More financial services and insurance companies are taking part in this year’s Barbados Manufacturers’ Exhibition (BMEX), which comes off June 27 to 30, 2013, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Also, there have been a few additions to the event that will take place under the theme An Explosion Of Bajan Spirit.
?With more than 16 000 patrons expected to pass through the 32nd annual BMEX showcase, organizers believed those insurance and financial services companies were seeking to capitalize on the opportunity to reach more Barbadians in one place with their products and services.
Bobbi McKay, executive director of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA), told a Press conference Tuesday that of the 140-plus exhibitors expected this year, nine should be insurance and financial services companies, up from three last year.
“One thing that is new to us this year is the number of financial services and insurance companies that came forward. Never before have we seen this many. We have almost every bank in Barbados at BMEX this year [and] we have almost every insurance company coming forward. It is really interesting,” remarked McKay, adding that it should be good for both companies and individuals attending the four-day event.
“We have so many first-timers this year, it is really amazing,” she said.
A part from the new days, there will be a new product showcase featuring seven companies. There will be beefed-up security as well as health checks for the exhibitors who are expected to spend more than 15 hours each day at the venue.
In addition, there has been a new component called the buyers’ programme, which will see a number of regional distributors attending the event in an effort to form linkages with local companies to help them get their products to regional companies.
Antoine Williams, marketing coordinator for the BMA’s Brands Of Barbados campaign, gave some reasons he believed there was an increase in financial services and insurance companies.
“They will converge on one location where you have thousands of Barbadians, where they can get their message to those Barbadians without using the other forms of media,” he said.“So it is a one-stop-shop and then, of course, because of what is happening in the [economic] environment, there are products that financial companies have that they must reach individuals with. . . .
“So that is why they see BMEX as the ideal vehicle. It also speaks well for the BMEX brand,” he said, adding that a number of hotels were also “coming on board”, realizing that they could entice locals to fill their rooms.Some exhibitors will have more than one booth. McKay said the construction currently being carried out at the venue should not impact the showcase. (MM)
