By Charmaine Ndlela
Polokwane will host the inaugural Hotel & Home Design Fair from Thursday, bringing together hospitality operators, designers, manufacturers and suppliers at Polokwane International Airport.
The three-day event, organised by Gentry Business Enterprise (Pty) Ltd, will run from 8 to 10 October at the airport’s T49 Hangar.
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More than 60 exhibitors have been announced, with furniture, textiles, décor, art, lighting, hospitality products and other design-related goods set to be showcased.
The fair is aimed at hotel and lodge operators, restaurant groups, interior designers, architects, property developers, procurement teams and homeowners.
Project director Hendrietta Pheladi Masha said the event was intended to give local businesses greater access to buyers while increasing Limpopo’s visibility in the hospitality and design sectors.
“Hospitality spaces have the power to tell the story of where they are. Through the Hotel & Home Design Fair, we want to create a platform where buyers can discover suppliers who understand design, place, culture, and experience,” Masha said.
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“Limpopo has a powerful hospitality and tourism story, and this fair gives that story a platform within the design and sourcing economy.”
Small, medium and micro enterprises will be among the exhibitors, alongside established brands.
The programme will include panel discussions led by the Design Institute of South Africa, as well as networking sessions aimed at connecting suppliers with buyers and other industry players.
South African fashion and design brand MAXHOSA AFRICA is expected to curate the VIP lounge and stage pop-up displays during the fair.
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Zwakala Brewery, the Azael Langa Foundation and BMW Polokwane have also been named as participants.
Masha said the organisers wanted the event to focus on business opportunities as well as product displays.
An outdoor food and beer garden will form part of the event.
The fair also gives Limpopo-based businesses an opportunity to meet decision-makers from the hospitality, property and design industries without having to travel to larger trade events in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban.
The event comes as hotels, lodges and other tourism businesses increasingly source locally produced furniture, art, décor and craft when developing or refurbishing properties.
The fair will run from 9am to 5pm daily.
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