Jaffna International Trade Fair 2020 opens on 24 January

The Jaffna International Trade Fair 2020, known to be the biggest and only one of its kind events in the Northern Province open to the general public from the north-east and other parts of the country, will be held to coincide with the Thai Pongal Festival on 24 – 26 January at the Muttraweli grounds in Jaffna.

An annual event since 2010, the Jaffna International Trade Fair features trade stalls, live evening musical shows, an amusement park with a children’s play area, a hawker-style food court and a range of seminars and workshops.

The very first Jaffna International Trade Fair was launched in 2002, during the ceasefire of a three-decade war in the northern region, as a mechanism to develop and upgrade its trade functions. The first exhibition was held amidst many challenges such as checkpoints, lack of accommodation facilities and limited resources.

After the war ended, the second exhibition was held in 2010 and has been an annual event ever since. The International Trade Fair serves as a platform to bring together southern and international entrepreneurs and traders to meet and engage with their northern counterparts.

Jaffna International Trade Fair 2020 is organised for the 11th consecutive time by Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services Ltd. (LECS) in association with the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlpanam (CCIY) with the support of the Jaffna Municipal Council, International Business Council, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Consulate General of India in Jaffna.

Features of the event

The Jaffna Trade Fair is the great platform for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs to introduce their products and for global trends to be introduced to the northern region of Sri Lanka. This year it is set to see crowds exceeding 65,000 with 300 stalls at the venue by various suppliers.

The event is known to be a multi-trade affair, featuring agriculture, hospitality, education, fashion and food industries. Nearly all northern hotels usually claim full occupancy and other services such as transport and logistics also see a rapid growth during the period.

The organisers, commenting on its unprecedented growth, noted that the number of stalls have tripled within the last decade. They also reiterated that the communities and SMEs are strong believers in the tangible growth of numerous sectors and the opportunities the Fair has created over the years.

Speaking at the press conference held to announce the launch and theme of this year’s Trade Fair, organisers noted that the exhibition is also a brilliant opportunity to introduce many value-added products from Jaffna to the international market, especially the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Switzerland, through the through Export Development Board. 

The Platinum Sponsor for the event this year is Insee Cement, a proud participant of the Fair for over a decade. Insee Cement took part as an exhibitor for the first time in 2016 and in 2018 managed to secure their title as Official Sponsor and Construction Solution Partner. 

Ruhunu Foods, who came on board as an exhibitor in the SME category from 2015 – 2017, will this year be the Official Food Partner for the event. The Official Telecommunication Partner is Mobitel Ltd., having been part of the event for since its inauguration.

This year’s Official Footwear Partner DSI first took part in the Jaffna International Trade Fair as an exhibitor in 2014 and became the Official Footwear Partner for the first time in 2017. British Cosmetics, who joined the exhibition in 2014 and participated in every consecutive year thereafter, is the Official Cosmetics Partner. Furthermore, Dimo Group, the Main Sponsor from 2010 – 2014 will be the Official Power Tool Partner for 2019/20. 

For more information regarding the Jaffna International Trade Fair 2020, please contact [email protected] or 077-3959835.