Compex 2009 riding high against the economic tide

The Nagpur-based IT association Vidarbha Computer Media Dealers Welfare
Association (VCMDWA), which represents the interest of more than 100 resellers,
distributors and dealers, is planning to organize its annual event, Compex 2009,
despite the global gloom and doom scenario. In fact, the association is
confident of receiving a 10 percent increase in participation from exhibitors
and visitors this year from last year.

The four-day exhibition will be the 17th annual event organized by VCMDWA.
“We are all set to start on Jan 9, 2009 on the Ladies Club Lawn at Civil Lines
in Nagpur,” said Arjoo Gupta, Executive Secretary, VCMDWA. “Already 85 percent
of the stalls have been booked. The rest would be signed up in the next few
days,” added Gupta. The assoc­iation expects over one lakh footfalls and this
year, association plans to focus on emerging trends and technologies and plans
to hold seminars on the same on all four days of the event. Commenting on how
VCMDA is plan­ning to attract exhibitors in these turbulent econ­omic times,
Prashant Ugemuge, President, VCMDWA said, “In the last three years we have not
increased rent for our stalls though the oper­ation cost has witnessed upswing.
Even this year we have increased the size of individual space, but rent was
hiked only 10 percent on pavilion stalls meant for big vendors.”

The biggest challenge for VCMDWA will be to attract the exhibitors as well as
generate footfalls. But the foremost question would be whether Compex would help
the exhibitors generate revenue or not?