SMEs to benefit from business exhibition
Left to right: Ms Susan Nambi, a trainer at BNI Uganda; Ms Zoe Kizza, a registration officer at URSB; Ms Diana Ninsiima Kibuuka, the national director of BNI Uganda and, Mr Aaron Akampa, the SMEs manager at Stanbic Bank, at a press conference in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO | ROGERS MAGALA
What you need to know:
- The expo aims at creating new opportunities and strengthening business connections for small and medium-sized enterprises.
- The expo is slated for May 31 to June 1, at UMA Show Grounds at Lugogo in Kampala, where more than 350 members of BNI will be exhibiting.
The business community in Uganda is set to benefit from the Business Network International (BNI) Expo 2024.
The expo aims at creating new opportunities and strengthening business connections for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The expo is slated for May 31 to June 1, at UMA Show Grounds at Lugogo in Kampala, where more than 350 members of BNI will be exhibiting.
The event will be open to the general public at a fee of Shs10,000.
Ms Diana Ninsiima Kibuuka, the National Director of BNI Uganda, told this publication in an interview yesterday that the exhibition is designed to catalyse business growth and innovation to align it with this year’s theme, “Connecting businesses, creating opportunities.”
“This expo will serve as a platform to deepen business connections, exchange knowledge, and spotlight one’s business offerings,” she said.
“It’s an environment for learning, connecting, and encouraging BNI members and the business community to engage in dialogue and exchange that spurs innovation and professional development,” she added.
Monitor Publications Limited is one of the sponsors of the event, which will be the first business exposition organised in Uganda in its nine years of existence.
The event intends to bring together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals from Europe, Asia, and the rest of Africa. It promises to offer a dynamic platform for networking, collaboration, and creating strategic partnerships.
Ms Susan Nambi, a team member of BNI, said the business expo will help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to create partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders in the business world.
She added that the expo will also focus on helping businesses with compliance and regulatory challenges.
In this regard, BNI has partnered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) to equip business owners with knowledge on formalising their businesses.
Ms Zoe Kizza, a registration officer at URSB, said many businesses in Uganda operate informally with no sustainable plan of survival.
“Very many businesses do not survive to see their first anniversary because of the mistakes their proprietors make and this is why we will take part in the expo,” she said.
Mr Aaron Akampa, the manager in-charge of SMEs at Stanbic Bank, said they are glad to be partnering with BNI after a successful global convention that was held in Kampala in September last year.
“I encourage the general public to participate in this business expo because it will empower them with the necessary skills to grow their businesses into strong enterprises. As a bank, we assure you that we have the money for all those businesses that meet the standards for financing,” he said.
BNI is part of a global business networking organisation providing a structured and supportive system.
It enables members to develop personal relationships with dozens of qualified business professionals. It has been in operation in Uganda for nine years.
