TIC in the News

Trinidad and Tobago's and arguable the Caribbean's largest Trade show the TTMA's Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) will take place from July 8th – 11th, 2015 at the Centre of excellence, Macoya, and TSTT will continue to be a major sponsor. TIC 2015 was launched on Thursday January 22nd at the Courtyard by the Marriot, under the theme — Building Bridges, Connecting the World- builds on a 16-year legacy the TTMA has steadfastly nurtured. This theme is interestingly aligned to the global telecommunications revolution of the 'connectedness of everything' where there are more than 3 billion internet subscriptions around the world today.

Given changes in the global sphere which are set to have local repercussions on our economy, TSTT sees the sponsorship as extremely critical, and the outcome of the Convention as valuable for a continued vibrant economy.

The TIC objective like that of TSTT is predicated upon playing a role in driving diversification and facilitating business transactions of all possible kinds which in the long-run will make Trinidad and Tobago's economy more resilient and capable of withstanding global fluctuations in the energy sector which sustain our economy.

Ronald Walcott, CEO of TSTT addressed the opening ceremony which included, Mr. Norris Herbert, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications, Mr Nicholas Lok Jack, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association, Mr Ramesh Ramdeen, Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association. Mr Courtenay Williams, Member of the Board of the First Citizens Group and Mr Ravi Tewari, Chief Executive Officer of the Guardian Group, the Convention's newest sponsor.

Walcott noted 'TSTT is pleased to have the opportunity to continue its partnership with the TTMA in the Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) and by extension continue our support of one of the key components of the country's commercial engine namely the manufacturing sector'

Walcott also informed the audience that 'This year, TSTT is celebrating twenty-five years of operations – truly a milestone. As a technology leader, TSTT remains keenly focused on the role ICT must play in providing tools to support stakeholders such as the TTMA and events like TIC. We have set aggressive targets for creating stronger local and international communications networks for Trinidad and Tobago, to benefit the lives of citizens and the operations of businesses and state agencies'

TSTT's investments in telecommunications and related technology over the past 25 years and its newly expanded fibre network has positioned the company to create more robust corporate solutions for businesses that include everything from video conferencing to metro Ethernet, International MPLS, Network Solutions from technology giants like Avaya, Juniper and Cisco, IP-PBX Business systems, Google Apps for Business and cloud computing.

Walcott noted that 'In these subtle, but powerful ways TSTT is walking the talk of the theme 'Building bridges. Connecting the world'. We are helping hundreds of thousands of business and residential customers realise their potential, desires and aspirations along with supporting their social agenda. TSTT is keen on supporting the efforts of TIC to continue to grow and expand the local economy by helping local businesses develop and exploit reciprocal opportunities with foreign companies. Like us, the TIC pursues continuous improvement so we are honoured to therefore be your technology partner for TIC 2015 and we congratulate you on the occasion of the 16th anniversary. We are confident that the collective will and abilities of all stakeholders, working together for the good of the country, will ensure the continued success of this trade and business development initiative.'

TTMA President, Nicholas Lok Jack, has declared himself happy with the 2014 Trade and Investment Convention which ended last weekend at the Centre of Excellence at Macoya. The 15th edition of the expo, it opened on July 2 and closed on July 5, 2014. In an interview with Business Day last Friday, the day before the exhibition"s scheduled close, Lok Jack said he had walked the floor talking to the exhibitors and found that many were doing very good business. He said, "I think overall the response is very positive." He said many companies which had been absent for years had decided to return to TIC this year. "For instance Arawak Chicken, they told me they had a very robust show. People were very surprised at the size of the show this year. We had people walking around and selling their wares to other exhibitors – that was very interesting."

He said the TTMA usually polled manufacturers and exhibitors immediately after the TIC to get their ideas on how it could be improved and then they poll them again in another month or two to find out how many of the leads from the show had turned into real business. "We keep tracking that over time to see if business is actually being conducted."

