring a wide range of content and offering opportunities for Zimbabwean operators and suppliers to network and interact on a personal basis, which is a cornerstone of relationship building.”
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