VZCZCXRO0604
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0308/01 2131813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311813Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0284
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 1275

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000308 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR JROSHOLT 
EEB/CBA FOR DENNIS WINSTEAD 
COMMERCE DEPT/OFFICE OF LATIN AND AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN MICHELLE 
BROOKS 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP ABUD AMGT BTIO ECON EINV ETRD NS
SUBJECT: SURINAME: USA TRADE SHOW 2008 (BFIF FUNDED) 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000308  001.2 OF 002 
 
REF: 
A) STATE 77128 
B) STATE 73258 
C) PARAMARIBO 20 
D) STATE 36474 
E) 07 STATE 159597 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  The Embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce of 
Suriname held their ninth annual "USA Trade Show 2008," from July 
18-20, 2008.  The only professional trade show held in Suriname 
featuring U.S. products and services, approximately half of the USA 
Trade Show's expenses came from Business Facilitation Incentive 
Funds (BFIF).  Twenty-two companies participated in the show, and 
many reported increased sales of their products immediately 
following the USA Trade Show.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The Embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce of Suriname 
(AmCham) formed a public-private partnership to put on the ninth 
annual "USA Trade Show," from July 18-20, 2008, in Paramaribo. The 
three-day event attracted almost 3000 visitors in this country of 
less than half a million. The USA Trade Show is the only 
professional trade show held in Suriname which features U.S. 
products and services.  This was only the fourth year that Post 
organized the Trade Show in conjunction with the AmCham.  A fairly 
young organization, the AmCham has been in existence only five 
years.  Post's objective is to gradually give increased 
responsibility for organizing the Trade Show to the AmCham in order 
to (in the long-term) make this show a self-sustaining project not 
requiring Business Facilitation Incentive Funds (BFIF). 
 
¶3. (U) Twenty-two companies participated in the Trade Show, 
including ten first-time participants.  In addition, Suriname's 
State Partner, South Dakota, purchased a booth which it stocked with 
South Dakotan products and literature.  Representing the State of 
South Dakota at the Trade Fair was S.D. Cabinet Secretary for 
Tourism and State Development Richard Benda.  South Dakota's 
participation was coordinated by LTC Tracy Settle, Director of the 
South Dakota National Guard's South Dakota-Suriname State 
Partnership Program.  The AmCham and the Embassy's Business 
Education and Resource Center (BERC) also had booths at the Trade 
Show to advertise their services. 
 
¶4. (U) The media attended the Trade Show's opening ceremony on July 
18, and all newspapers and television news stations covered the 
event.  Opening remarks were presented by U.S. Ambassador Schreiber 
Hughes, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry 
Mauro Tuur, and AmCham President Andy Rusland.  Media coverage of 
the opening ceremony, combined with BFIF paid advertisements on 
television and in the print media, contributed to the high public 
turnout for the show.  The Embassy Public Affairs Assistant arranged 
for the AmCham Executive Director to be featured in radio and 
television interviews leading up to the Trade Show. 
 
¶5. (U) Embassy and AmCham staff spoke with a random sampling of 
Trade Show attendees in order to assess the success of the media 
strategy and reactions of the target audience.  The overall 
impression of attendees, including many first-timers, was positive, 
although some cited they had expected even more exhibitors. 
 
¶6. (U) A "hot wash" with Trade Show exhibitors on July 25, as well 
as follow-up telephone calls by the Commercial Assistant, showed 
concrete, positive results from Trade Show participation.  One 
exhibitor, the Clean IT carpet cleaning service, received 10 orders 
during the Trade Show and received a number of telephone orders 
afterwards from Show attendees.  Another exhibitor, Wintel N.V., an 
information technology company, had as its goal the registration of 
50 new members for its voicemail services.  Wintel exceeded this 
target by registering 75 new members.  It also registered 115 new 
clients for its IT Solution Services.  Still another exhibitor, AVON 
products marketer Beauty and Home Systems, provided free makeovers 
at its booth and over 100 people signed up for consultations with an 
AVON lady.  The company also attracted a number of women interested 
in becoming AVON sales representatives.  Exhibitor "Laparkhan" 
reported that more than 200 people either signed up or requested 
more information on its air freight/sea freight mailbox service. 
Laparkhan also secured a number of new clients for its freight and 
money order business, and reported that it is still receiving 
telephone calls from Trade Show attendees wanting to place orders. 
Exhibitor Infinity N.V. registered 40 potential clients during the 
Show for its telecommunication and security products. 
 
¶7. (U) Aside from the commercial success of the USA Trade Show, 
arguably the Show's most far-reaching achievement was as a catalyst 
for growth within the AmCham.  In past years, Embassy staffers were 
obliged to carry the bulk of the organizational responsibility for 
the Trade Show, including the time-consuming task of arranging the 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000308  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
venue and signing up exhibitors, in part due to the young AmCham's 
perceived inability to assume these responsibilities.  This year, 
the AmCham took on all the logistically difficult tasks as it 
arranged for the venue, frames for the booths, security, and 
exhibitor recruitment.  Moreover, whereas in past years the U.S. 
government contribution of USD $5,000 represented the bulk of the 
Trade Show budget, a preliminary assessment of costs this year shows 
AmCham invested greater finances in the Trade Show than the U.S. 
government (if the representational costs of the opening ceremony 
and reception are excluded from the calculation). 
 
¶8. (U) Post will report, via Septel to EEB, the complete breakdown 
of tradeshow expenditures. 
 
SCHREIBER HUGHES