The Division of Finance and Enterprise Development of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), which had been taking part for seven years, returned to TIC with a pavilion comprising 14 exhibitors. Shelly Ann Baptiste, manager of the division"s Business Development Unit, said, "Some of them have had some interesting leads, they are trying to pursue some discussions to get their products into the local and regional markets. We have three in particular who are pursuing leads from the US." She said, "Our function is to facilitate this trade and to take these entrepreneurs to the next level."

Two participants, Just Cool Creations, producers of local fruit juices and Flavour Me Right, which makes bayleaf powder and tambran sauce, came to TIC directly from the Fancy Food Fair in New York.

Baptiste said that among the products which had caught the imagination of attendees at TIC 2014 was the Tobago rum cream and a cassava punch done by Tobago Cassava Products. She said one of the outstanding success stories from the THA"s participation was Ted Arthur, whose Ted Arthur Leather Collections had expanded to the point where he had a store in Trinidad and recently took part in Caribbean Fashion Week where he received rave reviews. Some of his pieces have been presented as gifts to Queen ElizabethII when she visited Trinidad for the official opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference and to US President Barrack Obama and his wife, Michelle, during their visit to the Summit of the Americas.

The designer himself was not at TIC on the day Newsday visited but his wife, Edith Arthur, was on hand showing his leathercraft and telling visitors about his unique skills.

In addition to being one of the sponsors of this year"s TIC, Balroop"s was also an exhibitor and reported that it was hugely successful as the company was able to sensitise visitors about its expansion into a variety of new services, including events management and "live streaming" on the internet.

Anil Marajh, manager of Integrated Systems Limited, a subsidiary, said Balroop"s supplied the power generators; stand-by power systems; the main stage and public address system for TIC as well as scores of television monitors used in public areas and by many of the exhibitors. He said participants were "pleasantly surprised" to learn of the range of new services and subsidiaries formed by the company they had come to know as a provider of audio and video services.

TIC 2014 attracted a sizeable group of manufacturers from the Dominican Republic. Their participation was organised by the Barbados-based Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA), the trade promotion agency of CARIFORUM, which comprises the 14 member countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Dominican Republic. Delegation leader, Espicion Oliveira Gomez, said CEDA hoped to lead a return trade delegation from this country to the Dominican Republic later this year.

He said involvement of the countries from the Dominican Republic at the expo had gone "quite well," adding that this was the biggest trade delegation from that country to come to Trinidad and Tobago. There were three separate booths: one each by two Dominican Republic companies and one mounted by the European Union. "We are not only selling finished goods but also raw materials which will enhance the productivity of companies in Trinidad and Tobago," he said.

Another exhibitor, Hightower Hydraulics Limited, chose the TIC to formally launch HydroLock, an anti-theft device for motor vehicles, invented by its managing director, David Buffong. The company used a demonstration of the system to attract a steady stream of interested persons throughout the trade exhibition. Buffong said it was no surprise that there was so much interest in his invention because everybody these days was concerned about the security of their cars when they parked their vehicle. The company used the opportunity to record the names and contact information of the hundreds of persons who visited the booth.

Buffong said, "These are people who have shown great interest and are willing to have us contact them to arrange installation." He acknowledged that not all would actually do so, "but the type of product that it is, it is something that is obviously in demand."

He said being at TIC 2014 had been a rewarding experience. "Just letting people know and seeing the kind of reaction that people had to it and hearing their comments was an endorsement that I appreciate."

HydroLock is connected to the vehicle"s braking system and is triggered by the driver/owner when he leaves the parked vehicle. When it is engaged the car cannot be moved even if a thief manages to enter the vehicle and start the engine.

Buffong stressed that it does not interfere with the normal functioning of the vehicle"s brakes. Another locking system is also installed to prevent the vehicle"s bonnet from being opened by any unauthorised person.

