The 2010 Volta trade, investment and cultural fair kick-start slowly on Monday with many stands and pavilions empty but with strong indications that the 14-day event would be bigger than the debut in 2009.
Organizers of the event said the about 250 stands and pavilions were over-subscribed.
The Ghana News Agency's (GNA) visit saw exhibitors at the opening still busily setting up, while some have just arrived to mount their stands.
The 2010 Fair, would be spiced with culture, to reflect the mix and linkage between the economic and tourism potentials of the region.
Mrs Sabah Zita Okaikoi, Minister for Tourism, who opened the Fair, said it would help to mobilize the numerous potentials of the region to stimulate growth, job creation and wealth generation.
She noted with regret that the numerous tourism potentials in the region have not been developed to attract tourists.
Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister called on the people to "rise up to the challenge of marshalling all resources for their development".
He called on the private sector to play a "key role in the socio -economic development of the region".
Mr Amenowode said since the 2009 debut fair, Volta Region had been a remarkable investment destination, especially in areas of agro-industries, the hospitality industry and salt production. He hoped this year's Fair would raise more investor interest.
Dr Bernard Glover, a businessman, said the Fair should have something new to show and challenged the region to develop an automated gari-processing unit.
Dumega Raymond Okudzeto, Founder of the Volta
Foundation, a NGO in development advocacy, said one did not have to be in government to start and to promote business ideas.
Mr Edward Ashong-Lartey, Director, Promotions and Public Relations of the Ghana Investments Promotion Council (GIPC),said the Council would create a desk at the Fair to link up business people in partnership dialogue and also to do business profiling.
Mr Alex Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff at the President's Office said the Fair was a non-partisan approach to seek the region's development.
Mr Ibrahim Adam, Board Chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), lead sponsors of the Fair, and said the Bank was ready to do business with the Region in all areas.
Mr Adam, who gave GH�10,000 to the Fair Planning Committee, urged the people to keep the bank's branches in the region busy with investment proposals.
Products and items, which were generating interest at the Fair, include a gari processing unit manufactured jointly by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Ho Polytechnic and a Fruits extracting unit made by the Gratis Foundation in Ho.
Other collaborators for the Fair, being organized under the aegis of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), are the Ho
Polytechnic, National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), Volta Regional House of Chiefs, the District and Municipal Assemblies with the Netherlands Development Agency (SNV) as
the coordinating consultants.