Fair gives good exposure to entrepreneurs

PARTICIPANTS of the Consumer and Food Fair 2008 are optimistic in the amount of exposure that will be generated from the public visiting their booths during the country's largest consumer products and food fair thus far.

Operations manager of Ideal Food Industries, Norizmah Ahmad Morshidi, remarked that with exhibitions such as these,"there is more exposure than profit to be gained".

The operations manager of the 11-year enterprise said that without the exposure gained through exhibitions, most of the public would be unaware that Ideal Food products were also sold in shops and supermarkets.

Panacom Sdn Bhd, an electrical goods distributor of Philips, Samsung, Cornell and Palson, uses the extra exposure as an opportunity to promote the arrival of new products such as the new Philips LCD television. "The exhibition serves as a reminder to the public that several of our items are still available and in stock," said Debbie C L, marketing executive of Panacom.

"I was surprised to notice that there were several local companies that I never knew existed until now," said Dk Nur Amelia Pg Rosli, who was exploring the fair with a friend. "Products are more noticeable in exhibitions," she added. "I noticed more products in the fair than when it is displayed in the shops."

Local company Tanda Mata Cinta, which specialises in wicker furniture and home accessories, welcomes the exposure generated through the fair as a company that has only been in operation for less than a year.

"We are not hoping for immediate sales," said manager Azhar, expressing his hopes that the company will be able to generate more corporate clients through the exhibition.

Huan Beng Choon of Vemma, a US-based enterprise selling and promoting health and dietary supplements, feels that there is a good market for Vemma products in Brunei. "Participating in exhibitions exposes our agenda to the public and we hope to employ agents here in Brunei," he said.

"The fair provided an excellent opportunity for participation from foreign companies and this in turn is more enterprising for Brunei," said Mohd Shahir Shaari, second secretary of the Malaysian High Commission, who came to explore the exhibition.

The Brunei Times