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MoBay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Expo history Education - an important platform Contributing 37 years to nation building

Contributed- Expo 2007 Chairman Mary Chambers (left) accepts a sponsorship cheque from the Jamaica Public Service Company's Kathy Cooke during the event's launch at the Altamont West Hotel recently.

MoBay Chamber of Commerce and Industry Expo history

IN 1990, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognised the need for a platform for western Jamaica to showcase its goods and services to promote the growth and development of trade and commerce in the region.

This resulted in the birth of Western Expo which has been a tremendous success and the benchmark for trade expositions in Jamaica.

Western Expo started out with 40 booths. It grew to an exposition of over 110 booths, featuring exhibitors from across the island, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. Years later, the event's name was changed to 'Expo - the Trade Fair of the Caribbean'.

This year, during the 12th staging of the event, the theme that has been adopted is 'Montego Bay Expo 2007: Showcasing Jamaica and the Caribbean'.

INCREASE IN PATRONS

Over the years, the event has seen a steady increase in patrons and business interests. This year, the chamber hopes to see an even greater number, owing to the implementation of the vibrant marketing and public relations effort that it embarked on.

The Chamber's plan is to provide a medium through which the business sector can network and build alliances and partnerships, both locally and internationally.

"We at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry feel strongly that in providing this facility we have helped in fostering the development of trade of commerce, and assisted in unifying the Caribbean as a single market in the global marketplace," said Expo chairman Mary Chambers.

Traditionally, the event has attracted businesses that specialise in the following sectors: manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, information technology, tourism, arts and craft, education, services, retail and health. This year exhibitors have again registered from these sectors.

The chamber is extremely proud of its proven track record and looks forward to exceeding previous years.