For the last few years, some of the industry associations here are organising not only industrial trade fairs but also trade events for the public.
The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, has been organising chamber show for almost a decade now and Coimbatore District Small Industry Association has been conducting Coimbatore Shopping Festival for the last two years.
These are opportunities for local retailers, dealers and manufacturers of consumer goods to launch new products, build their brand, expand network and also register additional sales. Consumers get to shop almost all their needs under one roof, know about the products available in the city and purchase at special offers.
For the associations, it is a platform to connect with the public as most of the events they organise for specific industries or related to industrial issues.
D. Nandakumar, president of the chamber here said, Chamber Show was started about a decade ago when the local economy was dull. “We wanted to have an event to connect to the public,” he says. Now, the number of such consumer shows has increased and the Chamber plans to go in for concept-based exhibitions and organise concurrent events also in the same theme.
According to Codissia President E.K. Ponnusamy, traders and small-scale product makers need a platform to market the goods directly to consumers. Their profit margin is low and they hence they might not be able to spend much on marketing. They also need to have the exposure of participating in a trade fair. The Coimbatore Shopping Festival provides this opportunity.
