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The 16th Ghana International Fair was launched on Thursday January 19, 2012 at the Trade Fair, La with the announcement that an entertainment village is been planned for this year�s edition. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Ebenezer Okpoti Koney, acting CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC) said the GTFC would use entertainment as a significant tool to reignite that passion one used to have about attending trade fairs in years back. �We are bringing back those reasons why people from all corners of the country spent at least some time at the Trade Fair when it was open�, he said. According to him: �we are working with various entertainment and marketing agencies headed by Phamous Media Group to create a special Entertainment Village where there will be 24-7 entertainment activities including music concerts, movie screenings, Live International football matches, fashion shows, comedy shows, celebrity red carpet shows and networking etc, happening throughout the fair season�. Present at the launch were members of the GTFC board and king of African Dancehall, Samini who was there to personally announce his Independence Day concert which is among the six major musical concerts to be hosted by top stars during the fair. He said �I�m here to announce that I�ll be the stealing this year�s independence day as it will be my biggest show since I hosted the Mavado concert at the Accra Stadium last year�. He said: �March 6th, 2012 will see me and some of the big name musicians live here at the Trade Fair �. The full list of top musicians will be announced in the coming weeks. The village will be based at the open air Theater though pockets of entertainment activities will spread throughout the fair grounds. For instance, in February, the UEFA Champions league bounces back and patrons would have the chance to see it live on big screens as well as EPL and La Liga matches all courtesy MultiChoice DSTV. Live band music will be available for the busy mind who wants to spend an hour or two just after work as well as major live concerts on six major days. Celebrity networking and match-making session will be held near the forecourt of the Administration block on Friday nights. According to the organizers registration for exhibitors in the 16th Ghana International Fair is on-going and expected to end on February 20, 2012 while the fair proper opens on February 23rd through to March 10, 2012. Story 2 �900 exhibitors and 1 million visitors expected at the 16th Ghana International Fair�- says CEO The 16th edition of Ghana Trade Fair Company�s flagship fair was launched on Thursday, January 19, 2012, with the announcements of a �rebranded package expected to attract at least 900 exhibitors and one million visitors within a period of 16 days�, acting Chief Executive Officer of the GTFC, Mr. Ebenezer Okpoti Koney has said. The main fair opens on 23rd February and ends on 10th of March 2012. Already, according to the organizers �participants from China, Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Italy, the America�s, South Africa and the Ecowas sub region will be part of the fair, which primarily focuses on creating the platform to promote micro, medium and small scale outfits while maintaining an appeal to large multinationals�. The theme for this year�s fair is �Harnessing Opportunities for Growth of the Trade industry� Nana Kwame Ofori-Amanfo, acting deputy CEO of GTFC said: �the 2012 Ghana International Fair will effectively combine quality activities and the massive media involvement as well as using entertainment as communication tool to achieve its goals.This year�s International Trade Fair, according to Mr. Ofori-Amanfo, is being launched under the following eight thematic areas: 1.Entertainment village 2.Competitive pricing 3.One-stop shopping center 4.Business matchmaking / Networking opportunities 5.The media center 6.Product launches / trend launches 7.1,000,000 visitors 8.Symposia and workshops Exhibitors in manufacturing and key players in Agriculture, oil & gas, finance, export and import, automobile, telecommunication, and many more will be there. What�s new, the 16th edition will introduce a Media Centre and an Entertainment Village. On entertainment, six top musicians will headline six big concerts on different dates. Present at the launch was performer Samini who personally announced that his personal solo concert would be on Independence Day, March 6, 2012. According to the organizers registration for exhibitors in the 16th Ghana International Fair is on-going and scheduled to end on February 20, 2012 while the fair proper opens on February 23rd through to March 10, 2012.