Nana Kwame Ofori-Amanfo, Acting Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, has advised companies not to use fairs to sell their products. Condemning the practice whereby exhibitors complain of low sales after fairs, he explained that fairs were meant for match-making and networking and not for sales. Participants at fairs, Mr Ofori-Amanfo said, are expected to interact with others and try to make business deals but not to carry all their products to the exhibition grounds with the aim of selling out. “The fair is not a bazaar or a grand sale where you move all your wares. That is not the objective,” he told City & Business Guide in Accra. Mr Ofori-Amanfo was of the view that companies should put samples on display so as to enhance business deals. “At international levels you go to fairs with just samples so the Ghanaian counterparts must make it a point to interact with their foreign counterparts.” Mr Ofori-Amanfo advised Ghanaian businesses to invest in research to help them come up with the best products or services which would attract the attention of their foreign counterparts as well as the local consumers. He mentioned that most of the foreign companies participate in fairs with the objective of looking for local agents and therefore Ghanaian exhibitors must take advantage of the situation. There have been complaints by some exhibitors over the high cost of acquiring exhibition space. Though Mr Ofori-Amanfo, who is also the solicitor secretary of the Ghana Trade Fair Company, declined to disclose the fees for acquiring space in the pavilions and other exhibition spots at the fair site, he said: “our prices are the cheapest in the sub-region compared to what is charged for a square-meter in other places.” He however gave the assurance that the prices for this year’s International Trade would be very affordable, “it is just a little over what we charged last year.” The 16th edition of the Ghana International Trade Fair, slated to start from February 23 March 2012 at the trade fair site at La, Accra was launched last week. Organizers of the fair, which is themed, “harnessing opportunity for Ghana’s Trade and industry,” are expecting over 900 exhibitors comprising 600 local exhibitors and 300 foreign participants to showcase their products and it is likely to attract over one million visitors. At a brief ceremony to launch the fair in Accra, Ebenezer Erasmus Okpoti Koney, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Trade Fair Company, noted that “the objective is to promote trade.” Frank Ntiamoah, Public Relations Officer of the GTFC, giving the highlights of the fair, noted that the focus is to promote Ghana as the trading hub through international trade fair. Visitors and exhibitors, he said, should expect competitive pricing, one-stop shopping centre, business matchmaking and networking and the launch of products. This year’s fair is expected to harness international networking opportunities for the local businesses while there would be an entertainment centre and media centre.