Everything Vincy Expo 2022 wraps up today (+ video)

More than 140 exhibitors are participating in the 2022 “Everything Vincy Expo” being held at the Geest Cargo Terminal-Expo Village in Kingstown.

The exhibition of local goods and services officially opened on Monday, October 24 and will wrap up today, October 28.

Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Camillo Gonsalves, delivering the feature address at the opening on who delivered the feature address at the opening ceremony said the “Everything Vincy Expo” is in line with Government’s policy to provide the enabling environment for the emergence and growth of new and existing entrepreneurs across this country.

Gonsalves said more than 1000 entrepreneurs have benefited so far from the Promoting Youth Micro Enterprises (PRYME) programme. They have been allowed to have their ideas tested without the burden of repayment to a financial institution, he noted.

“A spirit of entrepreneurship in [St Vincent and the Grenadines] SVG is unleashed and finds fertile ground to grow,” the Finance Minister said.

The Everything Vincy EXPO not only highlights local businesses, it also serves as an incubator for the advancement of entrepreneurship throughout the nation and promotes the buying of local products.

Title sponsor, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) contributed US$40,000 to ensure the fourth staging of the annual event, after a two year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Counselor at the Embassy of Taiwan, Trinidad Chen, said they are pleased to be associated with the “Everything Vincy Expo”, noting that the event provides a platform for new and existing entrepreneurs to earn revenue.

Among this year’s exhibitors, she said, are entrepreneurs who participated in the “Women’s Empowerment Project”, a programme co-sponsored by the Government of SVG and the Embassy of the ROC (Taiwan).

First staged in October, 2017 the ‘Everything Vincy’ Expo is spearheaded by Invest SVG.

Executive Director, Annette Mark in her remarks at Monday’s launch noted the absence of the expo for the past two years following the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the eruptions of La Soufriere Volcano.

She added that the event has grown since inception in 2017 from 40 exhibitors to more than 130 this year, and efforts are being made to host the event at a different location in the future to accommodate even more exhibitors (API).