As this year’s Rwanda international trade fair starts in less than two weeks, it has emerged that the trade show has acquired big sponsorship deals from local and regional companies.

According to the expo coordinator, Jean de Dieu Hakizimana, the deals are in three categories that is platinum, gold and silver.

"The platinum category is worth Rwf25 m, gold is Rwf15 M while the silver category is Rwf5 M,” said Hakizimana.
 He also said that corporate companies that have provided sponsorship in platinum category include MTN, Rwanda Development Board, Kigali City Council, and Rwanda Revenue Authority among others. 

The gold category has been financed by the Social Security Fund of Rwanda, Rwandatel, Nyirangarama, Bralirwa, and East African Breweries among others.

While the silver category was sponsored by bank populaire, bank of Kigali, Kenya commercial bank, madhivan group, RwandAir, tigo, and skol beer among others.

"This sponsorship will help us in the preparations of the whole event such as in the marketing, acquisition of logistics and importing of partitions which we get from Tanzania,” added Hakizimana.

The exhibition that will start from August 26 to September 6, 2010 seeks to attract 200 foreign exhibitors compared to 117 that attended last year and increase countries represented in 2009 from 11 to 25 this year.

The exhibiting sectors will include manufacturing, service, art and craft, agribusiness fruits and beverage as well as entertainment among others.

Exhibition space will cost $100 and $1350 per square meter and 9 square meters respectively for foreign exhibitors while the local companies will have to pay Rwf40, 500 per square meter and Rwf450, 000 per 9 square meters.

"This year’s participation will be higher than last year as the number of foreign countries that have confirmed participation is more and the mobilization campaign has been intensified,” said Hakizimana.

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