Jakarta Fair to offer more quality products
JAKARTA (JP): The 30th annual Jakarta Fair will host 1,435 exhibitors, including 600 large companies, with an expected 2.5 million people visiting the one-month fair.
The fair's chief organizer said yesterday the fair would involve around US$50 million worth of transactions.
Rudy Hendra, deputy general manager of the Jakarta International Trade Center and in charge of organizing the fair, said on Tuesday the fair, scheduled to open on June 14, would be quite different from earlier fairs because exhibitors would show more high-quality products.
International participants will come from Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Pakistan, Korea, Japan, India, Germany, Iran and China.
Exhibition rooms and open space will be divided for different kinds of products -- Hall A for high-tech products, Hall C for local exhibitors from the nation's 27 provinces, Trade Center's 1st floor for luxurious cars and cafes, Open Space 1 for residential exhibitions, Convention Hall's 6th floor for jazz music performances and Open Space 5 for games and entertainment.
"We are getting assistance from Tokyo-based Hakuhodo Incorporated consulting agency," Rudy said.
To attract Jakartans to the fair, the committee will try to create a better atmosphere by increasing the supply of public facilities such as ticket booths, restrooms, waste baskets, guards and parking space, in addition to various entertainment attractions and amusement centers.
International music groups will include Stomo Yamashita from Japan, From Scratch from New Zealand, Resonans Quartet from the Netherlands, Tokakros from Australia, Amy Knoles from the United States and the sensual and dynamic Brazilian Beats.
International amusement will include the Terminator, bumper cars and the Canyon Raft.
One interesting show attraction will be an ambitious effort to set a world record for the longest sate, a local barbecue put onto skewers. About 450 kilograms of beef will be needed to make the 450-meter long sate. Some 1,500 orphans will be invited to watch the event.
Rudy said a number of roads linking the fairgrounds, which are usually closed on certain hours of the day, will be opened so as to lighten traffic congestion. The Land Transport and Traffic Control Agency will also put up additional signs showing the way to the fair.
The agency had also instructed the committee to order buses to take passengers to the fair. "We already ordered Metromini buses, Steady Safe buses, PPD buses and other public transport to drop passengers off at fairgrounds," Rudy said, adding that bus fares would remain the same and drivers would receive a bonus.
The fair, scheduled to be opened by Vice President Try Sutrisno, will be held in conjunction with the city's 470th anniversary.
The committee has prohibited street vendors from operating on the fairgrounds. Last year the area became filthy because of street vendor trash. This year, only vendors with registration cards are allowed to operate at the fairgrounds, the committee said.
Despite the restriction on street vendors, the committee feared that they would use the parking lots for their activities. (10)