-consultant tells seminar on “Successful Exhibiting”
Months of preparation, commitment, and effective strategies are required if local companies intent on showcasing their products at regional and international trade shows, expect to get a return on their investment.
This advice was imparted by Chief Executive Consultant of Florida-based Caribbean Signature, Sandra Ann Baptiste, at the start of a one-day training seminar on “Successful Exhibiting: Effective Trade Show Planning and Marketing”, organised by the newly-launched World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG), a Caribbean Signature release stated recently.
Caribbean Signature is a Florida-based consulting, communications and training group that promotes trade, investment and tourism to the Caribbean, assists with the preparation of project feasibility reports, and features the best warm-weather tourism destinations.
The release explained that the one-day training seminar focused on the importance of research, planning timelines. budgeting for the event, exhibiting overseas, organising a booth, effective promotion and sales strategies, and following up on inquiries. Producers of agro-processing and food and beverage, body and beauty products, arts and craft, and services providers, participated in the training workshop.
The event was declared open by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues, and featured presentations by Guyana Marketing Corporation Central Packaging Facility Manager, Devin Warner; and Founder and CEO of Triumphant Brokerage, Denzil Bess. WTCG Chairman Komal Samaroo and Board member Eldon Bremner provided Certificates of Participation, and the ceremony was chaired by WTCG Executive Director Wesley Kirton.
Baptiste told participants from some 50 companies that trade shows are not a vehicle to make a quick sale or an immediate return on investment. “Companies participating in trade shows often plan a year in advance. They need to put the cost of participating in their budgets, including for booth design and construction. They need time to research and formulate a detailed trade show plan. Potential buyers need to plan for travel and allocate expenditure for the next year.”
To press home her point, she noted that the manufacturers associations in the region have already begun planning for their 2026 trade shows, adding that over 700 local and international buyers from 20 countries attended the 2025 Jamaica Expo, while this year’s Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) in Trinidad and Tobago attracted over 300 overseas delegates and buyers from 37 countries.
The international trade specialist acknowledged that while overseas missions can play a critical role in getting buyers and potential investors to trade shows, it requires highly trained staff. “A new mindset is required for us to promote and sell our products, our company and our country when we are trying to secure business overseas.” noted Baptiste, who is also a Canadian Certified International Trade Professional (CITP), and was the first head of the Guyana Office for Investment, and served as an event management consultant for GuyExpo.
President of the Caribbean Manufacturers Association (CMA), Ramsay Ali, in his remarks, said CMA, which represents the region’s six manufacturers’ associations, maintains a strong voice on the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) board.
Ali, who noted that the front-of-package nutrition labelling has generated significant debate among manufacturers, stated that while the CMA supports healthier consumption patterns, the current model risks penalising local brands and creating non-tariff barriers.
“The CMA advocates for a phased approach that aligns with both public health objectives and export
competitiveness,” said Ali, who is the immediate past president of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and CEO of Sterling Products.
He highlighted that CMA is making its voice heard in the on-going discussions on the CARICOM-Colombia Agreement. “The CMA is pressing for enhanced market access for Caribbean manufactured goods, while protecting vulnerable sectors in the Caribbean.” He also disclosed that a Working Group will be set up shortly with the wider Caribbean private sector to address several issues, the release added.