South Africa vacations

Approximately 500 small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMES) for all sectors will promote their business at the premier eThekwini SMME Fair.

The event, hosted by the Business Support and Markets Unit, takes place at Durban Exhibition Centre on 25 -27 September and promises to pack a powerful punch with the support of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SEDA eThekwini and the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism. It will also form part of the Celebrate Durban festivities.

The fair is the ideal networking platform for enterprising business people of all backgrounds and levels of business, to showcase their products and services. The event caters for entrepreneurs in all sectors of industry. It showcases high quality goods and services produced by SMME’s and facilitates business linkages and opportunities.

Conference

This year’s conference will focus largely on addressing 2010 business issues, with speakers from the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee, and the City speaking about compliance to 2010 bylaws, soccer as a stimulator to small business development, ambush marketing and trade marks for the world soccer tournament. Business opportunities related to fan parks, public viewing, and destination markets will also be discussed. Running concurrently with the fair is the conference and business linkage programme, which adds value to the exhibition and are equally as popular.

Business Linkage

The Business Linkage Programme aims to introduce SMMEs to corporates to help them gain access to business opportunities. Participation in the programme begins with registration and selection of SMMEs who meet the criteria. The Business Support and Markets role is to seek appropriate opportunities, match them with selected SMMEs and monitor the programme. This year companies such as Group Five, Unilever, KZN Oils, Sapref, Federal Mogul, Transnet Prot Terminals, and many others will be giving smmes an opportunity to meet with them. For the first time this year, we have smmes, Welile Caterers and Makhulu Events Producers also registered to meet with other smmes in the business linkage programme. A sure sign of the value entrepreneurs can achieve out of this process.

Fashion Showcase

Durban’s emerging fashion designers will be given an opportunity to showcase their creations along with some of Durban’s finest fundi’s in the fashion industry at a glittering show. This programme, hosted in partnership with the Economic Development Department, aims to promote the emerging fashion designers in the city. It adds another sparkling dimension to the SMME fair.

International Participation

For the first time this year, the City will be hosting it’s sister cities and Nepad countries at the international pavilion in the SMME Fair. More than 20 SMMEs for countries such as Mozambique, Ghana, Zimbabwe, France, Reunion islands, New Orleans will be particpating, building relationships and exposing SMMEs to doing business with the global market.  This brings an exciting international flavour to the SMME Fair.

The SMME fair has proven to be the one of the best marketing tools for small, medium and micro business over the past two years, with many entrepreneurs directly feeling the impact by promoting their businesses at the event through the exhibition, networking with potential clients, getting an opportunity to meet with government support agencies, banks and other institutions that provide assistance to grow and develop their businesses. Make sure you don’t miss it! Entrance is free!

For more details call Ikhono Communications on 031 266 9937/8.
Email info@ikhono.co.za
Source: www.durban.gov.za