HIBAPRESS – Ahmed Al-Musa'id
In a private statement to the newspaper "HIBAPRESS", Muhammad Qaddouri, President of the Chamber of Crafts of the Oriental region, expressed his great pride in the outstanding success achieved by the current edition of the Regional Exhibition of Traditional Crafts in the city of Oujda, and confirmed that the exhibition was not just a commercial platform, but turned into a cultural and economic celebration that moved the development wheel of the entire city.
This statement came on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the exhibition activities, which was distinguished by honoring a group of traditional craftsmen who have done a good job in preserving this authentic heritage, in addition to distributing appreciation certificates to the participants.
Extension of the exhibition in response to the massive public turnout
The head of the Chamber revealed that in view of the record and unexpected turnout from visitors, the Chamber submitted a request to the Wali, may God protect him, on the Oriental region to extend the life of the exhibition, saying, "The Wali, thankfully, understood the desire and thirst of the residents for this edition, especially with the coincidence of Saturday and Sunday, and approved the extension until the evening of tomorrow, Sunday, and we also extend our thanks to the security men, the auxiliary forces, and the hidden soldiers who worked to secure this extension."
Record numbers: 6 million dirhams in sales and visitors exceeded expectations by 4 times
In the language of numbers, Qaddouri confirmed that the exhibition achieved an exceptional leap that exceeded all estimations and predictive studies of the organizing committee, as the number of visitors reached about 48 thousand, where the expected number (12 thousand visitors) doubled, as the halls witnessed a flow from different neighborhoods of Oujda and from outside it, while the volume of sales The initial expectations indicated sales ranging between 500 and 600 thousand dirhams per day, but the number doubled significantly to reach the total value of sales inside the exhibition to about 6 million dirhams (600 million centimes) during 11 days, and created a dynamic economic movement where the exhibition contributed to creating a great boom in the city, which was reflected positively on hotels, cafes, restaurants, and means of transportation.
Continuous training and parallel activities
The exhibition was not limited to displaying products, but was distinguished by organizing training days for exhibitors with the support of key partners such as (Attijariwafa Bank – Dar Al-Muqawil, Barid Bank, and the Regional Directorate for the Development of Cooperatives), in addition to specialized courses in the Zellige sector to raise the quality of production, and every evening witnessed the presentation of folkloric performances presented by more than 5 to 6 local bands to quench the thirst of the residents and visitors.
A thank you to the partners and the media… and a promise of a larger upcoming edition
The head of the Chamber used the occasion to extend his sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to this pioneering success: The press and the media: for their great role in marketing the exhibition and conveying its image inside and outside the country; Officials and elected councils: the Wali of the region, the President of the Oriental region (who provided mechanisms for preparing the arena), the President of the Municipal Council, and the regional councils; The Regional Academy for Education and Training: represented by the director who opened the shelter centers to receive exhibitors coming from outside the region; The security services: the Wali of Security, security men, the auxiliary forces, and civil protection for the well-organized organization.
At the end of his statement to "HIBAPRESS", Muhammad Qaddouri set a renewed date with the residents in the next edition, promising that it would be better and bigger, concluding his words "We promise the residents of Oujda and the Oriental region that the next edition will be bigger, and we will work to expand the tent to reach an area of between 4,000 and 5,000 square meters, to accommodate between 200 and 250 exhibitors, with the presentation of more diverse and quality products."
