Expo 2018 Opens with a new style as Tap and Go cards are used for Entry Payment

There are several new aspects in the slot of this year that involve fees collection, number of exhibitors, duration and profile of expected visitors.

Coca Cola stand is ready to welcome guests 

Expo- entry and payment method

Use of cash to pay for entry will be replaced by an electronic payment system, is popularly called Tap & Go, an innovation by AC Group. The method is popular with city public transport. The exhibition goers will use electronic payment cards to access the site through one of the 10 entrances. The method is adopted because these cards have become increasingly popular across the country.

“The cards are already being used in buses in Kigali with 1.8 million cards in circulation across the country which guarantees that the move will be successful,” said the PSF executive officer, Steven Ruzibiza.

According to Ruzibiza, PSF chose the new electronic payment system to save time and minimize the usual queues at entrances.

Skol Brewery and MTN Campanies are participants 

Duration of Expo 2018

Ordinarily, the exhibition lasts two weeks; however, this year’s edition is scheduled to run for three weeks, through August 16. The extension by a week, Steven added, followed requests by shoppers and exhibitors who noted that two weeks were not enough to showcase their merchandise.

“It has been a request for a very long time from both exhibitors and clients who wanted to have expo extended to three weeks,” Ruzibiza said.

Expo attracts more exhibitors and participating

Over 500 exhibitors from 23 countries across the world will participate in the 2018 expo. This is an increase from previous trade fairs when participating countries have varied between 17 and 19.

Ruzibiza, however, said that PSF remains limited by the inadequacy of space at Gikondo Expo Ground. To address this, he said, they are working to have a new ground at Gahanga in Kicukiro District.

“We hope that in the next 2-3 years we’ll have moved to the new location in Gahanga where we’ll be able to host more exhibitors,” he told new times yesterday.

Organized by the Private Sector Federation and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM), the exhibition will be attended by representatives of the private sector federations from Congo-Brazzaville, Angola and Gambia with an aim to learn best practices. The visiting delegations seek to learn and replicate best practices from the exhibition.