Two Bahamian businessmen are encouraging young entrepreneurs to import products from Columbia rather than bringing them in from Florida.
Co-facilitators of Global Nexus, a newly-formed company, Jeffrey Allen and Charles Kemp III, said they discovered the potential of the Columbian market over a year ago when they traveled to the country to pursue the possibility of forging business ties.
It was an experience the businessmen said they could not keep from the Bahamian market.
“We were given the opportunity to attend the Columbian footwear and leather show in the exciting city of Bogota and in clothing, Columbia Moda, in the beautiful city of Medellin,” Mr. Allen said on Thursday during a press conference at the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce.
“We soon agreed that this was something we could not keep to ourselves, but was something we had to share with Bahamians, in particular, young and aspiring entrepreneurs.”
In that regard the two have partnered with a distributor out of Columbia to stage a trade expo so that Bahamians will be able to view first hand the diversity of products in Columbia.
“We joined with Vafiponce International of Columbia, a seasoned planner/ producer of trade shows out the Caribbean and Latin America to bring such a show to The Bahamas and today we are proud to announce for the first time in The Bahamas Global Discovery Columbia Trade Expo [will] be held here in Nassau Bahamas,” Mr. Allen said.
The distributor out of Columbia, Norma Rodriquez, expressed her gratitude in having the opportunity to display authentic Columbian goods in The Bahamas.
The trade show is scheduled for August 19 through September 4 at The Church of God Auditorium on Joe Farrington Road in New Providence.
The main goals are to expose more Bahamians to the possibilities of buying and trading beyond South Florida and the United States; to expose Bahamians to Columbian products and a more balanced image of the country and its people; and to have the show as a prototype for future shows during which other countries in the region like Brazil, Chile and Argentina would be highlighted.
Columbian products to be featured at the trade show include household products, leather, cleaning products and also Columbian jewelry.
“This is an opportunity for the many entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs out there who might be interested in buying just a few products to sell, or those interested in becoming exclusive distributors for specific Columbian products,” Mr. Allen said.
The organizers are also inviting Bahamian manufacturers and producers of uniquely Bahamian products to come and participate in the show, as reserved booths will be available for that purpose.
“We believe that this can offer valuable exposure for these budding entrepreneurs at a show we expect to be heavily trafficked by diverse sectors of our community,” Mr. Allen added.
Mr. Kemp also indicated that the trade show is not only for New Providence residents, but an invitation is also being extended to businesspersons on the Family Islands.
“This is a good opportunity for businesspersons who were affected by the hurricanes to rebuild their businesses or invest in new services to start a new businesses. This trade show will offer that opportunity to those businesspersons,” he said.
Mr. Kemp also explained the simplicity in having goods from Columbia shipped to the country.
He said by cutting out the middlemen and having the products shipped directly to Grand Bahama and then on to New Providence persons would be able to save rather than taking the route of shipping to Florida and then to The Bahamas.
The businessmen indicated that they have had some discussions with the Ministry of Trade and Industry concerning encouraging imports from Columbia. They claimed the response was very good.
By: Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
