So, it’s that time of the year again – time for the International Trade Fair in Naxxar. This annual event truly has become ingrained in Malta’s social and business calendar and is well and truly popular.

The Trade Fair has many plus points to it, specifically in that customers can get a better deal than they would at other times of the year. They can also find many items under one roof, so to speak.

Although trading has changed and the buyer can get good deals all year round, the Trade Fair retains that special element to it that you cannot quite put your finger on.

Of course, one of the major elements that make it so popular is the fact that the Trade Fair is, in itself, a good night out for families, couples and friends.

There are plenty of bars and food stands around and this helps to attract people to spend an evening or two there.

The Trade Fair has also always been child and pushchair friendly, with large walkways that do at least allow ample space for people to navigate around with their pushchairs and baby carriers. It is also a friendly atmosphere for kids with balloons, toys and animators available throughout the grounds.

On a less positive note, importers of new cars are not taking part this year after deciding to boycott the fair over a dispute they have with the government over imported second hand cars.

It is indeed a shame as car stands were always an attraction and there always have been some pretty good deals in the past. The decision to implement a boycott has nothing to do with the Trade Fair itself. While one understands that car dealers took the decision they believed to be the best, the fair and the consumers are suffering as a result of this decision. Hopefully, car importers will still have some good deals on offer this summer despite the decision.

The only good point from this issue is that the space usually taken up by importers of new cars was filled up by other exhibitors who, in all probability, would not have made it to Naxxar.

Another good move was the introduction of the park and ride scheme. In the past, there were always complaints in the sense that there was not enough parking, that it was very disorganised and that greedy parkers were ripping off motorists.

This has improved with the official Trade Fair Car Park as well as the park and ride scheme which allows people to park their car further away and then catch a shuttle bus to the fair grounds.

This system is allowing fair goers to enjoy their stay more, since they will not be worrying about how to get back to their vehicle.

Switching to the more business orientated aspect of the fair, companies get the chance to showcase their wares to Maltese as well as potential foreign investors, and customers.

In addition, companies can use the opportunity to slash prices on dead stock and get rid of it while offering the customer a bargain. The event is also used as a huge data gathering exercise which companies use to build up their databases. Companies also use this as an opportunity to gauge what the customer wants and what products or services they might be interested about in the future. This is a two-way street and benefits both parties.

All in all, the Trade Fair is a good example of how we Maltese have fused trading and our Mediterranean culture into one – coming up with a Mediterranean style evening out accompanied by beer, burgers, hot dogs, pizzas and, believe it or not, shopping.

The deals might not be as extravagant as they used to be, but the Trade Fair should go on – it is as we have said – very much a part of our calendar.