Indians to occupy entire hall two at next chamber trade fair - The Indian Trade Promotion Organisation brought 44 companies to the 17th Addis Abeba Chamber International Trade Fair. They were awarded by the Addis Abeba Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Association (AACCSA) for being in the group of countries to have attended the event with the most companies.
The Indian Trade Promotion Organisation is to rent the entire area of Hall Two, at the Addis Abeba Exhibition Centre, for the coming 18th Addis Abeba Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Association (AACCSA) International Trade Fair.
The Organisation attended the 17th International Trade Fair, that took place two weeks ago, with a total of 44 companies. It will be coming to next year's event with more than 50 companies, according to Parmod Rai Sood, manager of the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation.
"Since the number of companies attending the exhibition fromIndiais increasing every year, we should have separate space," he told Fortune.
This year's event was dominated by 58 companies fromItaly; whilstKenya,Oman,GermanyandCanadawere represented by only one company each.
The Addis Abeba Exhibition Centre and Market Development Enterprise has 3,000sqm of space in the compound where a tent is used to accommodate exhibitors. There are also three halls, with a total space of 2,400sqm.
Hall Two, which the Indian companies want to rent for the week long trade fair, has an area of 600sqm. For this years' fair, AACCSA leased a square metre of space for 25 dollars a day.
"Since we are interested in bringing more companies and more Indian products to Addis, we have no issues with the money," says Parmod. "Our biggest problem, during the trade fair, is the lack of access to appropriate space for the companies' products."
Indian companies have been playing a prominent role in investment since 1990. Currently, close to 450 Indian companies have investment licences inEthiopia, with a combined investment capital of five billion dollars.
The areas Indian companies are involved in, include; engineering, agriculture, plastics and pharmaceuticals. The trade relationship between the two countries also reached 500 million dollars in 2012. Although the balance substantially favoursIndia,Ethiopiaalso exports pulses, oil seeds and spices.India, on the other hand, exports iron and steel products, drugs and machineries.
During the 17th international trade fair, the Indian companies presented different products, including; textile, plastic products, medicine, metal products and furniture.
If the rent price remains the same as the previous event, the Organisation may pay up to 16,250 dollars a day for the entire hall.
"The decision has not been made by the board of the AACCSA," Gashaw Abate, trade investment promotion director at the AACCSA, told Fortune.
Parmod also claims that the organisers should see other ways of promoting the companies to the local people during the trade fair.
"We want to break throughEthiopia's market, in every aspect, since we understand the potential for Indian made products," Parmod says.
The Organisation is planning to bring different digital advertising outlets and ways of displaying the companies' products, so that it can reach more consumers.
"We will use both indoor and outdoor advertisements so that we can maintain our presence inEthiopia's market," says Parmod.
Negotiations with the AACCSA are underway, and if all goes well, both parties will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in August, according to Gashaw.
The AACCSA will also organise two more international trade fairs during the current year, named; Addis Chamber Agriculture & Food Fair, which will take place on April 11, and International Tourism and Travel Trade Fair, in June.
AACCSA contacts international companies through its authorised official representatives, which book and register participants for various fairs in New Delhi,Italy,Johannesburg,Dubai,Turkey and Sudan. It also communicates with the companies through embassies and through their websites.
By Yetneberk Tadele
Addis Fortune/05/03/2013