KUALA LUMPUR: The annual Absolut Bazaar x Festival Gaya Raya (ABxFGR 2024) is back for the third year, and this time it visits two cities namely Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur.
Organised by My Events International and Absolut Events & Management once again, it ends its three-day run in Persada Johor, Johor Baru today.
Its Kuala Lumpur run will be from noon on March 29 to 6am on April 1 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec), off Jalan Duta here.
My Events International co-founder Datin Wira Sabrina Abdullah said that the 66-hour, non-stop festival targeted RM21.4 million in sales, and featured 927 exhibition lots as well as 117 food and beverage vendors.
"With 12,548 square metres of exhibition space, ABxFGR 2024 will also have 20 sponsor partners, 1,204 entrepreneurs, more than 200 brands of cosmetics and fashion, and 120 celebrities roped in to promote it," said Sabrina at the launch of ABxFGR 2024 at Mitec today.
"We also target 2.9 million visitors, and plan to grow by 25 per cent each year," she said.
The launch was also attended by My Events chief executive officer Hema Kandy, Absolut Event & Management director Nur Ali Nadzwan, Media Prima Berhad chief marketing officer and chief operations officer for TV3 and tonton Amir Rasyidi Johari, and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry Business Development Division director Ahmad Rizal Khalit.
"As in previous years, we hope that visitors will enjoy a wonderful shopping experience under one roof, which showcases the best products of Malaysia's budding entrepreneurs.
"ABxFGR2024 is specially for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs to expand their brands and reach out to a wider consumer base," said Sabrina.
She welcomed Media Prima as the official media partner for ABxFGR2024.
"Media Prima will give great coverage to ABxFGR2024 to ensure that viewers around the country are made aware of the exhibition. Through its television and radio stations, viewers and listeners will get to know about the many promotions at the exhibition, especially those that are for Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri," she said.
Sabrina said that ABxFGR2024 will involve the electronic goods sector this time, and its sponsors are Wardah, Hermo, NIMS, Minaz, Buttonscarves, Panasonic, Ainaa, Sugar Bomb, Super Sky, Kunafa Aiwahhh and Bulan Bintang.
"One of the main attractions this year is the Absolut FoodFest with 80 vendors and lots of original and scrumptious dishes to mark Ramadan.
"The interesting consumer activities at the exhibition include Money Chamber, Wheel Of Fortune, Hamper Raya and Happy Hour which enable shoppers to get hold of attractive prizes worth a total of RM250,000 by getting involved in some exciting games," she said.
As for the celebrities, they will manage their own stalls as well as entertain visitors with some of their latest songs.
The celebrities this year include singers Sufian Suhaimi and Bella Astillah, actresses Fathia Latiff, Puteri Sarah Liyana, Diana Danielle and Bella Dally, and actor Safwan Nazri.
The Johor Baru event had 120 entrepreneurs with 100 brands and 190 booths on 500,000 square metres of exhibtion space.
Meanwhile, Sufian said that he was once again managing his Baby Pian children's educational products stall, and was optimistic that the exhibition would have more visitors this year.
"It's my second year here, and since the response was great in 2023, I'm sure 2024 will be a lot better since more Malaysians will get to know about it," he said.
Sufian is currently working on a Zikir album which will be ready before Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
"It has four songs, and I hope to come up with more such albums for Raya in the years to come," he said.