Abidjan Infrastructure Fair 2018: The atmosphere and current situation at the Abidjan Exhibition Center

Abidjan Infrastructure Fair 2018: The atmosphere and current situation at the Abidjan Exhibition Center

The 3rd edition of the Abidjan Infrastructure Fair (SIA) took place from November 8 to 10, 2018, at the site of the future exhibition park in Abidjan – Port-Bouet
The atmosphere was lively throughout the conferences, panel discussions, and especially in the exhibition areas, which were constantly bustling with visitors. This was the area known as INDOOR. A 3,000-square-meter white tent equipped with four loudspeakers from which a female voice announced the program schedule and broadcast information related to the SIA. The floor was covered with green, red, black, and blue carpets, hosting around a hundred exhibitors manning their booths. These rectangular spaces, measuring a few square meters each, were designed to showcase the exhibitors’ fields of activity and featured reception areas for welcoming and interacting with visitors. Construction professionals, business leaders, students, and other visitors flocked to the booths in search of partnerships, innovative products and services, advice, and job opportunities—especially students from the Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INPHB), local universities, and prestigious higher education institutions. A diverse crowd of visitors—women and men, both adults and young people, some accompanied by children—displayed their fascination with the displays and products showcased at the booths. These visitors, wearing their badges around their necks, were constantly approached by young women and men wearing T-shirts bearing the logos of the exhibiting companies, whose mission was to draw them to their booths to inform them about their products and services and turn them into loyal customers. Not far from this bustling exhibition area was a second one in an open-air space, called OUTDOOR. There, visitors could see construction equipment, machinery, and heavy vehicles, with demonstrations taking place throughout the fair. Government officials, representatives of the administration, and executives from major industrial groups were also present to discuss and address issues related to land use planning and smart grids. Alongside the visitors, journalists, photographers, and other media professionals were also in attendance. Through their pens, keyboards, microphones, cameras, and lenses, they helped ensure that SIA 2018 left its mark for future generations.

TAB with IBK