About 30 countries, a thousand of exhibitors take part in Cameroon's 4th Trade Show

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The increasing fame of this three-yearly business confab considered as the most important trade show in Central Africa has prompted the increasing number of exhibitors and participating countries.

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The increasing fame of this three-yearly business confab considered as the most important trade show in Central Africa has prompted the increasing number of exhibitors and participating countries.

 

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Cameroon has, during the past few days, been vibrating to the rhythm of the 4th edition of the Yaounde International Trade Show intended for enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises and partnership, better known under the name « Promote ». For this 4th edition of the three-yearly business rally held from 3rd to 11th December 2011 in the Cameroonian capital, over 30 countries around the globe turned up at the invitation of organisers, with a conspicuous participation of the ten countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Over time, the show has secured an increasing notoriety, hence the marked participation of enterprises hailing from the US, Asia and Europe, the bulk of which are multinationals, or their subsidiaries, active in various sectors including industry, mining, food processing, information and communication technologies, finance, insurance, agriculture, services, etc.

The example of America
Staged at the initiative of the Inter-Progress Foundation, the International Trade Show is supported by the Cameroonian Government through the Investment Promotion Agency (API). This show is gaining so much momentum as illustrated by the increasing place occupied by thematic debates, the particularity of which is that they are either run by exhibiting enterprises or others not having a stand but holding development projects likely to attract the interest of national and international business circles.

During the week-long show, organizers expect some 120,000 visitors on a site of the entirely renovated Congress Centre, where a thousand of exhibitors duly registered are expected to share their know-how with the public. The schedule of the events featuring B to B encounters and thematic cocktails is indicative of the interest attached to this activity, the exchanges of which might, according to analysts, culminate into the establishment of South-South and North-South joint-ventures.

Based on experiences from abroad, notably from America where business and economic encounters of this type are very successful, organizers have agreed, as said by API Managing Director Angelique Mindja, "to facilitate the connection among economic operators and enable Cameroonian SMEs to enter into good partnership agreements."

In other words, given the fact that the stands are not appropriate places to deal with business seriously, "we have staged B to B exchanges and thematic cocktails to this end. As facilitators, we would be satisfied if Cameroonians, basically SMEs and our visitors, set financial partnerships and business representation agreements."

Concurring, Pierre Zumbach from Switzerland, chairman of the Inter-Progress Foundation, initiator of the Promote Show since 2002, stressed that these innovative business encounters came in due time insofar as "the cocktails have proven to be successful in Northern and Southern America."

Emerging economies
Now the time is for Cameroonian and African enterprises to build on the advantages of such an event, at a time when many Central African leaders, like Presidents Paul Biya of Cameroon, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo and Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon have clearly stated their ambitions to turn their respective countries into emerging economies during the next few years. This objective cannot be attained without the presence of big groups of foreign investors.

According to the Inter-Progress Foundation, the editions 2002, 2005 and 2008 of the Promote Show attracted 261,000 visitors – 70,000 for the first edition, 80,000 for the second and 112,000 for the third. As to the exhibitors, there were 748 in 2002 including 537 Cameroonian enterprises for 15 participating countries, while 937 exhibitors hailing from a score of countries were present in 2005, and about one thousand from 29 countries in 2008.

Achille Mbog Pibasso, Douala