2009 Post Show Release

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Africa's Big Seven Contact:
Lineke Fleischer van der Brugghen
(T) +27 (0) 11 783 7250
(F) +2 7(0) 11 783 7269
Email: admin@exhibitionsafrica.com

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Africa’s Big Seven (AB7) on the Up and Up
25 to 27 July 2010
Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa

For Immediate Release
With increased numbers of exhibitors, show visitors, product lines and participating countries, Africa’s Big Seven (AB7) – which took place from 19 to 21 July at Gallagher Convention Centre – undoubtedly remains Africa’s leading food and beverage industry event. Exhibitors and visitors achieved excellent and measurable business results from participating in this year’s show - from signed deals, leads generated and orders placed, through to increased brand awareness and a growing network of importers, wholesalers and retailers.

Over 401exhibitors from 39 countries participated in this year’s show which was co-located for the first time with SAITEX – the Southern African International Trade Exhibition. Africa had representation from eight countries – Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia, Mauritius, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. International countries that participated in this year’s AB7 included Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Poland, Singapore, Sri Lanka Thailand and Turkey.

“Foreign companies continue to seize the opportunity that AB7 presents”, says John Thomson of Exhibition Management Services, organisers of the event. “What makes AB7 unique is the fact that it really is the only trade exhibition that is a genuine portal into Africa. It is the only forum where all role players can meet under one roof – manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers and everyone else in between.”

The co-located events showcased 392 product categories featuring 2117 different items.

The combined attendance of 12,708 visitors came from 41 different countries.

The specific visitor demographics for AB7 were:

• Visitors seniority – 58.1% were owners, MD’s or directors of companies; up from
• 48.2% in 2008.
• Visitor’s purchasing power - 51.85% could authorize a purchase; up from 47% in 2008.
• In answer to questions raised in an independent visitor survey.

• How did you rate the exhibition? – Good was 60% up from 46% in 2008.
• Do you like the idea of all the shows running together? - 95% yes up from 83% in 2008.
• Would you recommend a business colleague to visit the show? – yes 86% up from 81% in 2008.
• Was your visit worthwhile? - yes 79% up from 77% in 2008.
• Did you make any new business contacts?  – yes 92% up from 88% in 2008.

• Do you believe this exhibition is of value to the retail trade? – yes 90% up from 85% in 2008.
• Will you visit the show again next year? – yes 90%.

The co-location of AB7 with SAITEX has proven to be a winning recipe. China has already confirmed that they will be increasing their floor space by 96% for the 2010 show, while Thailand will be more than doubling their floor space.
With the diverse line-up of products that were on show, AB7 exceeded the expectations of the industry. Product ranges such as teas, coffee, sweets, retail solutions, baking ingredients, low GI products and cooking sauces, all got the attention of visitors and exhibitors alike.

As a result of AB7, Indian tea-maker Premier Tea succeeded in finding an importer for their Premier Tea product range. “Our products will soon be on South African shelves”, reports H.A. Shah, Chairman and Managing Director of Premier Tea Products. “This is the first time we are bringing our Premier Tea Products to South Africa and we are extremely impressed with the quality of the expo.”

“AB7 has been very good – In our view this expo has been a great success,” said German exhibitor Jurgen Oehl of Goldis Gourmet and Felix Bacher, Sales Director of Wieshue. “We met many potential clients and made a great number of contacts. A large number of visitors to the show were very interested in our products and equipment. We are very happy with the number of visitors to the show and specifically to our stand. This experience has been a great success and we will definitely be back next year.”

Omer Canar Ozbakkal, Export Manager for Turkish company Gulsan Gida Sanayi Ticaret A.S. echoed this view, adding “We made a lot of good contacts and identified possible importers of our products”.

Designed to help maximise meeting opportunities for exhibitors and visitors alike, the Business Matchmaking Programme – a new addition to this year’s event – proved extremely popular and valuable to participants. Murat Gür, Export and Sales Representative for Eti Pazarlama ve Sanayi A.Ş. (Turkey) believes that this was a great addition to the event “as it brings the right people together and creates an environment that allows for good business deals to take place.”

Ms. Nathalie Mamet, Marketing Director of Café Le Fournaise – an exhibitor from Mauritius - commented “As first time exhibitors we have found AB7 to be a unique and interesting experience. Throughout the three days we generated huge interest in our product and have made excellent contacts. We identified several potential clients who would like to import our product. This has been a great experience for us and our coffee.”

Not only did the volume of visitors to this year’s show increase – participants also commented on the quality of the visitors. “Invest North West wanted to focus this year’s show on brand exposure. With the volume and high quality of visitors to this year’s show we managed to achieve this,” said Elizabeth Manaiwa, Trade and Investment Promotion Secretary of Invest North West. “We have had a great response and have made many good contacts.”

AB7 derives its name from the seven sector specific elements that make up the event. These are: AgriFood, for producers and manufacturers; FoodTech, for production processing and packaging equipment; FoodBiz, for food service and equipment; Interbake, for bakery equipment, ingredients and supplies; IFMA, for the meat industries, Retail Solutions and Pan Africa Retail for all retail ready products and sales equipment.

AB7 has been scheduled to take place from 25 to 27 July 2010 at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand.

For more information on the expo, contact Lineke Fleischer, Exhibition Manager of Africa's Big Seven Expo: Exhibition Management Services Pty Ltd (EMS).
Tel: +27-11-783-7250. Fax: +27-11-783-7269.
E-mail: admin@exhibitionsafrica.com. Website: www.exhibitionsafrica.com.

About Exhibition Management Services:

Exhibition Management Services is one of Africa’s most experienced exhibition organiser with a 28 year track record of delivering successful trade fairs throughout the continent. The company’s African database is unmatched in the industry allowing for the identification, notification and participation of truly qualified pan African trade visitors.