Sri Lanka Expo 2012, a beacon of hope

T K Premadasa

Sri Lanka Expo 2012 was launched first week of September under the patronage Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen at event organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in a display of the Expo Logo.

The business community of Sri Lanka is delighted to hear the steps taken by Janaka Ratnayake, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board for the implementation of Sri Lanka Expo 2012 Exhibition from March 12 to 15, 2012.

Recalling the attempts made as far back in 1997 it has to be emphasized that this records an intelligent step taken by the EDB leadership in organizing this Sri Lanka Expo after absence of about 15 year period into a new era utilizing the maximum benefit under peaceful atmosphere created in the country since the defeat of a 30 year brutal war of terror.

It is the intent with high hopes of the business community to promote their products on their own soil highly satisfied over the experience gained by the success of the three proviso Sri Lanka Expos held on development of export sector.

Mahinda Chinthanaya, The National Development Programme in its ten years development frame work stipulates that the Government encourages export trade with all assistance through improving market access, expanding export diversification, promoting backward integration and value addition.

The government will take every attempt to achieve the projected target of US $20 billion in export by 2020.

Launching this Solo Exhibition on a larger scale will boom promotion of export trade in the effort of making Mahinda Chinthanaya a reality.

Expo Exhibition is one of a kind of Trade Fair defined as Solo Exhibition. A trade fair organized for promotion of products and services of any company or country held on its own soil is called Solo Exhibition.

A Solo Country Exhibition is a Trade Fair organized for promotion of products of its own country. Sri Lanka Expo can be introduced as a Solo Country Exhibition.

Trade Fair is traditionally defined as a temporary market place that encourages people to gather for purchase of products and a meeting point for buyers and sellers to deal with their business transactions.

On a commercial point of view it is appropriate to define as a market place with profitable opportunities advantageous for both buyers and sellers.

Today a trade fair is recognized as a place of facilitation not only as a meeting point for buyers and sellers but also for producers and consumers.

Solo Exhibition has emerged as one of the most popular promotional tools and the tendency is moving towards promotion of products through Solo Exhibition. The most apposite example is Sourcing Fairs.

The exhibitions organized by a country for promotion of its own products or selected products sectors of their own sources are called Sourcing Fairs. China and India have organized a proximate number of 77 sourcing fairs in 2010 and India organized its sourcing fairs with the Indian slogan Made in India demonstrating the significance of the country’s identity.

In early 1980s Sri Lanka experienced organizing mini exhibitions for groups of visiting buyers in respect of selected items of Sri Lanka as gems and handloom products.

In addition Sri Lanka organized mini exhibitions with the cooperation of the Commonwealth in Denmark, Japan and USA displaying only the products made in Sri Lanka facilitating at the Buyer - Seller Meetings. In view of the pivotal importance of hosting international mass scale Solo Exhibitions in Sri Lanka, the initial discussions took place to consider organizing a fair under the name of Colombo Trade Fair.

During this period CBI of Netherlands too conducted a feasibility research on the invitation of the EDB to determine if the atmosphere was conducive with abundance of resources available for a mass Solo Exhibition to be held in Sri Lanka.

Later Sri Lanka Export Development Board made a tremendous contribution to organizing spectacular events of successful Expo Exhibitions with profitable advantages to the Sri Lankan export trade.

Subsequently Sri Lanka Expo 92 was hosted for one whole week from November 18 to November 24, 1992 a remarkable event with lasting memories of historical importance. Approximately 370 exporters and over 3000 buyers utilized this event showering with orders placed to the value of more than one billion worth of products in Sri Lanka Rupees beneficial to the Motherland.

It was a record high level in the strength of participation over 300 exporters and over 1500 buyers at the Sri Lanka Expo 94 and Sri Lanka Expo 97 in 1994 and 1997 respectively. The performances in mint condition of these two exhibitions resulted enjoy fruits of untiring efforts of organizing skills. The magnificent success of the Expo was the main topic among the business community since it ended with lasting memories in their file of records in appreciation of a remarkable service par excellence.

There were two attempts made to organize Expo exhibitions in 2005 and 2006 with support of the leading chamber, but it was in vain.

It will not be an easy task to organize a Solo Exhibition on a larger scale particularly to attract the focus of the most number of foreign buyers. Most importantly limited time frame poses the main difficulty of the formidable challenges lying ahead to make the Sri Lanka Expo 2012 in fruition.

Preparatory measures in regard to organizing the event are essentially required to be commenced at least a year or two before the exhibition. But in this instance the organizers of Sri Lanka Expo 2012 are left with only five months to arrange the entire organizational structure to make it a consummate achievement.

In accordance with this situation EDB should stand tall with an action plan fast effective supported actively by all stakeholders, experienced professionals qualified on the subject and well wishers in achieving the apex of its glorious success.

Another discernible challenge is to make an inspirational approach to the buyers since the event is scheduled to be held in March 2012.

The main objective in hosting all previous Expo exhibitions in the latter part of October or November was to capture admiration of the buyers visiting exhibitions conducted in the Asian continent during this same period.

It is patently clear that those previous trade fairs were scheduled by the organizers to attract buyers planning to visit those trade exhibitions concurrently held in the region.

The Indian International Trade Fair in New Delhi and Hong Kong International Trade Fair held in November is a case in point. It is the intent of the buyers to cover most number of trade fairs making the maximum benefits by their business visits.

