Foodex Japan 2013

Event Name : Foodex Japan 2013

Date : 05 Mar - 08 March 2013

Venue : Makuhari Messe - International Convention Complex, Chiba, Japan

Organizer : Japan Management Association

Website : http://www3.jma.or.jp/foodex/en/

No. Exhibitors  : 2300 +

Event Profile

The 38th International Food and Beverage Exhibition, FOODEX JAPAN 2013 will be held for 4 days on March 2013. It is entirely devoted to the international food and beverage marketplace, experts and key decision makers from whole spectrum of organic food sector will be seen in the show. It will help the exhibitors to make new contacts and good follow-up business at the event premises. There will be very large product line of organic food and beverages in the show. 

More than 2300 exhibitors will be exhibits on FOODEX JAPAN 2013 and 75,000 trade professionals are expected will visit on this show.  Products related to the Agricultural Products, Confectionery, Organic Products, Whiskey, Herbs and Spices, Frozen Food Products, Meat and Meat Products, Liqueurs, Delicatessen, Seasonings and Condiments, Dietetic Products will showcase at the expo. Acuicola Marion, Adecal, Aecovi-Extendaagri-West International, Inc., Agroindustrias Campo Real, Agricola Castellana-Cuatro Rayas and more will exhibit their product and services at the show.

 

Source:

1. http://www.biztradeshows.com

2. 

http://www3.jma.or.jp/foodex/en/

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Trade Shows: 5 ways to make it worth your money

1. Who are you and what do you do?

a) What: Walking down 50 over aisles trying to find a booth with a company offering a         particular service, a new technology or solution to a problem is overwhelming to say the least. After the 25^th aisle, these booths just seem to look like one another. Thus, the message your signage communicates is key to strategic differentiation.
b) How: Get a person external of your industry to look at your design and see if the accurate information about your booth is explained from your signage.

 

2. Back to the booth

a) What: Size does not matter.

b) How: A well-organized booth, big or small is what customers want.

a) What: Well-organized should also mean strategic, mistakes are often made to create the arrangement of a typical set-up booth: a table at the front, providing a place to make literature easily available to passing prospects. This unconsciously creates a barrier to customers, and the best you can get with it is a prospect that passes you by. 

b) How: All literature goes at the back of the table, and the table is turned perpendicular rather than parallel to the aisle, drawing customers into the booth, rather than repelling them. The aim is for customers to look at the product first, then take the time to ask questions about it, and finally, once they have connected with the sales reps, to have access to the catalogues they can take with them to remember the connection they have made.

a)What: Most business originating from a tradeshow is done at the tradeshow—be it an actual sale, or a connection made between the seller and the buyer, conveying useful information. Buyers go to a show and retain in their mind both product information and people knowledge.  The sales rep that spent time talking to them, inquiring their needs and offering assistance, that’s the one they will remember, not the sales rep with the electronic wand.

b) How: Eliminate distractions. Train reps on how to get the information in a way that will make a sale, not a database entry.

3. It’s all about the people

a) What: The staffs at your booth are basically the main bridge that will make or break your connection with potential customers. They should understand and agree with trade show objectives and be able to communicate this well. More importantly, they should know the product they are selling, from inside out and be prepared to handle any inquiries from prospects.

b) How: Train early and often before each trade show and offer refreshers on both goals and manners once there. Minimise rent-a-booth people, may be attractive but can do little more than get leads that you hope you can follow up. Use those people to help prospects fill forms, do very light hospitality, and move them to your sales person. Your actual employee who can turn contacts into warm leads and thus into sales, will maximize the value of what you've spent.

4. Quality over Quantity

a) What: Most people define a successful trade show is one where you have 10,000 people walking past your booth. Yes, that is indeed a successful trade show, but certainly no success on your part.

b) How: Define your target market for your exhibit and tailor-make pre-show activity such as e-mail blasts or marketing campaigns to direct them specifically.

