WINDHOEK – The Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service Erastus Uutoni yesterday assured Namibians that the upcoming Namibia Annual Sports Expo (Nase) will mark a massive turning point in the affairs of the country’s sporting fraternity.
Speaking at yesterday’s press conference at a local hotel in the capital, where modalities around boxer Mikka Shonena’s upcoming fight against Chinese opponent Youli Dong were announced, Uutoni took the opportunity to again emphasise the economic and social importance of the expo.
He said once the expo gets underway from September 4-7 at the Hage Geingob Stadium, Namibians will witness an atmosphere of national elation never witnessed before and corporates, federations and all attendees will be presented with a one-off opportunity to link their businesses and services to the rest of the world.
“After the Shonena fight next month [in Ongwediva on August 25], all Namibians will flock to the Hage Geingob Stadium to witness the country’s first ever sports expo. It is an important national occasion and I want to see all Namibians in attendance. We should support our own and help grow our own and this expo provides the opportunity to support and buy Namibian goods and services. Boxers, footballers and all sport codes, I want to see our athletes and their federations at the expo because it is going to be big. I want all Namibians to make it bigger and better as it will be our first ever sport expo,” said an upbeat Uutoni.
Just last month, the Namibia Sports Commission announced the opening of registration dates for would-be exhibitors at the expo, which saw registration open on June 4 and to run until July 31. A late registration gracing period has also been provisioned for exhibitors who might have difficulties registering early, and the late exhibition registration period runs from August 1-31.
Exhibitors that will be part of the expo will also see their company logos featuring in the Nase conference and also on the Nase website during the expo for an extended period. More importantly, the organisers said, companies showcasing their products and services at the expo will receive maximum exposure and their brands will get connected with continental and international mega brands.
For the various stall prices, Namibian companies will pay N$3,900 for an indoor 3×3 exhibition stall in the Main Exhibition Hall and N$7,800 for a 3×6 exhibition stall also in the Main Exhibition Hall.
Local fitness and wellness companies will be charged N$2, 000 for an outdoor 4×4 exhibition stall and N$1,600 for local sports federations exhibiting at outdoor 4×4 exhibition stalls. Food stalls (3×3) go for N$3,400.
South African Development Community (Sadc) companies and federations participating in the expo have also been allocated special price slots for their various products and services.
For an indoor 3×3 exhibition stall in the Main Exhibition Hall, Sadc visitors will pay N$4,500 and N$9,000 for a 3×6 exhibition stall also in the Main Exhibition Hall. For an outdoor 4×4 exhibition stall, Sadc fitness and wellness companies will pay N$2,500 and N$2,000 for sports federations exhibiting at outdoor 4×4 exhibition stalls. Sadc visitors will be charged N$4,000 for 3×3 food stalls
For international exhibitors, 3×3 exhibition stalls in the Main Exhibition Hall go for N$5,000 and a 3×6 exhibition stall for N$10,000 in the Main Exhibition Hall.
International fitness and wellness exhibitors will pay N$2,900 for an outdoor 4×4 exhibition stall and N$2,400 will be charged international federations showcasing at outdoor 4×4 exhibition stands. An amount of N$4,500 for food stalls will be charged to international exhibitors.
The organisers have however cautioned that the abovementioned prices are valid for early birds only, as late applications will be charged 15% higher. Final payments are due on or before July 31, thereafter a 10% charge will be added to the initial invoice.