After a two-year break, the 12th Eastern Regional Trade Fair, which typically features participants from across Africa, is back. At the Mbale S.S. grounds in the Mbale District, some 100 manufacturers, distributors, merchants, and other players in the business sectors, including electricals, automotive, agricultural machinery, food and beverage, packaging, health goods, and construction, are expected to gather for this international endeavor.
22 foreign exhibitors from Kenya, Nigeria, India, and Tanzania are drawn to it as well, opening up chances for international cooperation and interchange. Over the course of a week, the event is anticipated to draw over 50,000 visitors.
The two-year break induced by the Covid-19 pandemic has come to a halt as the annual six-day event is expected to return in a huge way. The event which has drawn thousands of business folks over the years is organized by the Uganda Manufacturers Association, (UMA) and themed “Celebrating Local Manufacturing Excellence.”
The major goal of the trade show is to create a platform where manufacturers, suppliers, and customers from various industries may connect with one another on a business-to-business basis. Manufacturers may announce new products, measure themselves against competitors, and create orders at the event. Producers can also receive feedback.
The trade show also seeks to support the expansion of the sector in Uganda and beyond by highlighting the best of local production.
According to the BBN Network, an independent news network, numerous sponsors and partners, including Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Sino Industrial Park Mbale (Tian Tang group), Com Foam, Grace Textiles, M-One, and Honghai Wood, among others, are supporting the trade show. These sponsors and partners provide the exhibitors and visitors with specialized financial services, industrial park amenities, logistics and transportation services, and other value-added services.
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), and the Electricity Regulatory Authority, among others, are among the business facilitation organizations present at the trade show and offer advice on how to do business effectively.