Exhibition

Exhibition is a good example of direct marketing that fosters reciprocity as the organisation can come at eye contact with the potential customers and discuss about their service delivery and products.

In communication dialogical model of communication is the most suitable and recommended by the communication's experts. Communication is a process of creating and exchanging meanings between or among individuals in order to reach a mutual understanding using agreed symbols. In marketing such communication is required for the better education to the customers about the new products.

Exhibition can be defined as “ direct, face to face medium. Here one can meet past, present and prospective customers and talk, discuss products and services, ask and answer questions, negotiate, judge reactions and establish real, human relationship with them....”

In Zimbabwe there are several exhibition events such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) which started in 1899 when the first Agricultural Show was staged by the Rhodesian Landowners and farmers Association. In 1960, after the Agricultural Show of 1899, the first Trade Fair on the present Zimbabwe International Exhibition centre was initiated.

In addition, we have the provincial agricultural shows such as “The Midlands Agricultural Show', “Harare Agricultural Show”, Zimbabwe National Art Gallary and so forth. All these activities and events are meant for exhibition. In Zimbabwe what seem to be lacking about the exhibitions are that there are taken lightly. Business people should plan which exhibition to attend and for what reasons in order to meet their organisational goals as well as their customer needs.

In all exhibition, there is need to take note of the visitors, who visits the stands of the exhibitors. Their names and the organisations they represents needs to be taken down and after the exhibition there is need to make some follow up. At ZITF international exhibitors and visitors come in number and yet at the end of the trade only few companies would manage to establish strong rapport with foreign visitors. All exhibitors from different companies need to be educated about the importance of getting new customers and boosting the sales by tracking the people who would have visited their stands.

What is need is to take the name of the person, his company that he represent and the contact details. After the event salesperson's should be given the list and tasked to make some follow up. Zimbabwe as a developing country are still lacking the skills of having experts or consultants who deals with exhibition education. For every activities or field there is need to develop experts who can produce knowledge that is good to take the business people elsewhere. The market ninch that most local business sector are failing to open is because of lack of suchj knowledge.

I future people should open up the consultancy companies that deals with exhibition in order to boost the economy of Zimbabwe. Such a person can be consulted by big organisations such as Bata Shoe Company, Zimbabwe Alloys, Hwange Mine, ZISCO Steel, Zimbabwe national Chamber of Commerce, Air Zimbabwe and so forth.

However, university such as Midlands State University (MSU), National University Science and Technology (NUST), University of Zimbabwe(UZ) and so forth should be among to consult such consultant to further their familiarity with the entire world. Public relation departments from tertiary institution such as Midlands State University should be in the lead to educate industry players about the importance of exhibitions. I wish to hear from those with better knowledge and ideas to contact me on masuku.caven@gmail.com or on 263 913210607