Buffong said he developed HydroLock several years ago and after installing it on the vehicles of relatives and acquaintances for the last three years and getting rave reviews, he was persuaded by satisfied users to launch it publicly at TIC 2014. Also reporting success was the Trinidad and Tobago/South Florida Chamber of Commerce. President of the chamber, Rafiek Mohammed, a Trinidadian now resident in South Florida, said business had been "very good." He said he and his colleague, David Thompson, managing director of Take Stock, Inc., had made a lot of contacts and hoped they would lead to business deals. "That"s what we are all about," he said. Mohammed said the chamber had attended TIC for the first time and was representing business people in South Florida as well as in Trinidad and Tobago. He said, "I think we have done a lot of interaction here and some of (the leads) look very promising."

State-run Venezuela Exporta programme concluded its trip to T&T with more than US$16.13 million in "business intentions" between Venezuelan and T&T importers, state news agency AVN reported. This was the result of its four days at the Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) 2014 at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.

The sectors that generated the most interest among T&T investors were construction, with US$7.2 million in business planned; packaging, with US$3.2 million; information technology, with US$2.86 million; and health, with US$1.62 million. AVN said the South American country views the strengthening of non-oil relations with T&T as important because this country is a gateway to Barbados and Jamaica.

Venezuela won the best pavilion award at TIC, beating Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Canada and the United States. Venezuelan Trade Minister Dante Rivas was at the opening ceremony and hailed the opportunity as invaluable as it opens a window for Venezuela"s exportable products. Trade Minister Vasant Bharath applauded the participation of the visiting countries and highlighted that Venezuela and T&T have to face the challenge of oil economies trying to grow other sectors.

Venezuela Exporta is a creation of the Foreign Trade Bank of Venezuela, best known by its Spanish acronym, Bancoex. The agency said 40 Venezuelan companies offering over 450 export-quality products were at TIC. Apart from the trade show, participants also benefit from having established channels for direct business meetings. The visit to T&T was part of a programme that began in San Salvador June 25–27, when more than 70 participating Venezuelan companies firmed up US$18.27 million in deals.

Since Venezuela Exporta started on July 8, 2013, in Montevideo, Uruguay, the project has travelled to Guayaquil, Ecuador; Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Bogota, Colombia; Havana, Cuba; and Manaos, Brazil, with US$91 million in intended transactions, AVN said. The next top is Cochabamba, Bolivia from today to July 12.

The 15th Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) 2014 themed "Creating Opportunities, Driving Growth' was officially launched on Monday 20 January, 2014 at the Courtyard by Marriott. Delivering the Feature Address was Senator the Honourable Vasant Bharath Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment and Minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Economy who noted that the "2014 theme speaks to the thrust of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, particularly as it relates to our Trade Policy'. He said that "the Government recognizes that trade is an important driver of economic growth, poverty reduction and development. We are cognizant of the key role that trade policy has and continues to play in diversifying the export base; increasing global trade share; and effectively integrating the economy into the global trading system'.

The Trade Minister disclosed that 'the Ministry of Trade recently completed its Trade Policy for 2013- 2017 with the overarching goal to ensure that the benefits of international trade contribute to the socio-economic development of Trinidad and Tobago. The Policy will expand market access beyond our shores and provide a platform for manufacturers to get their products on the international stage and be exposed to new technologies and new ways of doing business'.

Bharath sought the opportunity to extend an invitation to the El Salvadorian delegation, led by the Vice Minister of the Economy, Mario Roger Hernández to 'get onboard in TIC 2014 and seize the opportunities presented to showcase what El Salvador has to offer to businesses/investors from all over the world'. The Trade Minister also made a call for the private sector to participate in an upcoming Official Visit to the Republic of China being led by the Honourable Prime Minister in the month of February. . This visit he said 'will open new avenues for doing business and allow for the private sector to form business ties and develop trading and diplomatic links with the Chinese'. He reassured the private sector and manufacturers that 'the Trade Ministry stands shoulder to shoulder with you to ensure that the bureaucracy T&T is afflicted with is addressed and sufficient avenues are made available to you to ensure that you not just survive but thrive'.

Mr. Nicholas Lok Jack, President TTMA, in his Address, highlighted relationship development as key in doing business. He said that 'this year at TIC, we intend to have 750 Buyers. We will showcase as many of our local manufacturers as possible and highlight the future of the manufacturing sector'. Mr. Lok Jack joined Senator Bharath in calling on the business community to 'seize the golden opportunity TIC presents to propel their business forward and let the world see what they have to offer'.

Mr. Rakesh Goswami, Executive VP, Enterprise and Government Services, TSTT identified TIC as the single most important trade show in Trinidad and Tobago and even the wider Caribbean. He said that 'Blink Bmobile views TIC as the ideal place for the meeting of minds and business'. Whilst Mr. Larry Nath, Group CEO, First Citizens Bank stated that 'FCB's involvement in TIC as an official sponsor is not accidental but in keeping with its mandate to grow business and investments in Trinidad and Tobago'.

Among the distinguished guests at the Official Launch were His Excellency Mervyn Assam Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Mr Hugh Howard, President, American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Ashmeed Mohamed, Sales Director, KC Confectionery.

TIC 2014 takes place on the 2-5 July, 2014 at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya. Visit www.tic-tt.com for more details.

The Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) is set to return to its home base at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya after being staged for four years at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad hotel in Port-of-Spain.

This year's TIC is its 15th anniversary.

There are other changes to this year's trade show: Anthony Aboud, who had been TIC chairman for the last 14 years, will not be in the picture. Instead the T&T Manufacturers' Association, which is the host of TIC, will be handling the organizing of the show with inhouse staff.

Aboud said he is busy and has more "pressing matters" this year making him unable to take up the position as lead organiser.

"I got involved when I joined the board of the T&T Manufacturers' Association (TTMA), and took what was called manufacturers week and built it into an international trade show. The TIC is still with the TTMA, and it should be no different this year", he told the Business Guardian via phone on Tuesday.

The TIC, a four-day multi-sectoral trade show featuring local, regional and international exhibitors, attracts thousands of local, regional and international buyers. It will be held from July 2-5.

He said although he is not involved in the details of planning the show, the chief executive officer and other officials at the TTMA will be able to put on a solid show because it has now matured.

"I am not intimately involved as I do not have the time. The trade show has got to the point where it is a fully matured product. We have created what people call the "bible" for the show itself. The entire thing now is like a well-run machine. There is a new CEO and president at the TTMA and they want that opportunity to go with it. They wanted me on board, but I told them I have pressing matters. Of course, I am still available to them for advice and guidance."

Aboud said he had a foreign focus when he was chairman, but the present TTMA leadership wants more focus on local manufacturers.

"This tear they felt they want the manufacturers more involved, which I think is a great idea. I might have a more international flavour, but what they are doing is fine.

The TTMA said this year it decided to move the location from the Hyatt to the Centre of Excellence because it wants to increase the number of participants from the 2013 TIC of 120 to 200 in 2014.

Aboud said he heard that the 2014 TIC show will be moved back to the Centre of Excellence in Macoya after a hiatus of four years.

"They felt that they would have a lot more space to work with. But remember we had done this at the Centre of Excellence for about three years. We started off at the Hilton Trinidad Hotel, then we moved to the Centre of Excellence, then to Hyatt, so we are no strangers to there."

"It was very successful at the Centre of Excellence as the facility there is very accommodating and the parking is good. We did not move from there because there was a problem, but because I wanted more foreigners to come in and you need a hotel for an environment like that. There is a hotel there, but nothing like Hyatt or Capital Plaza because all of the hotels benefitted," he said.

Aboud said this year the TTMA may be looking for more "advantageous" prices for the booths.

In 2013, for example, the price to exhibit in a 3m x 3m booth was US$3,300.

"I do not know about the cost this year of the booths. I know they are looking at that and the budget to make it more reasonably priced, although I think it may run around the same thing as previous years. But if they were to come up with prices that are a little more advantageous, that will be better," he said.

