By Sheila WILLIAMS
Ghana is expected to play host to the biggest international trade show for arts and craft in 2019.
Messe Frankfurt GmbH, one of the oldest German trade shows organizer, says apart from Ghana, the entity is also considering holding such similar international fairs in other countries such as South Africa, Benin and Kenya.
“We are considering the above countries as part of our aim to growing our market in Africa,” Nicolette Naumann, Vice President of Mess Frankfurt, has said.
Messe Frankfurt GmbH runs the biggest single international trade show for arts and craft in the world, known as Ambiente.
Speaking at its first ever press conference held in Ghana, Ms. Naumann, said Mess Frankfurt is looking at these countries because of their individual economic roles on the continent. She said Africa in the last 10years, has become the trade show organizer’s strategic partner and part of its key policies for the future.
She indicated that Messe Frankfurt has 30 global subsidiaries with six of them in China. The company, she noted, also has 66 international sales partners in 188 countries, run 146 fairs and exhibition centre with 4,736 exhibitors from 88 countries, as well as 133,582 visitors from 168 countries and covered a gross exhibition space of 308,000 square meters.
“The top 10 visitor countries after Germany were Italy, France, China, United Kingdom, United States of America, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, South Korea and Switzerland,” Ms. Naumann stated.
The trade show has, international partner countries such as Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States of America.
Nevertheless, Ambiente, showcase the best in the high end products for dining. There are also designer’s gifts, stationery, ornaments, home decorations, fine and costume jewelry, as well as personal accessories and leatherwear.
The Chief Executive Officer for Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Mrs. Afua Asabea Asare, in her remarks congratulated Messe Frankfurt GmbH team for choosing Ghana as one of the countries to partner with, and adviced Ghanaian exhibitors to form groups in order to secure funding from EXIM Bank and use the opportunity to learn from other competitors from other country, and put up booths or trade stands at this international trade show – Ambiente.
The next edition of Ambiente trade show, will be held in February 2019 at Frankfurt in Germany. Representatives of the Ghana Exim Bank, Ghana Export Promotion Authority and exporters’ organizations in Ghana were present during the press conference.
