The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
WHEN it comes to bridal events, The Sunday Mail Bridal Expo tops the list and this year’s edition, which was held last weekend at the Rainbow Towers Hotel Gardens proved why it deserves to be in that spot.
With 56 exhibitors, it was guaranteed that there would not be any shortage of exciting things for visitors to feast their eyes on.
This particular expo provides the biggest platform for companies and individuals that offer bridal products and services to market themselves on a larger scale.
The two day expo was a major success that saw hundreds of people coming through to indulge themselves in the best of bridal products that the country has to offer.
Over the years, weddings have become more sophisticated with most couples keeping tabs on global trends. For any couple who might have been planning their wedding, this was definitely something not to miss considering the range of products that were being showcased.
From state-of-the-art audio-visual capturing devices to the mesmeric décor setups, the expo was testament enough that the wedding industry in Zimbabwe was growing in every area.
Some of the bridal service providers that were exhibiting included ZimParks, Real Sound, House of Gentlemen, Orec Events, Cake Link, Rooney’s, Sunvalley Media, Passion Events, Just Wedding Cars, Dream Cakes, Premiere Sounds and Green Oasis among others.
Most of the exhibitors who spoke to The Sunday Mail Leisure highlighted that they were impressed by the event and the opportunities it came with.
Itai Gezi from Cake Link said the reason why they continued coming back to exhibit at the prestigious event was because of the exposure it provided for their brand.
“We have been coming to this expo for about five years because we believe this is the best platform for us to market our products.
“This is where we get to showcase that we are among the best in the country when it comes to baking cakes for every occasion that you might think of,” said Gezi.
Their stand was proof enough that they meant business considering the exquisite baked products that they had on display.
Rooney’s Hire Services, arguably the biggest event equipment rental company in the country has become a permanent fixture at the event too.
“Oster Mlambo, who was manning their stand said the standard of the event was up to scratch despite the fact that the traffic of people coming through were less than those that came last year.
“The whole setup is on point but we would have loved to have more people coming through to also appreciate what we have going on over here,” said Mlambo.
He added that they will continue coming back to the expo so as to spread awareness about their company.
“We are always coming back because we want people to know what we are about and this is one of the best platforms to do that, we cannot be left out. We are leaders in the hiring industry and we want to maintain that standard, which is another reason why we are here, to showcase what we have to offer.”
Romeo Manhanzwa from PA system hiring outfit Premier Sound said The Sunday Mail Bridal Expo did not have any competition.
“I think when it comes to bridal expos, the setup here is one of the best and comparing with other similar events we have been to over the years — this is definitely the biggest and the best.
“We exhibited at the first edition and we have been coming every year because we realised that this is where we get to capture many of our clients.”
ZimParks marketing executive Peter Dlula said the expo was the perfect opportunity for them to create synergies with other industry players.
“We have been moving around trying to get into partnerships with other exhibitors because we realised that we need to do business with almost everyone who is here.
“As ZimParks, we offer wedding venues but the people who should come and complement are those that do décor, those who offer catering and photographers to mention just a few.”
