In 2009, the Trade & Investment Convention will celebrate its Tenth Anniversary and, if TIC 2008 is anything to go by, it’s bound to be the biggest business event of the year!
TIC 2008, held from April 31-May 3, 2008 at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago, was a resounding success, setting new records for the number of exhibitors and buyers, and generating more positive feedback from attendees and higher levels of reporting from the news media than ever before.
It was hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, and sponsored by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), and RBTT Bank Limited. This year saw additional partnerships with Fedex Express for The Best of TIC Booth Awards, regional television network, Caribvision, and EtecK and the Ministry of Public Administration for the new “Business Centre & Investment Portal”.
Some 260 exhibitors showcased goods and services on the multi-sectoral tradeshow floor, up from 237 at TIC 2007. Approximately 61% of TIC 2008 exhibitors were local, and 39% were overseas exhibitors from 21 countries.
TIC 2008’s special drive to increase the number of foreign buyers attending the convention met with significant success: The number of overseas buyers and distributors increased by 177%, to 256 (up from 144 in 2007), and buyers arrived from 35 countries, more than every before.
TIC’s post-Convention Exhibitor Survey indicates a high level of satisfaction with the Convention management, infrastructure and marketing, and particularly, with the quality of buyer attendance.
Most importantly, exhibitors recorded high levels of business transacted at the Convention, with two companies confirming TIC sales of US$300,000 each, and another closing a TT$250,000 sale on the floor. The majority of survey respondents said 100% of the sales leads generated at TIC were new prospects, and 80% of respondents say they will exhibit in 2009!
Mark your Calendar!
TIC 2009: 10th Anniversary ~ 24th – 27th June, 2009
To register as an Exhibitor or Buyer contact the TIC Secretariat at (868) 675 8862 or visit www.tic-tt.com
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