March 13, 2006

The Eastern Cape’s first ever B2B (business-to-business) convention will be held in East London in October of this year. The Border-Kei Chamber of Business and Tri-Skye Corporate Communications are the organisers of the event and hope to to attract at least 80 to 100 participants in the B2B sector.

The organization has a preliminary budget of approximately R500000 and intends to use “every available square metre” of the Christian Centre in Abbotsford.

BKCOB chief executive Les Holbrook yesterday told the Daily Dispatch that worldwide the trend of B2B expos was experiencing a growth in popularity.

“I am excited; with this being the first expo of its kind in the region, it will be a wonderful opportunity for business to be involved in the pioneering of an innovate project,” said Holbrook.

Plans for the East London B2B expo started last year. “Tri-Skye and ourselves got talking, exchanged ideas and it developed from there. Now the expo has become a reality and it’s all systems go for October.”

Holbrook said because of the B2B expo, BKCOB would this year not exhibit at the South African International Trade Expo (Saitex) in Johannesburg, as it has done for the past five years.

The BKCOB’s Saitex stands, usually with 25 to 30 of its members participating, won a gold and three bronze medals during those years.

Saitex, acknowledged as South Africa’s premier trade exhibition, regularly attracts participation from around 40 nations.

Tri-Skye spokesperson Lucille van der Merwe said the October B2B expo would aim at stimulating economic growth and development, including long-term job creation, by bringing together “buyers and suppliers in a face-to-face environment”.

“Interactive seminars, the imparting of skills and knowledge, mentoring on key business imperatives such as health management in the workplace, and broad-based black economic empowerment –to mention just a few – will form an integral part of the broader programme,” said Van der Merwe.

Source: Dispatch.co.za