1. A
BIGGER and better Show is planned during 2016. The 106th edition of
the annual Harare Agricultural Show (HAS) shall be held from 22 to 27
August 2016. Deriving from the ZAS strategy to nurture a deliberately
developmental Society, the new management team at ZAS has made
various changes to enhance the appeal of the HAS 2016 to both exhibitors and
show goers. For exhibitors we have specifically planned.
Speaking on behalf of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society, Head of Sales and
Marketing Cynthia Tapera cited that among the key variations to the forthcoming
Show are the focused group business to business discussions and business to
public discussion series during the Show week (e.g. on tomato, mushrooms,
piggery production), and the Annual National Agribusiness Conference, all
aimed at discussing challenges facing agriculture, commerce, industry and the
economy in general. We need to act boldly, urgently, collectively and decisively,
guided by ZIMASSET, to reverse the continued oscillation of our economy
towards an informal economy. This is our challenge and obligation.
2016 ZAS theme: Climate resilience: the new agricultural frontier
Some aspects and impacts of global warming and climate change have gained
increasingly deserved attention and have become more prominent in national
discussions. The issues of climate resilience have emerged as necessary and
survival rallying points of convergence by many since the 1990s. Considering
the global implications of the impacts induced by climate change, climate
resilience has become a critical concept that scientific institutions, policymakers,
governments, and local and international organisations have begun to rally
around as a framework for designing the begnin solutions that will be needed to
address the effects of global warming.
With the rising awareness of climate change impacts by both national and
international bodies, building climate resilience has become a major goal for
these institutions. The key focus of climate resilience efforts is to address the
vulnerability that communities, states, and countries currently face from the
environmental consequences of climate change. Currently, climate resilience
efforts encompass social, economic, technological, and political strategies that
are being implemented at all scales of society. From local community action to
global treaties, addressing climate resilience has become a priority, although it
could be reasonably argued that a significant amount of the theory has yet to
be translated into practice.
Building climate resilience systems is highly complex and requires a
comprehensive undertaking that involves an eclectic array of actors and agents:
individuals, community organizations, micro political bodies, corporations,
governments at local, state, and national levels as well as international
organizations. In essence, actions that bolster climate resilience will indubitably
enhance the adaptive capacity of social, industrial, and environmental
infrastructures and mitigate the effects of climate change. Thus like all issues
with a global impact, individual and collective efforts are required to ensure that
there is additivity and synergy to compound our efforts and impacts because,
when everything is connected everything is vulnerable. Our success shall be the
true testament of assiduous and painstaking efforts by all. We need to act now.
Annual National Agribusiness Conference
The Annual National Agribusiness Conference (ANAC) organized jointly with the
National Economic Consultative Forum (NECF), and now in its fourth year will be
held on 24 August at the Andy Millar Hall, under the theme “Climate resilience:
the new agricultural frontier”. The alignment of the ANAC and Show themes
aims to exhaustively discuss, synthesize and distill pragmatic and relevant ideas
from the theme for immediate implementation during the forthcoming summer
season.
Focused discussions
Concurrent with this effort, the ZAS has also been organizing sub-theme
seminars as a build up to the ANAC to further broaden and deepen dialogue
in pursuit of the wider cause of agricultural development. Specifically, the
“Produce Zimbabwe: Feed Zimbabwe” discussion and Expo scheduled for 18
May 2016, will be a forerunner and precursor to this year’s ANAC.
Exhibitors cocktail
Thecocktailpresentsexhibitorsopportunitiesforbusinessandsocialnetworking.
Tapera empasised that the 2016 exhibitors’ cocktail provides an elegant venue
to making new business contacts and forging new fiscal relationships. In the
world of business, networking is everything.
Exhibitor training workshop
The ZAS Exhibitor training workshop provides presentations covering topics from
marketing, customer relationships, booth design, social media, lead tracking,
and more! Everything exhibitors need to help them with their Show planning
process. “Whether you are a Show first-timer or you have been doing this for
years, lessons learned from the training workshop will set you up for a successful
show experience!” Tapera said. “The workshop also focuses on providing tips
for your stand staff for use to maximize their personal performance on your
exhibition stand.”
Generational catchment
One of the most unique attributes of the Harare Show is the ability to present any
exhibitor with a distinct opportunity to reach out to at least three generations
of Zimbabweans and regional visitors at the same time, a feat no other event
can achieve. “We are convinced that this generational catchment of current and
potential customers is important for business, non-state actors and government
departments. No business to business expo or event can have a generational
catchment effect like the Harare Show.”
Youth festival
The Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) in partnership with Zimbabwe Agricultural
Society (ZAS) will be hosting the Inaugural Youth Festival as a build up to this
year’s edition of Harare Agriculture Show.
The Youth festival is two and half days set aside by ZYC and ZAS to showcase
and appreciate youth activities in Zimbabwe. It allows for increased recognition
of youth as key agents for social change, economic growth and sustainable
development in all facets of the Zimbabwean society. It is an occasion to
celebrate the youth of Zimbabwe, and an opportunity to contribute and channel
youth motivation, energy and creativity towards inclusive and participatory
national development.
Theme song
“The Harare Agricultural Show theme song, Back to the show, is a track adopted
officially by the ZAS to be the flagship anthem for this year’s show to be used as
warm-up to the annual event, to accompany the entertainment and activities
during the event and as a souvenir reminder of the Show brand as well as for
advertising campaigns leading for the Show”, highlighted Tapera.
“Back to the show” is a song recorded by Rockford Gold and dancehall artist
Dobba Don and also features guest vocals from Afro fusion singer Mel B. It is the
official song of the 2016 Harare Agricultural Show.
Road show
Mobility is the new media. ZAS will again this year be taking esteemed exhibitors
right where their customers are! The road show operates a truly revolutionary
multi-media advertising vehicle whose sole purpose is to deliver exhibitors’
advertising messages and promote their brands directly to those who matter
most. “No one else can promote your company, your brand, your product or
your services like Roadshow. Just like your customers, we are always on the
move. Don’t get caught standing still.”
Show run
The ZAS, has built this event to become one of the major highlights for the
Agricultural Show. The show run highlights the importance of activity to physical
well-being, and demonstrates the positive impact on the community around
which ZAS operates and beyond. It really is an excellent opportunity to get the
community together.
With meticulous planning, participation at the Harare Agricultural Show
can indeed be a worthwhile investment, as this provides a unique and periodic
window of opportunity to highlight a company’s products and services, gauges
market perceptions and trends, engaging in business discussions and building
relationships and while e-learning useful insights into future business and
product trends.
We look forward to seeing the business, the public, the various arms of
government and non-state actors at the forthcoming Harare Agricultural Show
whose preparations have just gone another gear up.
ZAS enhances the appeal
of the 2016 Agric Show
ZAS head of sales and marketing, Cybthia TaperaChildren enjoy themselves on one of the rides at the Harare Agricultural Show.