‘CHRISTMAS IN July’ will be bigger and better this year as the trade show celebrates its 10th anniversary. The two-day event will be held at the National Arena from Thursday, July 11 to Friday, July 12, providing a larger venue to accommodate the growing interest and participation. The show will open at 9 a.
m. each day and will include an opening ceremony on day one, with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett delivering the keynote address. Director of Tourism Linkages Network Carolyn McDonald Riley said that to commemorate this milestone anniversary, the team is going all out to showcase the variety of products from local manufacturers and artisans.
“It is a bigger venue. We had a whopping 422 applications that we received through the open-call process and 205 were selected to display at the trade show – half of them new, and half repeat (exhibitors). As a matter of fact, we have 106 new participants that would have made it, and we have 99 repeat applicants,” said McDonald Riley.
On display will be several products in the categories of desktop solutions, spa and aromatherapy, décor, clothing, fine art, jewellery, souvenirs, food, and products created from organic and natural fibres. McDonald Riley pointed out that with the increased number of exhibitors, there will be plenty to see and do, noting that with school being out for the summer “we anticipate a lot of traffic”. A highlight of this year’s trade show will be the much-anticipated fashion shows held on bot.