The number of visitors to the 2023 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which was held in April, exceeded the 2019 figure as the international event recovers from the Covid-19 epidemic and its related challenges. The information was revealed by ZITF Company Marketing and Corporate Communications Officer, Doreen Dzamatira last week during a review Zoom event held to review the 2023 ZITF. The event organised by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe.
According to Dzamatira, a total of 74 294 visitors walked through the fairground gates during the exhibition. This figure included 7 934 business figures. The figures compared favourably with the pre-Covid situation when a total of 59 022 visitors attended the international trade show in 2019, of which 7 767 of them were business visitors. Last year, a total of 56 440 visitors visited the trade fair. Business visitors made up 6 267 of the visitors.
Exhibitor numbers, at 636, were higher than the 582 exhibitors who participated in the event last year. The exhibitor number comprised 442 direct exhibitors and 194 indirect exhibitors. The figure was, however, lower than the pre-Covid figure of 816, which was achieved in 2019. Exhibitor numbers from 2021 to 2023 show an upward trend and an indication of recovery.
Out of the local exhibitors, 54 percent were from Harare, 30 percent were from Bulawayo, and 16 percent were from other provinces.
Space and occupancy at 46 253 square metres topped the 2022 figure of 45 785 square metres but was 2 520 square metres shy of the 2019 figure of 48 773 square metres. The annual space and occupancy of the trade fair is on an upward trend since 2021 when a total of 42 223 square metres of space was taken up by exhibitors. Dzamatira highlighted that 93.4 percent of the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, the venue of the trade fair, was taken up during the show.
In terms of the objectives for participating in the trade fair, brand image topped the list with 53 percent of the participants followed by developing new markets at 44 percent. According to the figures presented by Dzamatira, 38 percent of the participants exhibited for brand recognition, while 38 percent exhibited to initiate new contacts. Twenty-nine percent of the participants exhibited to introduce new products, services and innovations to the local and global markets.