VIENNA (UNIDO) – Under the Program for Country Partnership (PCP), the first international agro-industry investment forum was held in October 2016 and it attracted around 1,200 participants. It was clear to the co-organizers, UNIDO and the Government of Ethiopia, that the venue within the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) compound had met its maximum capacity. Hence, for the second international agro-industry investment forum, the Government of Ethiopia and UNIDO decided to change the venue to the Millennium Hall, and this time the forum attracted around 2,350 participants. The successes of both forums sparked a discussion between the Government and UNIDO and confirmed the need to reach a better understanding of the country’s trade show sector and related exhibition center and fair grounds infrastructure requirements.
A prosperous trade show and exhibition sector can constitute a practical and affordable platform for Ethiopian enterprises to get international exposure for promoting their products and showcasing investment proposals to international investors.
Hence, under the aegis of the technical assistance provided for the second forum, financed by the Government of China, UNIDO undertook a study to analyze the trade show and exhibition sector in Ethiopia, placing it in the context of the global and regional scenarios. The resulting report is entitled The Ethiopian trade show and exhibition sector – Assessment and potential in the context of global and regional sectoral developments.
The report outlines the status of the existing trade show market in Ethiopia, identifying key challenges as well as opportunities for further growth and development. Based on the analysis, the report provides recommendations for the development of Ethiopia’s trade show and exhibition sector. Key recommendations include the harmonization of policies and regulations to facilitate the international participation at trade shows in Ethiopia, the provision of capacity building to existing trade show organizers so that they can deliver improved services at competitive prices, and finally, it is recommended to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a new international conference and exhibition center in Ethiopia.
At the request of the Government, UNIDO is currently developing a technical assistance project to support Ethiopia in further developing the trade show and exhibition sector according to the recommendations of the report.
- Download the report here.
Source: UNIDO