EDEX 2011 Expo a success

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

There had been a tremendous response for the recently concluded EDEX 2011 Expo which was held in Colombo and Kandy.

The success was overwhelming. The exhibitions drew large crowds due to the importance of the content of the exhibitors. The local and foreign educational opportunities were showcased at these exhibitions where a keen interest was shown by the participants. Overall the exhibitions exceeded the expectations of the organizers, EDEX Project Chairman Kamal Abeysinghe told Daily News Business.

"The exhibitions provided opportunities in training courses as well as employment opportunities. The feedback of the participants was very positive and satisfactory. A large number of participants was attracted to IT, BPO and bank and financial industries. We are pleased with the outcome," he said.

The EDEX Colombo and Kandy Expo drew over 40,000 and 20,000 participants respectively.

Thousands of participants had submitted their applications where a number of banks carried out a recruitment drive. The bank officials had obtained contact details of the interested participants for follow up purposes.

The "Think Green" initiative by the EDEX also was a main attraction at these exhibitions. This concept which promotes green environment in business practices encourage consuming less resources and use of renewable energy. The response was high for the methods in waste management, segregation and re-cycling and more participants seek information to further their knowledge.

The sponsors were pleased with the enthusiasm shown by the participants and there were also inquiries for sponsorship for the next exhibitions. This is a positive trend and motivation for the upcoming exhibitions, Abeysinghe said.