SLHTA & TEPA Foster Local Business to Business Relationships
The Linkage Trade Show is certainly a riveting networking component of the St Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association (SLHTA)’s Annual General Meeting. It creates an avenue for local manufacturers, farmers and entrepreneurs to display their products and services; and network with established companies in the hotel industry to develop new business relationships.
This year, SLHTA extended an invitation to the Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA), to spearhead the Linkage Trade Show; an invitation which TEPA excitedly accepted; noting the significant opportunity it would provide to TEPA’s database of manufacturers and entrepreneurs. Through TEPA’s efforts eleven local companies showcased their products and services to the SLHTA member organizations gathered at Bay Gardens Hotel.
By all indications the Linkage Trade Show 2016 was a sure success! Several exhibitors have since held private Business to Business (B2B) meetings with various SLHTA member organizations and are now in supplier-contract discussions. Additionally, TEPA’s involvement in the SLHTA Linkage Trade Show led to the hosting of a private B2B exhibition for Sea Island Cotton Shop, which led to the creation of some amazing new business relationships between exhibitors and Sea Island Cotton Shop. Take a read of our article “TEPA’s B2B Model: Sea Island Cotton Shop partners with local manufactures” for further information.
“We are very happy to receive such positive feedback from our exhibitors,” a visibly delighted, Portia Williams-Thompson, Marketing Officer at TEPA says. “We believe it is of paramount importance to build on the local supply chain in St Lucia; we are placing a strong emphasis on the domestic market, encouraging their growth and aligning them with more established businesses, which don’t only serve as business partners but mentors. As these Business to Business relationships grow, it will lead to increased development for our local suppliers and the economy. As they develop so too will our manufacturing industry and entrepreneurship.”
If you are a business owner specializing in a manufacturing for domestic or export market or a service, provider and would like to become aligned with TEPA, feel free to contact us via e-mail: info@tepa.org.lc or telephone 1-758-468-2145/2286.
