The Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair (OATF), which could not be hosted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will this year be held from 26 to 31 August. The spokesperson of the Ongwediva Town Council, Jackson Muma, in an interview with NAMPA Wednesday, explained that this year’s OATF will be hosted in two formats, using traditional and virtual shows. Muma said in the traditional format, OATF will accommodate 50 exhibitors in the Queen hall of the show centre, 40 in the King Kauluma hall, 30 in the Headman hall and 20 in the Fish hall. He said car dealers will showcase their products on the showground’s open space and the popular tent for the trading of homemade products by local women will accommodate 20 exhibitors instead of the normal 50 traders. “In Katutura, where you go for entertainment and enjoy food and drinks, only 15 kiosks will be operating and not 33 kiosks as usual,” Muma pointed out. He went on to say the OATF will this year take place over six days only, a reduction from the usual nine days, due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. “In conjunction with the normal conventional trade fair, the committee responsible for organising the OATF has embarked on a journey to introduce and include a Virtual Trade Fair (V-Trade Fair), Muma noted The V-Trade Fair, he said, will be a customised exhibition event that speaks to current realities dictated by various factors including COVID-19 and the ever-changing technological environment. According to Muma, the V-Trade Fair is expected to accommodate exhibitors and viewers online while a fraction of exhibitors and visitors are on the trade fairgrounds. “Although it is business unusual, key economic sectors are expected to participate in both the virtual and conventional trade fair,” he emphasised. Muma pointed out that e-tickets will be used for exhibitors to gain entry to the trade fair centre, while visitors/viewers are expected to buy online entrance tickets. The OATF, which was first held in 2000, will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year under the theme ‘Gearing for a Smart Economy’. -NAMPA