2nd SME expo launched

THE 2nd Ghana Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) expo and conference, dubbed Business Sense 2012 which is slated from May 31 to June 2 at the Accra International Conference Centre has been launched in Accra.
The 3- day event which is on the theme “Growing Sustainable Enterprises through Finance and Technology” is aimed at strengthening small businesses in Ghana and is expected to attract over 50 exhibitors, 100 conference delegates and 3,000 business- focused visitors to the conference.
Business Sense 2012 seeks to promote and enhance business growth and creation in Ghana, to enable Ghanaian entrepreneurs to learn from each other thereby leading to greater business successes and also provide a platform for suppliers to sell their services to established businesses and start-up businesses.
Addressing the media at the launch, the Event Director of OML, organisers of the conference, Mr Paul Asinor explained that this year’s theme aptly captured the direction of Business Sense 2012 with the prime focus on financing SMEs and the use of modern technology.
“A special SME Finance Day has therefore been set aside during Business Sense 2012 to allow practical presentations and panel discussions from banks, venture capitalists, local and international institutions which finance and understand the small business sector,” he said.
According to him, participating SMEs at the conference will be informed on to how to access capital from these institutions and the requirement needed to do that.
He added that with the massive growth of adoption of technology globally there is the need for Ghanaian SMEs to be part of this drive adding that “the drive for mobility is part of the business technology agenda for most companies today.”
“Business Sense 2012 will change the way SMEs do their business and delegates will learn about the ways mobile technology can be used to increase their productivity, make their team more efficient, more creative and lead to increased profitability,” he said.
Also running alongside the conference is the business expo which will give companies the opportunity to showcase their latest services and products to a highly- qualified business audience, network with key business decision makers in order to generate new business leads.
Speakers at the conference include the Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hanna Tetteh, Deputy Managing Director, Ghana Stock Exchange, Mr Ekow Afedzie, Country Director of Enablis, Madam Shika Acolatse, Programme Manager, Score- an ILO supported project supporting SMEs, Kwamina Amoasi Andoh, and a lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, Dr Daniel Quaye and many more.