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Business Editor

AS preparations for the 60th edition the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), due in two weeks’ time, gather momentum, organisers say they are ready to host thousands of delegates with assurance of a unique customer centric experience.

The diamond jubilee show will be taking place in Bulawayo from 23-27 April 2019 under the theme: “Propagating Industrial Growth through Trade and Investment”.

“From an organiser perspective we are ready to host the thousands of exhibitors and visitors who will descend on our city in the next two weeks.

“Our teams are firmly boots-on-ground ensuring that the exhibition facilities, particularly the halls, are ready to be handed over to exhibitors in the coming week. Leaseholders, occupying individual pavilions are also on site sprucing up their pavilions,” ZITF Company marketing and public relations manager, Ms Stella Nkomo, said.

“Participants at this year’s show can therefore look forward to a customer-centric exhibition experience. To achieve this, we are taking a keen interest in all the exhibitors’ pain points in the participation journey even if they do not directly relate to ZITF Company.”

Last year ZITF Company was ISO-certified under IS0 9001:2015, thereby placing great focus on understanding and taking care of customer’s specified needs and expectations by providing products and services that effectively address them, she said.

On Friday, the exhibition company conducted a casual staff customer service training programme to ensure that all the part-time employees and volunteers engaged were aware of key expectations of seamless customer service.

Ms Nkomo said most delegates have indicated that they have secured accommodation but acknowledged big hotels in the city did not have adequate room capacity to service overwhelming numbers during the show. As such, she said, lodges dotted around the city as well as guest houses and up-market private homes have come forward to register their facilities for use.

“We have also engaged two local airlines to introduce additional domestic flights plying the Harare-Bulawayo-Harare route during the show as we anticipate high numbers of visitor traffic,” said Ms Nkomo. 

“The firm has also created a ZITF 2019 mobile application to give clients a schedule of meetings, as well as access real-time information on event programmes and updates.” 

The ZITF Company had 444 confirmed direct exhibitors as at close of business on Friday. Of these 22 are foreign exhibitors representing 16 countries – Belarus, Botswana, Ethiopia, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, United Arab   Emirates, the United States of America   and Zambia. The Republic of Belarus   will be making a maiden appearance  at this year’s show with exhibits relating to agriculture, medicals, mining, science and technology.

“Enquiries and bookings continue to come in and we look forward to close at higher participation and space uptake numbers than we had last year.