LECS organises Jaffna Int’l Trade Expo from Jan. 24 to 26
The iconic Jaffna International Trade Fair (JITF) that has been held consistently in the Northern Peninsula for the past 14 years hosting over 300 stalls and thereby strengthening a range of small and medium enterprises island-wide, will once again showcase its 15th edition at the Muttraweli grounds from January 24 to 26.
Organised by Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services (LECS), a renowned exhibition organiser, this international trade event has helped in transforming the northern district into an arena of unparalleled opportunities for businesses, products and services ranging from sustainable energy solutions, construction, consumer products, travel and tourism, food and beverage, packaging, information and communication technology, education, automotive, agriculture, apparel, hospitality, financial services, holistic wellness and healthcare.
The JITF is seen as one of the key brand awareness launch pads which assist new start-ups to obtain exposure and facilitate older companies to mature into more recognition
“The LECS, in association with the CCIY is exceptionally keen to launch its latest edition of the JITF this year as Sri Lanka heralds a new era of political leadership that champions equality and national unity,” Aasim Mukthar, CEO of LECS stated.
The Chief Operating Officer of LECS, Husnie Rauf tracing back the roots of the JITF narrated as follows: “This Jaffna-based event started in 2002 when the peace process between the government and the LTTE was ushered in, where we had 150 companies going in from Colombo. After this initial stage, we could not continue the event because of many constraints, and the Jaffna Trade Fair could re-commence only in 2010, a year after the complete cessation of the conflict.”
“This event was re-themed as the Jaffna International Trade Fair because of the renewed interest in Sri Lanka by the international community in terms of development and rebuilding the country as well as investment and re-introduced in 2010.”
“This trade fair played the role of an icebreaker bridging the North and the South at a time when feelings were still wounded soon after the end of the hostilities. Through this event, the companies from the South were able to garner the confidence to showcase their products in the North and expand their markets.”
“We have had several success stories through this event. For example, there was a lady making Northern sweetmeats, and one of the leading hotels in Sri Lanka came and asked her to supply their hotel with her products. Similarly, there was a soft toy maker and after just two years of participation, he got a collaboration with Canada.”
“For the first ten years of this event, from 2010 to 2020, we have been working with the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce, offering free stalls for small and medium enterprises in Yalpanam. Today, looking back, we are happy that many of the small-scale business ventures are now high-scale in production and market reach,” the LECS COO said.
“We also launched a special CSR initiative in Jaffna, ‘JITF: A Plastic Neutral Event’, aimed at promoting a plastic and polyethylene-free environment. This initiative seeks to reduce plastic waste by fostering a cleaner, more sustainable future. The project will be implemented during the JITF 2025 exhibition with the theme, “Recycle Right, Make an Impact!”
“As part of this initiative, we will establish waste management stations and offer engaging, gamified activities to encourage responsible waste disposal and raise awareness.”
“In addition to collecting waste generated at the event, we invite the public to bring their plastic waste to the exhibition site during the event days, contributing to a greener, more sustainable environment.”
“All collected waste will be properly disposed of for recycling and upcycling purposes. Through this project, we aim to create a meaningful impact and promote a culture of environmental responsibility in our community.”
The platinum sponsor is Diesel & Motor Engineering (DIMO) while the gold sponsors are Adrian Solar Green, Nippon Cement, House of S-Lon while the silver partners include 4rever Skin Naturals, Ceylon Biscuits Limited (Munchee), Deen Brothers Imports Pvt. Ltd. (DBL), Evolution Auto, Ferentino, Maxies, Hayleys Solar, FINE, LH Consortium, Phoenix, Super PVC, Sun Match Company Pvt Ltd (Soorya), Ruhunu Foods, MAK Lubricants Sri Lanka, Rhino, Sola, Ellawala Horticulture Pvt. Ltd (TJC Mango), which is supporting the JIFT with the Silver sponsorship.
The official partners for the event include the Uthayan Publishers, Tilko City Hotel Jaffna, Capital Television and Maha Mini Sound.
The post LECS organises Jaffna Int’l Trade Expo from Jan. 24 to 26 appeared first on DailyNews.