The 20th Berbice Expo and Trade Fair will focus on the growing impact of artificial intelligence, with the milestone event set for October 2 to 5 at the Rose Hall Estate Community Centre Ground in East Canje, Berbice.
The 20th Berbice Expo and Trade Fair will be held from October 2 to 5 at the Rose Hall Estate Community Centre Ground in East Canje.
This year’s expo will focus on artificial intelligence under the theme, “Harnessing AI to Transform the Future while Enhancing Our People.”
The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) officially launched the expo on Friday at its building in Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Region Six.
Delivering the feature address, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said AI is already changing the way businesses operate, farmers access information, markets function and people learn and work.
“The question is no longer whether AI will become part of our future; it already is. The real question is whether we will use it wisely, whether we will adopt it early enough, and whether we will ensure that our people are prepared to benefit from it,” Mustapha said.
He said AI should not simply be seen as a technology that will replace people, but as a tool that can improve productivity, knowledge, innovation and capability.
“We must invest in our people at the same time that we invest in technology,” Mustapha said.
He called for greater efforts to train young people to use AI tools and help entrepreneurs understand how the technology can reduce costs and open new markets.
Mustapha also pointed to opportunities for farmers, including better access to information and improved production decisions. He stressed the need to ensure small businesses in Region Six are not left behind as the global economy becomes increasingly digital.
He congratulated the CCCC, its leadership and members, as well as sponsors, exhibitors, businesses and other stakeholders, on reaching the expo’s 20-year milestone.
Mustapha said the expo has become an important platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their products, businesses to build relationships, farmers to find markets and investors to identify opportunities.
President of the CCCC Adrian Annamayah said the theme was chosen because there is an urgent need for serious discussion about artificial intelligence and its implications for Guyana.
Annamayah compared the potential impact of AI with the transformation brought about by the internet, arguing that the current revolution could be even more far-reaching.
“The AI revolution that is upon us would be a thousandfold more impactful and transformational,” he said.
He said Guyana, as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, must prepare for the changes AI will bring rather than wait to see what happens.
“We cannot sit back and wait and see what unfolds. We have to take control and manage the process and engineer outcomes that are beneficial to us. We owe it to future generations,” Annamayah said.
He said interest in this year’s expo has already been strong, with the Chamber expecting the available spaces to be sold out within the next two weeks.
The four-day event will bring together businesses, entrepreneurs, farmers, investors and other stakeholders for exhibitions, networking and commercial opportunities.
