The much-anticipated Linden Expo 2018 is expected to be bigger this year. The Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Development (LCICD) in collaboration the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC), the Small Business Bureau and other entities has begun preparations for the eighth Annual Trade Fair and Exposition, in anticipation that it will be bigger and more attractive than before
The Linden Expo 2018 will be staged from April 27th to April 29th in the mining town, Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) at the Linden Technical Institute Ground , as part of the Linden Town Week observance scheduled for the last week in April. Participating companies spawning from wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, financial, business development, tourism and educational services and arts and craft, among others, are expected to take part in the three-day event which is excepted to attract a large number of visitors including
foreigners.
During an interview with the Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, the Secretary of the LCICD, Mr. Staydon Payne expressed his optimism that this year’s event will see greater participation and turnout. He explained, “We are very encouraged by the number of exhibitors, so far we have 50 confirmed.” Among those businesses which have already signaled their participation are the American Embassy, Linden Technical Institute, Small Business Bureau, Go- Invest and Iwokrama among many others.
In addition, he also explained that the event has been moved from the Egbert Benjamin Conference Centre to the Linden Technical Institute Ground , which is a more, central, open and outdoor venue.
The Linden Town Week will be staged under the theme “Celebrating our culture, talents, and creativity in a clean, green 2018.”
This year, Linden will also be celebrating 48 years as a town and 22 years since the founding of Linden Town Week. At the annual event, patrons will be able to glimpse snippets of the town’s history and they will also learn about existing tourism and entrepreneurial opportunities in the mining town.
The week’s activities will include the return of the Miss Linden Pageant after a three-year absence. It will also feature sports, essay writing and spelling bee competitions, a youth village, tours to Rockstone and Coomacka, among others.
Meanwhile, the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) has been moving ahead with their plans to make Linden Town Week 2018 an unprecedented event that would leave ‘a footprint on the town’.
There are plans to establish a ‘Visitors Park,’ at the Kara-Kara Dyke, which is to be completed with benches, pathway, and all the other recreational amenities, along with a three dimensional “I Love Linden” signboard to greet visitors. The latter is expected to be a 3D structure hoisted on a solid concrete base. This is in keeping with a 2016 Local Government campaign promise by the Council, after recognizing the need to promote tourism locally as one of its initiatives.
The very first successful expo in 2010 attracted the participation of forty-eight companies, and there is currently increased interest by companies to exhibit at Linden Expo 2018 with expected participation of companies from diverse sectors.
Over the years, Linden has been viewed as a hub for a number of economic activities and businesses and residents have been encouraged to position themselves to capitalise on the existing opportunities; the exposition is seen an opportunity for them to catapult forward and realise their potential.
