Vincentian delegation off to Caribbean Business Expo in St Lucia

Several members of the business community will be representing St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) this week at the Specialty Caribbean Expo 2017, which takes place in St Lucia from March 9 to 12.

This being its first year of operation, the multi-sectoral trade exposition is intended to be an annual event, focusing on exporters from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member countries and Martinique.

Local participants include collectives Vincyklus and Brand SVG, Erica’s Country Style, Pasta Enterprise, Kendra’s Aluminium Products, East Caribbean Metals, East Caribbean Group of Companies (ECGC) and VincyFresh, as well as a number of other local participants from the creative sector.

The delegation will be accompanied by Invest SVG staff, Glender François, Investment Promotions manager, and Andrew Phillips, Investment Promotions officer.

François explained that this is a “great opportunity” for local businesses of all sizes to network and seek opportunities to develop and “grow their footprint”.

She added: “We are happy to have worked with all the participants as we play our role in helping them and their businesses to be strong, vibrant and growing.”

Specialty Caribbean Expo gives participants the opportunity to not only interact and network with each other, but also with various stakeholders, policymakers, regional/international buyers and potential customers.

The exposition’s objectives include: creating an opportunity for exporters/exhibitors to obtain credible sustainable leads/markets for their products and services; facilitating regional and international buyer/seller connections; forming and strengthening strategic alliances with relevant trade partners and officials and/or agencies; promoting and improving inter-regional trade; and identifying new distributors, suppliers and representatives for exhibitors’ products or services.

In the long term, the organizers of the exposition, St Lucia Trade Export Promotion Agency and the OECS, are aiming to export the products and services of OECS/Martinique businesses under a collective brand to the UK market.

This year’s exposition will take place at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet.