Bulawayo’s first Marketers Suppliers Expo (MASXPO) hosted by Marketers Association of Zimbabwe provided a unique platform for marketers in Bulawayo to showcase their products and services to potential clients. 

The event took place from March 30^th to March 31^st, 2023, at the Bulawayo City Hall Car Park.

MAZ Head Marketing and Operations , Mrs Enia Zimunya said they had about 17 exhibitors that came through from different sectors s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), motoring and media, among others, while was attended by over 40 people who came through for speed networking.

“We are excited that the expo became a success. We have always held this particular event in Harare but this year we decided to bring it for the first time to Bulawayo and we are happy that it was a good start. 

So, our main objective was to provide a platform for networking and exchange of business here in Bulawayo and we were targeting entrepreneurs, business executives, marketing personnel as well as all the related personnel. Our desire being that when they come through they view different exhibitions from suppliers of marketing services,” said Mrs Zimunya.

Mrs Zimunya said they have noticed that a lot of services that came through do not necessarily supply marketing services but have products and services that are relevant to professionals. 

She said the expo came at an opportune time in preparation for the annual Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) to be held this month.

“The reason why we did it in March was so that we give the Bulawayo market an opportunity to see suppliers of marketing services that they can then possibly use as they make their options for ZITF. 

We look forward to having something similar next year and we hope that other service providers and suppliers of marketing and related services will also take part. It then becomes easy for them to get all those suppliers of promotional items, advertising and media houses in one place. It helps in terms of making choices and also selecting which service provider to use,” she said.

Some of the notable organisations that participated in the exhibition included The Legacy Car Rental, Ingwebu, POSB, Click ‘n’ Pay, Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ), Tsapo (FAW), CMED, ABC Auctions, Dandemutande (Utande), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Nissan Clover Leaf and our Media Partners The Chronicle/The Sunday News and Skyz Metro.

The exhibitors displayed their products and services to the attendees, giving them the opportunity to learn more about what they had to offer. 

Population Services Zimbabwe showcased reusable and disposable pads which they offered at a discount at the stand. 

Zimpapers introduced their educational publications, uMthunywa Funda and Kwayedza Dzidza, which assist with the indigenous cala curriculum and Mosi-O-Tunya, a publication that focuses on travel and tourism in Zimbabwe.

Ingwebu was not to be left behind as brought through their Royal Mahewu and Indlovu Traditional Beer.   Apart from showcasing their products, the exhibitors were also given a platform to network with other businesses and potential clients.  

The Business Networking Cocktail wrapped up the two day Expo.The cocktail provided an upbeat atmosphere for attendees to mingle, exchange ideas, and network with each other through speed networking. The key objective of the evening was to ensure that attendees leave having gotten acquainted with all in attendance. 

Overally, the Marketers Suppliers Expo (MAXSPO) was a great opportunity for businesses in Bulawayo to showcase their products and services to potential clients, and the Business Networking Cocktail also created a platform for networking and exchanging ideas between marketers and other businesses, making it a valuable event for all the participants.