Exhibitors who have not collected their packages can do so on Monday 10th June, 2013 from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

The Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) is the best trade and business fair of its kind in the region said Jorge Viñuela, trade attache at the Argentine Embassy in Port-of-Spain.He said so as he announced plans for a large Argentine delegation to attend the 14th annual Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) which takes place in Port-of-Spain in June. The team will be promoting the country's thriving energy and food and beverage sectors to the local and international markets at TIC for the first time this year. The delegation will include one Argentine official and four chief executive officers of the Chamber of Gas and CNG as well as the food and wine industry, and other buyers interested in local products and services. "We chose to bring our business associations not only because the embassy is here but we are convinced this is the country to expand from, to go to the rest of the region. If you can do it here, you can do it in the rest of the Caribbean," Viñuela said during a press conference at the Embassy of Argentina, Tatil Building, Port-of-Spain. Anthony Aboud, chairman of TIC, who also spoke at the media briefing said he is happy that Argentina will have such a "strong presence" at the TIC which takes place from June 12 to 15. Argentina will have seven business organisations present. "Trade must not only be seen as buying and selling, the transfer of technology is also important. Just as an Argentine or another South American company wants to make an investment, we are geographically well positioned and economically viable, so from here they can export to other countries. "We have no shortage of liquidity in T&T or investors. We may have shortages of investment opportunities, so by expanding our show and bringing some of the expertise from around the world, what they do and how they do it may give us opportunities that we may not have thought of which is outside the realm of the typical oil and gas," Aboud said. Aboud wants collaboration between the public and private sectors. "We want to bring in expertise in maritime, food production, and have meetings with the Ministry of Food Production, the Ministry as well as the private sector organisations to talk. Our local manufacturers will have an opportunity to dialogue with the different Argentine business organisations," he said. He added that for the last few years Brazil has had a strong presence at TIC and it is good that the Argentines will also have a strong presence at the event. "This is just an extension of the south to south co-operation," he said.

When the 14th annual Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) opens in June, expect to see a significant presence from Argentina who will be promoting their thriving energy and food and beverage sectors to the local and international markets at the convention for the first time this year. Jorge Viuela, Deputy Head of Mission at the Argentine Embassy in T&T, has confirmed that a delegation from Argentina will arrive in Port-of-Spain for TIC to promote the sectors at their booths and the business education seminars available to TIC exhibitors. The delegation will include one Argentine official and four chief executive officers of the Chamber of Gas and CNG as well as the food and wine industry, and other buyers interested in local products and services. In an effort to promote greater trade relations between Argentina and T&T starting at the TIC, the Embassy will be hosting a press conference later this month. According to officials at the Embassy, the press conference aims to further elaborate on their presence in TIC and will highlight opportunities for local business people to get involved in various other industries such as construction supplies and medical equipment. Argentina is widely recognised as a global leader in the production of CNG conversion kits, and has been in the market since the early development of Compressed Natural Gas. The country is also renowned as the world's fifth biggest wine producer and seventh largest exporter, boasting of the right environmental conditions, the local know-how, new technologies and a deeply-rooted popular wine culture. Anthony Aboud, Executive Chairman of TIC, said: "We are excited by the prospects that this Argentine delegation will bring and are working hand-in-hand with the Embassy to ensure that all parties receive tremendous benefit from their participation." The Trade and Investment Convention will celebrate its 14th Anniversary from June 12-15 this year at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain, and is hosted by the TTMA with lead sponsorship from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, TSTT and First Citizens.

