Some exhibitors to showcase their business prowess in the soon-to-start Yaounde International Trade Exhibition, Promote 2011, have begun occupying their stands in the exhibition village at the Yaounde Conference Centre. During a sojourn to the site yesterday November 29, Cameroon Tribune observed that work was still going on in some stands, while others were already occupied, at least with chairs and tables.

The stands already occupied are mostly found in the courtyard of the Conference Centre. These are the likes of Allianz, 2L Technologies, Agence Wallone a L’exportation, South African High Commission and Orange Cameroun. These stands were already well carpeted and chairs either already set or about to. Some of the already occupied stands were covered to ward off dust that may be coming from the cleaning and mounting of other stands. In a chat with Cameroon Tribune in the stand of Orange Cameroon, officials said they will use the one week event (December 3 – 11) to present to the world what the company is capable of doing. According to one of the officials, Eric Grelat, their stands will have all their produce to prove to the world that the company is evolving on its produce. He noted that it will also be an opportunity to “understand our customers, know their problems and their expectations vis-à-vis our products.”

In the Orange like other stands, the produce to be displayed were yet to be displaced from the shops and companies. But the design of the stands and the seriousness with which exhibitors entered and left the exhibition village was telling of what awaits the over 120,000 visitors expected to go up and down the stands.

Other stands like African Agency of International Trade, African Investigation Agency, First Investment for Financial Assistance, Association Generale des Intervenant Retraites, Textile-Confection du Cameroun, Unik Distribution, Centrale d’operations Maritimes and Agence Française Developpement, among others, were set to receive exhibition products. Lighting is not a problem as all the already complete stands this reporter visited yesterday were already lit. Some stands were still receiving finishing touches as cutting and nailing were still going on in others.

Away from stands, the secretariat was full of activity with exhibitors coming in great numbers to ascertain if all was set in their stands. Job seekers were not left out as scores of them moved from one stand to the order asking if their services were needed as hostesses during exhibition. The event promises to be full of spectacle. The D-day, December 3, is just around the corner.