Record-breaking Consumer Fair Part 5

Over 80,000 people visited the 5th Consumer Fair (CF5), smashing the expected tally of 60,000 and the previous record of 58,000 visitors.

This was according to Sunlit Advertising Managing Director Jackson Ting, who organised the fair.

"The response to this fair has been very unexpected. We were estimating over 60,000 visitors and we have had over 80,000 visitors so far today on the final day of the fair," he said yesterday.

"We have also had very good feedback from vendors and a lot of them, including those from overseas, will be coming back for the next consumer fair.

"The response from visitors has also been very positive. The public is very happy with the variety of newer and better products at the Consumer Fair 5," he added.

Mr Ting also said he was very happy with the overwhelming response to the Winter Wonderland exhibition.

"There have been over 30,000 visitors to Winter Wonderland and for the next consumer fair we will bring in a different exhibition which I hope the public will also like.

"I would like to thank the public and vendors who participated in the Consumer Fair Part 5, and I would also like to thank all the sponsors for making this fair such a great success. And, I hope that the next Consumer Fair Part 6 will be even better," Mr Ting concluded.

Speaking to the Bulletin, two visitors said that the fair had improved over the years.

Said Hj Muhammad Wajdi Pehin Dato Hj Suhaili, Takaful Officer from Takaful IBB, "From my perception, I think that the response has tripled from the previous consumer fairs. I also think that this is a great opportunity for small businesses to make profits around this time of the month.

"I see a lot of people, from the young to the old, and I think that this fair does cater a lot of industries. There are a lot of great opportunities here, both for the businesses and visitors.

"There have been a lot of improvements from previous consumer fairs, especially the people's participation. There are also a lot of new things like electronics and products that were not here before," he said.

Meanwhile, Mizan from Sg Tilong said, "I've been to all five of the consumer fairs and I've noticed that the prices have improved more and more at each fair, especially for the LCD TVs and electronic items.

"The public response has also been very good. There are a lot more people here now than before."

Talking to one of the more popular booths at the fair, Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) received tremendous response from the public.

According to RBA Marketing Officer Hjh Nurul Akmal, "The number of visitors to our booth was more than we targeted. Over 5,000 people visited us and our most popular booth was our reservations and ticket sales booth.

"We have also had a good number of people applying for our Royal Skies card.

"We hope to bring more promotions to the next consumer fair," she said, before adding, "and we hopes that the public will continue to support RBA."

Local youth Yudy Firman (of De Firza Clothings) who had a booth at the fair said the event was a great success, saying he recorded a lot of sales and was very happy with response to his products.

"This is the first time I am participating in the fair and sales has been very good.

"We sell t-shirts with cartoon motifs on them and they have been a big seller. We hope to open a shop after this and maybe we may also join the next consumer fair considering the great response," he added.

Meanwhile, first-time visitor Elmy Rizal said she was surprised with the great number of products showcased at the fair.

"I did not expect to see so many booths and products all at one place. There are a great variety of products all under one roof and I think that it is wonderful.

"I learnt of the consumer fair through the radio and by word of mouth from my friends so I decided to come and take a look. I'm glad that I came as I have found good prices on several products," he said.

Also a first-timer, Iza Noorhaizamdin said, "The fair is pretty awesome and it's getting people out of their houses. It has everything, so why would people not want to show up?"

Visitor Feefy Abdullah, who checked out the previous fair, was quoted as saying:

"This time the fair is better because of the music events. It's good that the local acts are exposed and the public gets to see Brunei's talents. You get to see live music for free! Everything is alright and it is convenient that you can find all sorts of things in one location."

"As for improvements that can be made, perhaps offer a larger parking area, and maybe even more entertainment. It would also be nice if there were proper directions to everything," she said.

Another visitor, Faizul from popular local band, A Band Once, said of the fair:

"This is the third consumer fair I've ever been to and it is easily the best one so far because there were a lot of bands, talent shows, battle of the bands, Anugerah (awards) and lots of entertainment. The local music scene is growing, and this gives the public the chance to interact with local musicians."

And like Feefy, he too believes there is a need for the placement of more signs, adding, "I don't actually know where all the events are."

From : Borneo Bulletin