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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
BOOKINGS for the 2016 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) are underway ahead of the event in April. The annual trade showcase, which is organised by the ZITF Company, starts in Bulawayo from April 26 to 30. The ZITF Company is encouraging exhibitors to the 57th edition of the trade fair to make bookings now in order to enjoy a 10 percent discount.

“Building on last year’s focus which was on seizing opportunities to accelerate growth, the 2016 edition goes a step further to address the critical issues of innovation, industrialisation and regional integration.

“These are essential to increasing the global Gross Domestic Product contribution of Zimbabwe and the continent as a whole,” said the ZITF Company on its website.

“We therefore extend an invitation to the local and international business community, both large corporate and small-to-medium enterprises to participate in ZITF 2016 as we focus on innovatively resuscitating and revitalising our industries and creating sustainable value-chains.”

This year’s trade fair runs under the theme, “Innovate-Integrate-Industrialise”

Exhibitors’ products groups at the fair include equipment, expertise for agricultural development, machinery and goods for infrastructural development, machinery and goods for value-addition in mining, manufacture, tourism as well as consultancy services and products for energy and water provision.

The first three days of the trade fair would be exclusively business days with the International Business Conference slated for April 27. The official opening ceremony would be held on April 29. The last two days of the event will be open to the public.

Other expos to run concurrently with the trade fair are A’sambeni Africa Business Tourism, Scholastica, Ultim8 Home, and PakPrint. ZITF is one of the largest intra-regional trade fairs south of the Sahara.

It is an annual exhibition which offers exposure to trade and public visitors, the multi-sectoral expo provides a convenient trade hub for the region. In 2015, 19 countries were represented at ZITF compared to 18 the previous year.

Some of the countries that were represented at last year’s event include the United States of America, Iran, China, Cyprus South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and Ethiopia.