Nicole Solano
The Belize Tourism Association’s Annual Belize Tourism Expo is fast approaching and this year, despite the gloomy economic times, it is described as a promising event. The event runs from June twenty-third to the twenty-seventh and today there was an orientation to prepare the local suppliers for their meeting next week with their international counterparts. News Five spoke today with Nicole Solano of Idea Lab, which was hired to organize the event.
Nicole Solano, General Manager, Idea Lab
“The format has changed a little bit this year. Basically the objective is to bring those suppliers and buyers to conduct business. So BETEX is a business to business event. Where what we have things year going on is that there are three main market place venues. We have one in San Pedro, on in san Ignacio and one in Placencia. So the suppliers will be set up there and then the buyers will rotate around these vendors. So that’s really the main difference , where all of the suppliers and all of the buyers will have the opportunity to meet and they will rotate around the different destinations over the next five day period.”
Marion Ali
“How do you ensure that in an era when the economy is as it is, very fragile, that you still make those kinds of linkages and connections among yourselves to keep it successful?”
Nicole Solano
“Well, that’s part of the reason for a show like this, we have to make sure that we’re taking advantage of every potential opportunity to conduct business in the tourism industry.”
Marion Ali
“You have different strategies?”
Nicole Solano
“We have different strategies, some people decide that they want to work directly with consumers and some people want to work through travel agents and whole sellers. So that brings these people to Belize, there’s no other national tourism trade show BETEX is it.”
Channel 5
AmbergrisCaye.com 
"Today was our supplier orientation and badge claiming session for the Belize Tourism Expo 2010. Betex is held by BTIA, the Belize Tourism Industry Association, every two years in Belize and is the only trade show that welcomes international tourism professionals. We have travel agents coming in and wholesalers coming in, we expect about 60 or so arriving on the 23rd which is next week Wednesday , although some will be coming in before to come do pre-tours and some will stay a little longer, but that is the official arrival day. We have delegates coming in on the 23rd and we have suppliers waiting to meet them in three destinations, in San Pedro, Placencia, and San Ignacio. Today, we had all of our suppliers come in for an orientation session to claim their badges. It's really a session where we were able to prepare for the week ahead, if anything is needed to be finalized or confirmed one week leading out to the event, we can do that. It's an opportunity for these trade delegates to come into the country and to view, to experience Belize. The itineraries are absolutely amazing, we have a number of host hotels that are hosting them - taking care of them for the five nights. So they arrive in Belize on the 23rd when we will be having a welcome gala on that opening night. Then the following morning, they go out to the destinations to meet the suppliers. On every other night following that, they will be staying in the destinations experiencing Belize, going on tours, and enjoying different activities that Belize has to offer so that they have a real, authentic, genuine experience while they are here for Betex."