THE annual Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) may be three months away but for the third successive year, booths at the event are "on track" to be sold out long before local, regional and international business persons gather at Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain from June 12 – 15. TIC chairman Anthony Aboud, credited excellent booth sales to a combination of an increase in booth requests from first-time participants and returning exhibitors. "TIC is a dynamic business environment with thousands of buyers and businesses that are very clear on our value proposition," Aboud stated in a release issued by event organisers, the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA). The Argentine Embassy is among the exhibitors set to attend TIC 2013. TTMA said the embassy has indicated its interest in promoting Argentina's energy, food and beverage sectors during the annual trade show. A high level delegation of business persons from the South American nation is also expected in Trinidad during the 14th edition of the convention. TTMA noted the buyer-exhibitor group includes persons from the Dominican Republic and Brazil who will be "offering local and regional businesses opportunities to tap into the Latin American market directly on the trade show floor."

For the third successive year, the TTMA's Trade and Investment Convention is on track for sold out booth space in the lead up to the event! TIC has received steady interest from participants since its launch in November, 2012 and now, three months before the start of the show, only 40 booths are left for sale. Organisers note that this is a clear indication of the high level of demand for opportunities for local and regional manufacturers to promote their goods and other services to qualified buyers.

According to TIC Chairman Anthony Aboud, an increase in requests for booths from first time participants, coupled with demand from returning exhibitors, has driven booth sales. "TIC is a dynamic business environment with thousands of buyers and businesses that are very clear on our value proposition" he explained.

Among the exhibitors participating for the first time in TIC is the Argentine Embassy, which has indicated its interest in promoting its, energy and food and beverage sectors at the trade show. A high level delegation of business persons from Argentina is expected to arrive in Trinidad for TIC in June.

Buyer-exhibitor contingents are also expected from the Dominican Republic and Brazil, offering local and regional businesses opportunities to tap into the Latin American market directly on the tradeshow floor.

To date 38% of total exhibitors represent foreign companies or associations. The conference celebrates its 14th anniversary this year, and takes place from June 12th- 15th at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, Trinidad. TIC is sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, First Citizens and the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago.

For the third successive year, the TTMA's Trade and Investment Convention is on track for sold out booth space in the lead up to the event. TIC has received steady interest from participants since its launch last November, and now, three months before the start of the show, only 40 booths are left for sale. Organisers said this is a clear indication of the high level of demand for opportunities for local and regional manufacturers to promote their goods and other services to qualified buyers. TIC Chairman Anthony Aboud said an increase in requests for booths from first time participants, coupled with demand from returning exhibitors, has driven booth sales. Among the exhibitors participating for the first time in TIC is the Argentine Embassy, which has indicated its interest in promoting its energy and food and beverage sectors at the trade show. A high level delegation of business people from Argentina is expected to arrive in T&T for TIC in June. Buyer-exhibitor contingents are also expected from the Dominican Republic and Brazil, offering local and regional businesses opportunities to tap into the Latin American market directly on the tradeshow floor. The conference celebrates its 14th anniversary this year, and takes place from June 12-15 at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain. TIC is sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, First Citizens and the Telecommunications Services of T&T.

As T&T is now emerging from a difficult period, the Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) 2013 is timely, First Citizens general manager Robin Lewis said during his remarks at Wednesday night's launch of the trade show at the Hyatt. "T&T is now emerging from a difficult period making it necessary to strengthen this country's global trade relations and seek new opportunities, and this is what makes this convention so vital. TIC provides a highly effective forum for those seeking to enter new markets or to source new suppliers," said Lewis. He said the state-owned bank understands the need to seek new opportunities as it opened a representative office in Costa Rica in February. "At that time, the group (First Citizens) felt it was capable of establishing a presence outside of the home market thereby increasing our level of competitiveness as a provider of financial products and services," Lewis said. Attendees at the launch were told to expect 174 booths, special country and sector pavilions, over 600 regionals and international buyers, country missions and large regional distributors, 2,000 local private- and public-sector decision-makers, 800 small business entrepreneurs, 2,000 consumers and exhibits from 100 companies. "TIC has continued to grow despite the downturn in the global economy, and its strength has undoubtedly been bolstered by the economic viability of T&T," Natasha Mustapha-Scott, chief executive of the T&T Manufacturers' Association (TTMA) said. The media kit from the launch said: "In the last 13 years TIC has facilitated an estimated US$450 million in trade deals." In 2012, TIC recorded 23 first-time participants and a 44 per cent increase in overseas participants. The document said 80 per cent of exhibitors from 2012 intend to return in 2013. More than 5,000 persons attended TIC 2012, 641 of whom were international buyers who visited T&T from more than 38 countries. It said TIC has participation from "key markets such as China, Jamaica, Brazil and the Dominican Republic, and exhibits from 25 other countries." TIC forms part of Caribbean Investment Week with the Caribbean Investment Forum occurring two days before TIC. The convention takes place from June 12 to 15, 2013.

