Next month's Christian products trade show in New Zealand is to open its doors more widely to try to help expand business.

The New Zealand Christian Trade Show trading segment of the CBA NZ Convention-to be held in Auckland, Aug. 18 and 19-will include an afternoon set aside for CBA member retailers to invite church and ministry customers onto the show floor to view some of the latest products available.

The new Christian Trade Show will give retailers an annual opportunity to showcase through distributor/wholesalers' exhibits all the products they could carry in their stores if space and capital allowed. Visitors will be able to place orders through a member retailer.

Announcing the initiative, the Christian Trade Association International (CTAI) said that the new trade show element will help provide an opportunity to recover some sales to NZ churches and Christian ministries, lost in recent years to overseas mail-order and Internet suppliers.

"Since this new marketing approach for a CBA New Zealand Convention comes after consultation with retailers and distributors/wholesalers, we have very high hopes that it will result in growing the audience for Christian products in New Zealand," said CBA NZ President Warren Smith. "We are not a large market and need to explore every possible way to impact our country with the gospel."

CTAI President Jim Powell welcomed the initiative. "I am always thrilled to see Christian trade associations reaching out in new ways," he said. "There are countries where tens of thousands of consumers participate in national conventions-Brazil and Mexico would be the outstanding examples-and have seen their market grow substantially. I applaud this new venture in New Zealand."

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