25 Jul 2013

The degree of innovation and creativity displayed by the exhibitors at the Botswana Consumer Fair is highly commendable, says the consumer fair chief judge, Ms Neo Maruapula. Speaking in an interview, Ms Maruapula said, as judges, they were impressed by the competitive edge that most exhibitors had displayed.

She said many exhibitors took judging very seriously as they came out in full force to showcase their innovativeness and market their products and services to a wide spectra of consumers who would be visiting the fair, which ends on July 28.

The chief judge said, "our local business people should also know that the Fair is not only about exhibiting. They should also know that they come to the fair to learn, share and interact with other business people, clients and financiers in a relaxed manner."

Ms Maruapula said, "this is important as there are always new developments in the market which every business person should know about in order to satisfy their clients' needs."  As judges, Ms Maruapula said they looked at the general layout of the stand, the corporate image and the exhibitor's profile.  

"We also look at the products and the services that are offered, how innovative they are, how they  are packaged and their appearance, because the packaging of the products being displayed should be eye catching to everyone, so that people can come and buy more," she added.

The other thing that judges looked at, she said was whether the exhibitors were able to market their products and services and lure people to their stands. She said she was impressed that exhibitors had gone out of their way to impress prospective clients who would be visiting their stalls to see their products and learn about the services that they provided.

This, she said, meant that local business people were aware that the fair was more about marketing their products and services. The Botswana Consumer Fair is held annually to create an interactive forum for exhibitors and their clients and it offers opportunities for the diversification of the economy and promotes service sectors. ENDS