The Trade and Investment Convention (TIC), which is hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) is now into its 14th edition and from all reports continues to grow exponentially as it attracts more and more local exhibitors as well as from many foreign countries. Actually, the Trade and Investment Convention is now recognised as the largest and one of the most influential business-to-business events in the Caribbean, which is focussed on networking and trade and has, over the years, brought together hundreds of buyers, manufacturers, service providers and distributors, as well as financial institutions and investors together with regulatory agencies responsible for trade. This multi-sectoral trade show last year attracted 175 booths of which 23 per cent were first timers. Also, international participation jumped to 44 percent of exhibitors and feedback indicates that TIC-2012 was "a very positive experience", with 80 percent of the exhibitors planning to attend again in 2013. A significant fact to be noted is that in 2012 there was a record-breaking 641 international buyers from more than 38 countries. One major achievement of last year's show was the inclusion of TIC as part of Caribbean Investment Week (CIW), which incorporated the Caribbean Investment Forum on the two days immediately preceding the TIC and the same holds good for this year's event, which remains at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain from June 12 through 15 2013. As the years pass by and the TIC gets bigger, it continues to be the catalyst for both big and small business. Since its inception 14 years ago, TIC has generated more than (US)$500 million (TT)$2.9 billion in business transactions. And the boast is that at TIC, the astute business person would find the infrastructure to grow and streamline his/her business. It is an event in which such persons can take advantage of an infrastructure which provides all the most modern facilities to network, to make deals, to confirm orders for goods for import and export and much more. The significant growth of TIC is manifested in the fact that when the TTMA worked on the idea of creating a national trade exposition and boldly decided to organise the event and inaugurate it in 2000, there was an over abundance of optimism, but also a certain measure of caution. However, as if in a millennium legacy, the first ever Trade and Investment Convention was launched on March 13, 2000 with 70 booths, all from local businesses. It was recorded that just 150 persons visited the show.

