The next 6 months are set to be a busy one at BritCham, as they begin their national roadshow of the ‘Britain is GREAT’ pavilion, courtesy of the UK government, in various exhibitions from July until March 2018. The aim is to discover new market opportunities for British companies who have invested or are planning to expand into Indonesia. The exhibitions they are currently planning to take British businesses to span across several sectors including manufacturing, electric, power & renewable energies, broadcast, IT & technology, food, drink & tourism, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.
Regarded as the most active foreign chamber in Indonesia, the British Chamber of Commerce, or more commonly referred to as BritCham, in collaboration with the British Embassy of Indonesia is working towards connecting and integrating British companies into the local Indonesian network. This is currently done through our Overseas Business Network Initiative (OBNI), partially funded by the UK Department of International Trade. The OBNI team offer supplementary services to UK SMEs, enabling them to reach their market potential in Indonesia. From January 2017 to present, the OPD has delivered bespoke reports for British companies, which include market research, event listings and a targeted visit programme. Overall, the team has connected with over 200 companies over the same period.
The GREAT national roadshow began on 22 July 2017, with Manufacturing Surabaya at the Grand City Convention and Exhibition Centre in Surabaya, East Java. The colossal expo witnessed over 5,187 visitors and 741 trade attendees and presented impressive business opportunities for the British companies we brought along. The event offered a highly focused annual exhibition of Manufacturing Machinery, Equipment, Materials and Services event in East Indonesia. With East Java experiencing huge levels of industrial growth, Manufacturing Surabaya is the perfect platform for industry professionals to showcase and meet some of the key decision makers.
At Manufacturing Surabaya, BritCham also ran a one-day workshop and a networking event which aims to provide advice to UK businesses planning to extend their reach to East Indonesia, and engage with local companies. This is something BritCham are planning to do at each expo on the roadshow tour. Attendance at Manufacturing Surabaya proved to be a great way to expand BritCham’s and the company’s profiles, as the GREAT Pavilion was busy with visitors each day. The Pavilion also provided significant business opportunities, connections and meetings for the British co-exhibitor companies: Renold Transmission, Precision 21, Mabey Bridge and BRE Global.
BritCham was also fortunate enough to have a visit from the Chairman of the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce, Jamhadi, alongside the Senior Executive, Sugiarto Alim, of the MASPION Group, one of the largest companies in attendance at the expo. MASPION have been in existence for over 50 years and is highly respected as a brand in appliances like fridges, small electronics and has recently opened a bank. Thankfully, both organisations also attended BritCham’s business-to-business networking events, which we held at the Garden Palace Hotel on the 20th July 2017, alongside 67 other attendees from both government and business.
With an even bigger boost to our profile, BritCham Executive Director, Chris Wren, had the pleasure of interviewing both Jamhadi and Alim during their visit to the GREAT Pavilion, to discuss the Indonesian business climate and investment among other things. One issue that Chris raised during the interview was around the Indonesian consumption market and whether companies are willing to ‘invest’ in British quality. He asked, ‘will Indonesian consumers always go cheap and therefore always ‘go China’ in terms of manufacturing?’
Jamhadi replied with positive news for British companies considering exporting to Indonesia, with an answer that was resoundingly clear. He stated that Indonesian businesses will often buy from China, but will only buy from China once due to the inferior quality affecting longevity and putting incredible risk in terms of maintaining a customer base, due to reduction in sales through bad quality. In turn, Indonesian companies are often willing to pay a premium for British goods. This is especially true if the difference is under 30%.
The reputation of British premium products is therefore an important marketable tool, with brand integrity continuing as a crucial factor for consumers, alongside cost efficiency and competitiveness. Companies therefore need to work hard to make their business proposition clear from the offset, and make clear the value derived from paying for an extra premium product from British businesses. The Indonesian market is colossal and there is plenty of space for a diverse range of products to make valuable and profitable investments into the country. The Manufacturing Surabaya expand the following expos over the next 7 months therefore aim to serve as learning curves and as showcases for British companies.
Finally, BritCham would like to take this opportunity to invite Now! Jakarta readers to our upcoming EIBN Joint Gathering hosted by BritCham, taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jakarta on September 19th 2017. Both members and non-members are welcome to our monthly gathering, of which is a great opportunity to expand your business network in Jakarta. The environment is less formal with snacks and free-flowing drinks, with an atmosphere designed to enable those initial intros to those potential future clients. Five years in a row, our socials have been voted the ‘best value’ and ‘extremely useful’ so sign up now by emailing our events team at: events@britcham.or.id. See you there!
Keep in touch with Britcham on social media! Follow our twitter page @BritCham_ID, our IG @britcham_id and our Facebook fanpage at Britcham Indonesia for updates!
If your company belongs to any of the following sectors, join our roadshow in these exhibitions:
- Electric, power and renewable energy (6-9 September)
- Broadcast, ICT, Technology (25-27th October)
- SIAL Interfood (22-25 November)
- Manufacturing (6-9 December)
- Food, Hotel & Tourism (1-2 March 2018)
- Pharmaceuticals (CPhI) (27-29th March 2018)
For more info, contact us at exhibitions@britcham.or.id
