Reverse trade fairs - the example of Bolivia

A traditional trade fair displays products and services that exhibitors want to sell, while visitors are interested in exploring opportunities for buying them. A reverse trade fair, however, turns this procedure upside down: the exhibitors are the buyers of products and services who display their demands, while the visitors are the potential sellers of the required products and services.

By giving buyers and suppliers a chance to meet face-to-face to tell each other about their goods and services, such a system strengthens the relationships and understanding between public and private interests. In addition, it increases the competitiveness of micro, small, and medium enterprises, and encourages them to become a part of the procurement process by bidding on government tenders.

Data bases and booths of a reverse trade fair register and display products that exhibitors want to buy with precise information on how, when, and how much they actually want to buy. Meanwhile, the visiting entrepreneurs who wish to sell can rely on a computerized system that matches information on supply and demand, allowing them to easily identify the buyers of the product(s) they have on offer.