Prime Minister Patrick Manning will cut the ribbon to formally open the 11th Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) on May 19 at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad hotel, Port-of-Spain. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Manning is expected to tour the 200 booths and pavilions on the tradeshow floor, which organisers have described as the region's largest business-to-business event. "TIC booths are sold out," organisers said in a statement. Exhibitors from 21 countries will be joining local companies to exhibit their goods, sign on new customers and seek out joint venture partners. "TIC's tradeshow caters to business buyers–wholesalers, retailers, purchasing agents and distributors–seeking new products and services for their businesses.
"Business-to-business transactions are facilitated on the floor of the show and many exhibitors offer special deals for the trade at TIC. "Over the last decade, deals done at TIC range from orders for containers of goods to construction contracts, to the signing of distribution contracts," TIC organisers stated. Exhibits will range from pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, construction to occupational health and safety and financial services and more.
More than 300 overseas visitors from 30 countries are expected to attend the convention in search of business opportunities. "Thousands of local buyers, as well as international buyers from around the world have registered to attend. Special international buyer delegations and trade missions from the United Kingdom, Ghana, Cuba, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe and Martinique will attend. There will also be a buyer reception that the Ministry of Trade and Industry will host. TIC is hosted by the T&T Manufacturers' Association, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, First Citizens, Telecommunications Services of T&T, and bmobile and BlackBerry.
Countries exhibiting at TIC 2010
Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, ?Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, South Africa, St Vincent, Suriname, United Kingdom,United States of America and T&T.