peter
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE inaugural Marketers Suppliers Expo (MASXPO) in Bulawayo hosted by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) has been described as a success with officials saying it provided a platform for various suppliers to build networks with potential clients.
The two-day expo which ended on Friday, was held at the Large City Hall car park, and ran under the theme: “Grab the opportunity, Breakout!”
Exhibiting were banks, events management firms, car rental firms, auction companies and the media sector, notably Zimpapers. In an interview on the sidelines of the business networking cocktail to wind down the MASXPO, MAZ head of marketing and operations Mrs Enia Zimunya said the expo which was targeting local suppliers will become an annual event.
“We are excited that the expo became a success. We have always held this particular event in Harare but this year we decided to bring it for the first time to Bulawayo and we are happy that it was a good start. So, our main objective was to provide a platform for networking and exchange of business here in Bulawayo and we were targeting entrepreneurs, business executives, marketing personnel as well as all the related personnel. Our desire being that when they come through they view different exhibitions from suppliers of marketing services,” said Mrs Zimunya.
She said they had about 17 exhibitors that came through from different sectors such as education, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), motoring and media, among others, while the business cocktail was attended by over 40 people who came through for speed networking.
Mrs Zimunya said they have noticed that a lot of services came through some who do not necessarily supply marketing services but have products and services that are relevant to professionals. She said the expo came at an opportune time in preparation for the annual Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) to be held this month.
“The reason why we did it in March was so that we give the Bulawayo market an opportunity to see suppliers of marketing services that they can then possibly use as they make their options for ZITF. We look forward to having something similar next year and we hope that other service providers and suppliers of marketing and related services will also take part. It then becomes easy for them to get all those suppliers of promotional items, advertising and media houses in one place. It helps in terms of making choices and also selecting which service provider to use.”
Online Reporter