The city of Montego Bay will on June 1-3 take center stage as host of the inaugural Jamaica International Exhibition (JIE) which will see some 70 buyers from 11 countries converging on the tourism capital.
This one of a kind international tradeshow, slated for the Montego Bay Convention Centre and under the auspices of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA), is being billed as an opportunity for local business people to rub shoulders and interact within the setting of a global marketplace.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has been scheduled as the designated keynote speaker.
And with over 110 booths already confirmed, the event will have participants from countries such as the United States, Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Also in attendance will be Trinidad and Tobago, the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Dominica, the British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Guyana and Jamaica.
President of the JMA Metry Seaga explained that the JIE will not only be new and exciting but will also allow for personal interaction, with some very important traders and global entities, in an up close and personal atmosphere, aimed at discovering new markets and exploring untapped potential.
“We are moving outside our comfort zone and looking at broadening our horizon,” Mr. Seaga noted. “The JIE we feel will fill a void that currently exists to bring business people from all around the world into Jamaica to sell their wares…to see what opportunities exist in Jamaica.”
The JMA president said his organization has been working closely with JAMPRO and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, to ensure a successful show, aimed at increasing the size of business in Jamaica, giving everyone more opportunities to succeed.
The JMA, he added, will be playing the role of host, “ensuring that this first class expo will have the desired effect”, putting the sector on the world stage and giving it a major shot in the arm.
“We are one of the perennial engines of growth and a major employer of persons,” he added. “We are happy to be doing this at a time when the manufacturing sector needs this kind of visibility to take it on a path of economic growth and prosperity.”
For its part, e-Commerce giants Quikanou.com, a partner in the venture, said they will be introducing a global platform for participants.
“Our solution has opened global online access to Caribbean products and we are taking businesses into the digital economy on Quikanou.com,” explained Jomo Cato, Co-Founder.
Quikanou, he said will deliver local and export growth for Jamaica and the Caribbean by providing a powerful ecommerce platform for goods and services.
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