Time Out Addis Ababa - the city's entertainment guide newspaper - hosted a grand Computer Trade Fair from July 5-7, 2002 at the Addis Ababa Exhibition Centre. While opening the Trade Fair, H.E. Ato Mulughetta Amha, Commissioner of Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission, pointed out the strategic advantages of ICTs for development for Ethiopia at this era of globalization.

According to Dina Makonnen, Managing Director of time out Addis Ababa, the aim of the Trade Fair was to create a conducive environment for ICT vendors, training centres and service providers to introduce their products and services to the general public, learn form each other about the progress that ICT has made in the country, and create awareness and interest among all levels of the society. She said that the Trade Fair was perhaps the first of its kind in the country in terms of size and number of participants that brought ICT products and services under one roof.

It was learnt that more than 50 companies participated in the Trade Fair and had been able to attract some 15,000 visitors - more than twice the number that the organizers had initially expected. At the closing ceremony held on July 7, 2002 in the premise of the Exhibition Centre, the organizers hailed the participants and expressed their satisfaction to the exhibitor for s having been able to display a wide range of compelling products and services that attracted the attention of the ever eager visitors.

Ato Tameru Ewnetu, founder of the Adaptive Technologies Centre for the Blind and Ato Afework Temtime, President of the Ethiopian Information Technology Professionals Association (EITPA) performed the closing ceremony. Certificates of participation, presented by time out Addis Ababa were handed out to the companies. All had agreed that the event was a big success and an encouraging start that laid a sound foundation to launch similar exhibitions in the future.

It was believed that the Trade Fair had enabled the participants to attract potential buyers from visitors and sell their overdue products at a discount. The Fair had also created opportunities to attract the young - the future customer and user - to learn first hand about the developments that are taking place in the ICT world.

The organizers have promised to conduct such an event some time in May 2003.