Another Opportunity For Budding Designers

Trade shows generally,
are designed to let entrepreneurs meet many potential customers one-on-one in a brief period of time at a lesser cost. It helps level the playing field for smaller firms. With creative marketing and booth design, small business no doubt can actually appear as substantial as much larger ones.
The fact that trade shows generally take place at a single location and have short runs, which is usually within three days or their about, and brings together thousands of exhibitors and potential customers, in no mean measure, makes it a very powerful marketing medium.
Entrepreneurs, who have tasted the grains of trade shows, always exploit every bit of it as a platform for introducing new products that would have ordinarily cost them a whooping sum to do.
Notable entrepreneurs would tell you that they personally met and are still meeting most of their important clients and suppliers through this marketing medium, making shows a good way to establish and reinforce relationships. Come to think of it, generating sales leads should be the most common reason for any participation even though actual sales at the show may not be ruled out.
When it comes to enhancing one’s image and visibility, the importance of trade shows can never be overemphasized. Establishing a presence in the market-place, no doubt, brings you closer to specific audience that you ordinarily would not have met in a hurry and who knows who holds the key to the expansion of you business?
Two months away from now, Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, will be agog with immigrants from far and near to grace the second edition of Port Harcourt International Fashion Fair. What that means  is that emerging designers most especially, will have an opportunity to showcase their potentials to the world.
An assemblage of top designers and models across Africa to celebrate the totality of African Fashion, the Native and Vogue Port Harcourt International Fashion Week is designed as a dual platform to groom emerging designers as well as showcase established ones so as to drive and grow the local fashion industry into sustainable globally competitive brands. On a wider perspective, this will serve as a medium to further develop and influence tourism.
As more African designers now infuse Afrtican inspired themes and fabrics into their designs, the local fashion industry, no doubt, stands the chance of tremendous expansion, making it a highly exportable sector. Invariably impacting on the National GDP.
For me, I see a fertile springboard for budding designers to hone their skills in the business of fashion and style. The creation of “Face of Native and Vogue” and the “Young Designers”.  Competition, provides a definitive forum to encourage, inspire and strengthen burgeoning designers through mentorship initiatives.
With entries judged based on originality, creativity and uniqueness in style, the winner of  “Face of Native and  Vogue” receives a cash prize, while the winner of the “Young Designers Competition” gets a scholarship to attend an international fashion school. This, I think, is not just to inspire budding designers, but also to empower young people.
This is probably why the Rivers State Government, is the principal sponsor of this initiative. Its commitment to fashion as a youth empowerment platform, that equally promotes culture and community while positively improving the nation’s economy, has no doubt endeared it to this all-commendable initiative.
It is no gainsaying the fact that the presence and involvement of the Rivers State Government into this show, gives potential participants an added advantage that must not be toyed with.
This is so because you can be sure of the attraction of prominent VIP attendees and no doubt, as a partner, you enjoy access and brand exposure to vital decision makers, even as your brands have the privilege of publicity through the integrated marketing campaigns nad the showcasing of the event on media platforms.
Serious entrepreneurs would always crave for opportunities as this because it is like raking in more profit at lesser cost. Its gains are enormous, hence, worth exploring. For young designers in Rivers State, I think it is another opportunity to re-valuate reasons for being in business while grapping another chance to break even and soar to greater heights.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi