The recently concluded 26th edition of Ramadan & Eid Fair at Expo Centre Sharjah registered nearly 90,000 footfalls in 25 days, said organisers.

During most weekends and towards the end of the Ramadan, the halls were almost packed to their brim with mostly families, consisting of residents from Sharjah, other emirates and tourists, added Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, director-general, Expo Centre Sharjah.

“In the region, Ramadan is the strongest trading period for several retail segments like household items, food products, fashion and gifting solutions... be it summer or winter. Couple that with our aggressive marketing and promotional activities across target markets, every Ramadan & Eid Fair gets better with impressive rise in exhibitor and visitor numbers,” he said.

During Ramadan, hotels and hotel apartments in Sharjah and other emirates had offered attractive rates and packages, which resulted in attracting visitors from other GCC countries. This in turn boosted visitor turnout at the fair, Al Midfa pointed out.

“Sharjah’s unique appeal as the family destination of the Arab World did wonders in attracting visitors from GCC countries and other Arab states. We also had some bulk buyers from Oman,” said a representative of a local retailer who took part in the fair.

The visitor turnout was also boosted by people who decided to spend more time with their family and friends.

“It is pretty difficult to move around in regular shopping outlets along with the entire family... but that was possible at Expo Centre. We did brisk business because we managed to encourage more visitors to spend longer time in our stall and convert their enquiries and requirements into actual sales,” said another exhibitor.

“A host of entertainment activities held alongside the show also ensured that the little ones in the family too were not disappointed,” he said.

Exhibitors also reported having large number of people escaping from the summer heat and looking for a pleasant climate to spend their evenings together, which was also converted into spending in the stalls what with the attractive offers and bargain deals on a range of products.

Other highlights of the show included the heritage village, free health checkup, cooking & makeup demos, food court, Arabic and Turkish dances to entertain all during the weekends and on Eid days, workshops for children and special characters like jugglers, Magic shows, face painting, balloon twisting etc.

Besides, while many regular exhibitors have already booked their space for the next edition, several new participants have also shown keen interest in make their presence felt next year too, through bigger space and better location within the exhibition hall.

The Ramadan & Eid Fair was a key component of the Sharjah Ramadan Festival, and was organised by Expo Centre Sharjah in association with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. – TradeArabia News Service