Yiiya Ssente forum to host local exhibitors
Feb 24, 2015
Ugandan entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to exhibit their products during this year’s Yiiya Ssente forum.
By Chris Kiwawulo
Ugandan entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to exhibit their products during this year’s Yiiya Ssente forum organised by Bukedde newspaper.
Vision Group’s chief executive officer Robert Kabushenga yesterday revealed that the forum whose theme “Yiiya ssente, zuula akatale (How to access markets)”, will be a great learning experience for participants.
“Those who would like to be part of the exhibition are welcome. You can contact us so that we can arrange that out,” Kabushenga said yesterday.
He explained that Vision Group shifted this year’s forum from Freedom City to Kololo Airstrip for security reasons, since President Yoweri Museveni will grace the function.
“Given the nature of the Freedom City building, it would mean that all businesses would remain closed that day to allow the President’s security to effectively man the place. So, we shifted the forum to Kololo because we did not want to paralyse people’s businesses,” he explained.
Kabushenga assured participants of security and advised them to come with a notebook and pen to jot down whatever marketing skills they will get from the experienced marketing panellists.
Entrance, he added, will be free. This is the second year that New Vision’s sister paper Bukedde is holding the Yiiya Ssente forum which mainly targets its Luganda-speaking audience.
Dr. Maggie Kigozi
Besides President Museveni, other panellists will include Dr. Maggie Kigozi, one of the Crown Beverages directors and former Uganda Investment Authority executive director as well as Dr. Alhaji Bulaimu Muwanga Kibirige aka BMK, the proprietor of Hotel Africana.
Other panellists will be Samona products proprietor Ssalongo Mukasa Kasawuli, Dr. James Kanyije of KK Fresh Produce Exporters, and Hellen Nandera, the marketing manager of East African Basic Foods.
“I am sure that after this forum, participants will know where to sell their products.
We (Vision Group) are doing purely a public service where we help Ugandans learn how to generate income. In the long-term, it is of benefit to us because when we teach people how to make money, they will use that money to buy our products (newspapers),” observed Kabushenga.
The forum’s co-ordinator, who is also the Bukedde newspaper deputy editor, Michael Ssebbowa, revealed that participants will get an extra package of skills on simple ways of making bar soap. Ssebbowa said Skills Development and Management officials will pass on the skills during the one-day forum that starts at 9:00am on Saturday, February 28.
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