Among the few local exhibitions held in 1990s only the Mass Expo Exhibition under the Expo ward featured the most notable event. Today it has advanced to such an extent that more than 30 local exhibitions and forums are being organized annually as Expo exhibitions.

In this context EDB has a vital share of responsibility to demonstrate and convey the difference and importance of Sri Lanka Expo from other local exhibitions to raise awareness of general public as well as overseas buyers. This can be done through the mass marketing communication.

Generally information of all International Trade Fairs can be viewed in the reputed Trade Fair catalogues. These catalogues are being printed one year prior to conducting the exhibitions with a comprehensive report of all Trade Fairs held around the globe. Buyers plan the itinerary of their business visits in reference to these world famous catalogues.

Apparently neither information nor notice of advertisement on Sri Lanka Expo 2012 seems to appear in this world catalogue and absence of publicity will most probably affect the attraction of buyers to the Expo.

It is mandatory to organize professional marketing communication through appropriate channels to disseminate the message of invitation for attraction of the real buyers for the purpose of purchase our products but not for selling the products to the country.

All possible efforts should be taken to inspire the business community and the public motivating their contribution to the Sri Lanka Expo.

It is important to raise awareness of the business society from the largest exporter to the smallest exporter and every national of the country over the advantageous benefits favourable to the nation by the Sri Lanka Expo, a Trade Exhibition with a distinguished difference from all other trade fairs.

Their active participation enthused by persuasive encouragement will immensely boom the national economy.

In consequence the possibility of a larger number of orders of high value being placed in greater extent than previous exhibitions will be a tremendous contribution to the socio economic development of the nation.

The nation of Sri Lanka stands tall in high esteem on the occasion of hosting the Expo Exhibition on its own soil the Motherland building a proud image among the global community. India introduces her national identity by application of Made in India to Solo Exhibitions. Sri Lanka introduced Sri Lanka Window to the world at the outset and Sri Lanka Growth Center to Asia in second exhibition as themes of the Expo with own specialty. Partnering with Globe as the theme Sri Lanka Expo 2012 has moved a bold step forward sending the message of Sri Lankan competence to the entire world through Sri Lanka Expo 2012

Sri Lankan exporters are generally flying overseas seeking business partners in a bid to expand their export trade. As trading nation Sri Lankan made various business visits overseas looking partners from centuries. But in this instance the Sri Lanka Expo 2012 plays a significant role in opening avenues of the best opportunity for Sri Lankan export community to meet buyers at their threshold, a rare occasion of convenience to generate their business transactions.

Participating in International Trade Fair either individually or in groups supported by any institution is costly. Participants of International Trade Fairs hosted on its own soil are required to meet the expenditure mainly for space and fixtures and fittings and transports.

In fact, the cost of participation is considerably low with the benefits gained by large exporters and SMEs.

One of the national priorities is to help develop the production of Small and Medium Exporters since majority exporters are SMEs sharing a significant contribution to the national economy.

Attractive opportunities for promotion of SME products are found created by International Solo Exhibition hold in its own soil with minimum expenditure and maximum experience.

This provides valuable opportunity to participate large number of exporters of Sri Lanka under one roof and one flag.

Absence of competition from International producers is another focal significance as this Trade Fair is confined only to Sri Lankan entrepreneurs. Moreover buyers have the full liberty to utilize more time on business discussions with local producers and exporters and initiate transactions at their discretion.

The possibility of concluding business negotiations at a Solo Exhibition on its own soil in a short period of time is also an advantage of great import. The participants can take quick decisions as they could easily communicate with their company partners directly within a very short period of time.

Exporters are free to invite the buyers to visit their own factories at their request and entertain them. Likewise, the exporters as well as the public could receive the visiting foreign buyers with hospitality, by demonstrating traditional values highly admired by the world community.

Significantly Expo Exhibition is not confined to one particular field. In the same way as trade, it encourages involvement in investment opportunities, promotion of tourism featuring own business identity as the national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines.

In view of public opinion Expo Exhibition achieved a remarkable success with participation of exporters in huge number superceding the attendance at previous Expo events held in Sri Lanka.

Articles of praise on the outstanding success of the exhibition were given publicity by the media commending the organizing competence of the authorities. It was the national leadership that influenced a colourful success of the previous expo exhibitions.

Sri Lanka Expo Exhibition, in dissimilar to other exhibitions, is a massive national event covering the entire nation in the field of trade, investment and culture. Most significantly the new atmosphere conducive to development work prevalent in the country with lasting peace is a noble blessing to organize Sri Lanka Expo 2012 unlike in the past.

Sri Lanka is projected to become powerful hub in Asia for knowledge, commerce, maritime, aviation and energy with her massive development structure in progress. This environment suits the best apposite opportunity to organize this nature of national events for promotional development of trade and investment.

Sri Lanka Export Development Board has already commenced implementation of its strategic plan projected to achieve a target of US$ 15 billion in 2015 giving priority to the promotion of identified products. Solo Exhibition makes a tremendous contribution in the attempt of achieving this goal.

Expo Exhibition is a recognized event of a proud nation with display of its supply capabilities skills, resourceful opportunities, historical heritage, traditional values and adorable hospitality in building an image admired by the International community.

It is the paramount duty cast upon the business community and Sri Lankan people to strengthen their active cooperation to the EDB in its untiring effort to making the beneficial event a pride of the nation in view of long term benefits.