‘Home, office exhibition is an extension of housing market’

Home and office equipment exhibition has been described as an extension of the housing market, which needs urgent attention because of the contribution of the sector to the economy.

Wale Osomo, president, Lagos Country Club, who stated this, explained that the housing sector employed a good number of people including architects, civil engineers, carpenters and other site workers, noting that if the sector improves, “exhibitions like this will record higher success rate.”

Osomo spoke as guest of honour at the just concluded annual Home and Office Exhibition organised by PR Distinction in collaboration with NTA Properties in Lagos.

He lamented the inability of mortgage banks to support small and medium scale enterprises in the housing sector, advising however, that exhibitors should explore opportunities offered by the Bank of Industry, which supports such enterprises.

Earlier in her welcome address, Alero Edu, PR Distinction’s head consultant, had charged exhibitors to up their game in order to be able to compete with foreign manufacturers in the highly competitive Nigerian market.

She urged exhibitors to see the fair as a marketing communication tool to create awareness and showcase their products and services to visitors, instead of seeing it as an avenue to make sales.

She commended the exhibitors who have continued to thrive despite harsh economic realities confronting the business sector, especially for small and medium enterprise who strive to stay in competition in a highly competitive environment.

According to her, “the fair which has been in existence since 2000, has remained focused on exploring dividends for our esteemed exhibitors and visitors resulting in greater impact on business interactions and economic well-being of the nation.”

Aina Scott, NTA’s zonal director, NTA Lagos network centre, affirmed that the essence of the fair was to afford medium scale enterprises the opportunity to create awareness for their products and services, and not really an avenue to make sales.

While touring the exhibition stands, Osomo encouraged the exhibitors to take advantage of the exhibition to also network with their contemporaries in the industry, expressing satisfaction with the level of local content on display at the fair.

The exhibition, which has hosted over 200 companies spanning all areas of home and office products and about 5,000 visitors over its 11 years of existence, had in attendance Equinox Resources, Ferminiaro, Henrimoweta African Art, Interieurs, Raumplus, Sandtex Portland Paints, illuminators Millenium Concept, Keep it Clean, Sakr Power Generators, Trackoy and Vava Furniture.

Tumi Adetola of Interieurs, a regular exhibitor at the fair, told BusinessDay that the fair had been a good avenue for marketing and networking over the years, adding that it had also afforded her the opportunity to meet new clients and also interact with existing ones on a better service delivery.

The two-day event created a platform for indigenous home and office interior decorators to showcase their products and services to clients and customers.

ODINAKA MBONU