EXHIBITORS at the just-ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) have urged organisers of the event to provide them with new information technology (IT) facilities like Wi-Fi for easy interaction with their customers during the showcase period.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Running under the theme Sustainable Industrial Development-Inclusive, Competitive, Collaborative, the international showcase attracted 753 exhibitors.
“The organisers should consider making, you know these years we are in the years of IT and most of the things that we do are based on IT. If the organisers can make it possible that stands that require such facilities have them,” Alpha Omega official, Cassim Asani told NewsDay last week.
“But as of now, if you want such facilities you have to pay an extra fee. You know some of us we use these stands only once per year. So, we are saying our paying the rental to use it just for a year shows our commitment to be partners of ZITF.”
“So we are saying ZITF should at least identify the need of its partners and provide ICT facilities closer to us. If now I want a cable to come, TelOne will charge me maybe in terms of distance from where I am going to get it. We are saying let that be available to us, closer to the premises so that we only pay connection fees and access that.”
Dairibord brand manager-beverages, Osten Mungofa echoed similar sentiments adding that ZITF Company has to organise stands by their specific categories like by industry for easy navigation and also the provision of Wi-Fi.
“People would want to access some information, for example, whilst they are here they would want to check on the website of what we would be talking about, movement say on share prices and activities on social media,” he said.
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“So I think Wi-Fi has become a critical resource in any exhibitions which I have attended to. So I think that technological aspect is one which is lacking.” Mungofa said organisers should go a step further to organise some meetings with stakeholders, like the Ministry of Industry, utility providers like city councils and Zesa so that they could have meetings whilst they are away from their offices.
Asani said ZITF Company could improve by marketing the event on international platforms.
“It would not only help ZITF but it will also help us the players in that people from abroad and far would be able to know and I think that way it will attract more people. Maybe if they could spare, if their resources allow, time to have an advert for ZITF or show what is happening at ZITF be beamed at satellite international stations so that the world would know,” he said.
Contacted for comment, ZITF Company marketing and public relations manager, Stella Nkomo promised to respond to exhibitors’ concerns later but had not done so by the time of going to print.
