BITA 2005 gets good response

The three-day expo organized by the Baroda IT Association (BITA) got a good response from customers. BITA held this event for the eight running year and it also introduced its third directory with details about local partners, which could be bought for Rs 50. 

BITA Secretary, Amit Shah said a couple of non-Baroda companies too had participated in the event. His company, AB Desh Infotech, expected a sales conversion ratio of at least 15% from the event. "This is the best place for us to pitch to corporate customers, who are our target customers," he added.

Noted Rashesh Doshi of RS Infotech, "The event was a great investment for us as we know that we can easily sell around 50 machines at the event alone. Plus, we will get a very good database that we can address for the next few months." Ashish Parmar of Aash´nik Incorporated too agreed with him. He had booked three consecutive stalls at the event for his company, which made it the biggest in the event and was seen actively promoting TVSE´s Proton range of point of sale printers. 

The event started on 28th January 2004 with BITA members taking part in a rally, which went around to the key pockets of the city. People who had booked stalls at the expo had decked vehicles that were used to disseminate information about the event and to get more people to visit their stalls. 

In a bid to encourage people to participate in this rally, BITA even constituted awards for those companies, which gave away concise information and in the most innovative fashion. As the rally wound its way back to the exposition grounds, men on stilts welcomed them. An ex-Mayor of the city, Ram Tiwari, inaugurated the event.

Over 132 stalls were set up across eight pavilions at the event. A surprising feature about expo was the participation of non-IT organization, which included air conditioning companies, stationery marts and even a stall manned by the Life Insurance Corporation. 

Surprising, there was no vendor participation at the event, barring a few like Intel or Canon. Intel had booked one tent, where it placed the stalls of its leading GIDs. Said Priyatosh Gupta of Beam Computers, "This time around, no vendors came forth with any sponsorship for the event. They have asked their partners to participate in the event and display their brand, and assured them that they will bear part of the participation expenses." 

VINITA BHATIA

BARODA