Approximately US$60 million was transacted during last year's Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA). And, according to TTMA chief executive Ramesh Ramdeen, any international investor who wants to come to Trinidad and Tobago, the week of the 14th annual TIC is the time to be here. TIC is the largest trade show of its kind in the region and brings together "hundreds of manufacturers, service providers, buyers and distributors, financial institutions and investors, and regulatory agencies responsible for trade", he told the Business Express in a recent interview at the TTMA's offices at Barataria. Ramdeen noted that for TIC 2012 between US$50-60 million was transacted over the five-day period, reports indicated. He said this was discounting the details outside the scope the trade show. He said it was difficult to track the success of the convention, noting that people will meet and make deals but will not sign immediately and some people may make deals and not report it. Ramdeen pointed out that the date of TIC 2013, June 12, was meant to dovetail from the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) The CIF takes place on the Monday and Tuesday and the convention is from the Wednesday to the Saturday. "So the entire week we are expecting CEOs, captains of industry, business people from across the region. So if you want to do business in Trinidad and Tobago, in the region, the time to do it is during the period of June 12th to the 15th, for that whole week, and the place to do it is in Trinidad and Tobago at the Hyatt Regency (hotel)," he said. He said there were 8,000 participants last year, more than 5,000 buyers on the floor, including about 650 international buyers. He said the TTMA expected TIC 2013 to have more participants this year and they are hoping for close to 1,000 international buyers. He said more than 80 per cent of the exhibitors from last year indicated they would return this year. He also noted that it had received increased enquiries internationally to participate in the show and they also expected that figure to rise significantly for 2013. TIC has had more than 40 regional and international participants including Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, Argentina and China. Ramdeen said the show has grown significantly since it started in 1999 with 170 to 200 participants to 8,000. He said over the years it has added to the package of investment workshops and seminars on a plethora of issues including energy, non-tariff barriers, trading opportunities, export markets and penetration of the European/Canadian/North American markets. This year, it will have seminars on non-tariff issues, market intelligence, expansion into the European market. It also has a partnership with the Caribbean Export Development Agency. The Ministry of Energy is also scheduled to host workshops and the Ministry of Trade is a long-time partner. He said it had received a lot of accolades from local interests about how the show has evolved, and that right after the show closes every year, they book booths for the following year. "This year we plan to be bigger and better than we were last year," he added. Also present during the interview were event sponsors First Citizens and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT). First Citizens general manager corporate banking unit Brian Woo noted that the show provides a good avenue for business opportunities. He pointed out in order to do business you need a flow of capital and the bank had a strong capital market team with excellent retail products. He added that the bank viewed it as an opportunity to take advantage of the more than 600 entities that could be present. Acting TSTT CEO George Hill noted that TSTT has a plethora of business tools and solutions including a BlackBerry access platform specifically for business.

The fourteenth annual Trade and Investment Convention (TIC), hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA), will be held at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain from June 12th-15th, 2013. One of the largest and most influential business-to-business events in the region, TIC focuses on business networking and trade, and includes a tradeshow, business to business matchmaking, a business education programme and structured networking events. TIC has proven very effective in expanding intra-and extra regional trade, attracting manufacturers, services providers, buyers, distributors, financial institutions and investors. More than 200 companies exhibited products in 175 booths on the multi-sectoral tradeshow floor in 2012. The show generated approximately US$50 million in trade. Organisers say 5,000 pre-qualified local and international buyers from more than 38 countries will attend TIC 2013, while 220 businesses will exhibit. The show will also include mega pavilions showcasing energy, agriculture and tourism, as well as country pavilions from the European Union, Brazil and Costa Rica. The convention which is sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment receives the full support of the Ministry in its mandate to attract quality buyers to Trinidad and Tobago each year to conduct trade, network and create new business opportunities.

The fourteenth annual Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) 2013, hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA), was launched at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain on November 28. TIC 2013 which will take place at the Hyatt Regency from June 12-15, next year has the support of its valued lead sponsors the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) and First Citizens. Speaking at the launch, Senator the Honourable Vasant Bharath, Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment and Minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Economy took the opportunity to emphasise the Trade Ministry's plans to develop emerging sectors such as Maritime, ICT, Creative Industries, Agriculture and Finance. Other notable speakers at the launch included Mr. Robin Lewis, general manager, Retail and Commercial Banking of First Citizens, Mr Ronald Walcott, executive vice-president- b-mobile and Retail Distribution, TSTT, with welcome remarks by Mrs. Natasha Mustapha- Scott, chief executive officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA). Mrs. Mustapha-Scott noted the strengths of TIC 2012 and the expectations for 2013. "TIC 2012 recorded 44 percent participation from overseas exhibitors and the reason for this is clear. They understand that Trinidad and Tobago is a gateway to international business, and a very important bridge between North and South America," she said. "We anticipate that businesses from TT will be out in full force on the tradeshow floor. Our local exhibitors epitomise the forward thinking, fighting spirit that characterises the best of manufacturing and business in this country," she added. TIC is the region's largest business to business tradeshow and brings together exhibitors and local and international buyers to facilitate immediate business transactions on the convention floor. Exhibitors at TIC are given the opportunity to promote their products and services directly to qualified buyers with genuine purchasing power. TIC hosts hundreds of overseas buyers who are seeking new suppliers, goods and services.