MADE exhibitors strike business deals
Exhibitors at the Manufacturing and Distribution Exhibition (MADE) 2017 held last week have expressed satisfaction with the show after managing to clinch business deals and interact with clients. The three day business event attracted local manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and industry affiliates across the world. United Refinery Botswana finance manager, Lorato Bojosi, whose company was one of the exhibitors, said through the event, they managed to meet new and old customers.
“We have obtained a lot of interest mostly from the supply side. We met companies that are very interested in supplying us with some of the products that we buy from outside such as the labels which we don’t do in-house. We have found a local company interested in doing this for us,” said Bojosi. She said they also managed to meet companies interested in distributing their cooking oil products across the continent.
”We also had some distributors coming to our stall and who want to take our products into the north of Africa which is our target market,” said Bojosi. Another exhibitor from FP Sorghum milling company, Mogakolobi Ndane, said they have managed to meet with potential customers “Some customers didn’t know our products and through this exhibition we have managed to make our products known,” said Ndane.
He said they gave some of the customers some 500 grams samples for tasting. However Reliance Foundries manager, Tebogo Meswele, said a few people managed to come to their stalls and showed interest. Meswele said they will do follow-ups on those few customers that showed interest in buying their products. The company exhibited various mechanical and engineering products that include pick heads, cultivator points, plough shares and mower blades just to mention but a few. Chemdol sales manager, Jack Fitzpatrick, whose company produces chemicals, said there is need for the organisers to promote the show and ensure that more people come and visit their stalls.
“I must say the number of people coming here has gone down as compared to the previous years,” said Fitzpatrick. He felt that the attendance could improve if the organisers aggressively market the event. Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry assistant minister, Biggie Butale, was the guest speaker at the annual business show which seeks to promote locally produced goods and services. The event is also a platform to create an interactive forum for exhibitors and their clients.