5. Play a little 007

a) What: With similar industry players hanging out in one big playground, trade shows provide the perfect environment for espionage. As each of you demonstrates your key feature, secret ingredient and magic technology, take some time to do conduct a little competitor research and know that they will be doing the same as well.

b) How: Ensure your staffs have enough observational savvy to distinguish competitor spies from ordinary customers. Identify the key competition, define the important information beforehand, position yourself at key places and then, listen very closely. You will find your trade show productivity more than just a stack of business card.

c) Key places for Bond activities:

• The Breakfast Buffet.
• The Elevator
• The Organizing Committee: Before the conference, volunteer for its organizing committee, which helps plan the program and choose speakers. It will bolster your rep among your peers—and provide access to attendees' names and lodging information. Use this data to identify your targets and plan how you will intercept them.
• The Smoke Break

Source: http://summerconferences.uchicago.edu/

Source: thewritersalleys.blogspot.com

References:

1.       http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/get-the-most-out-of-trade-shows.html

2.       http://www.inc.com/vanessa-merit-nornberg/how-to-make-a-trade-show-profitable.html

3.       http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/competitive-intelligence-how-to-work-a-trade-show.html

4.       http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/competitive-intelligence-how-to-work-a-trade-show.html

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What Every Buyer Needs to Know

Issue	Response
What can I do if my goods are not delivered after full payment and how do I avoid this problem next time?	In the opinion of Sophie Mao of www.chibridge.net, lawyer in China, "The best way to protect yourself is to structure your payment terms so that payment and quality of the goods are linked. Make sure to keep the deposit as small as possible and do not make the remaining payments until you or a third party inspection agent has checked the goods." If you have the following items in place, then there is a decent chance of negotiating a resolution that is acceptable: A signed or chopped contract that defines clearly the acceptable level of quality. A clear paper trailing showing proof of payment. The seller named on the contract matches the receiver of the payments. (With so many trading companies out there it is a common mistake to have a contract with a supplier but pay a trading company). Your supplier has physical and financial assets (small "one-man-bands" disappear as soon as they feel a lawsuit is on the way). The jurisdiction on the contract matches the location of the supplier's assets at a city, province or country level. It is always nice to have future orders you can leverage as well.
How do I make sure the quality of goods received is according to contract?	1.    Ensure the supplier can actually achieve your desired  level of quality in the first place:       Physical inspection of the factories and a review of actual production samples.       Recruit independent agents that can assist with this qualification and analysis process. 2.   Always see an actual production sample from the actual supplier. 3.   Ask the supplier to provide their internal QC documentation.
How do I pick a supplier?	1.   First, identify the qualities of your ideal supplier would look like:      access to a certain raw material,       are they ISO-certified,       are they verified suppliers,       do they have X number of employees,       do they produce X amount of goods per year and so on       their product country of origin 2.   Compare the website or brochures from your list of potential suppliers against the attributes of this "ideal supplier" and create three piles: "No way," "Maybe" and "Looks good." Generally speaking, the websites and brochures offer you a best case scenario in terms of capability and experience of the factory. Sales and marketing people anywhere in the world tend to overpromise and underdeliver. 3.   Only at the final stage of choice do we bring in a key factor: price. Knowing the tendency to favour a cheaper option, price should only come into consideration once a handful of quality choices are available for choice. *Thankfully for you dear buyer, the hassle and pain of going through a pile of brochures and endless websites can be eliminated with Socialwalk’s business matching service.  Not only do we save you precious time, we reduce the risk of undependable and unreliable suppliers Through us, you will meet serious buyers, quality suppliers and credible partners.
How do I know if a supplier is legitimate?	You should contact the suppliers and conduct the RFQ or request for quotation. Their feedback should allow you to narrow down the list further to only the top two or three based on pricing and non-price attributes. There are professional service providers available that conduct these types of verifications at very reasonable prices. Contact us for free one-to-one session at kelly@socialwalk.com

Source: Answers written by Mike Bellamy, an Advisory Board Member & Featured Blogger at the not-for-profit China Sourcing Information Center. Mike is also the author of "The Essential Reference Guide to China Sourcing" and founder of PassageMaker Sourcing Solutions

Feeling ready to start your supplier search now? Well, there’s nowhere better to start than with Socialwalk. Do you know that Socialwalk have more than 50,000 suppliers from 132 countries? Click here to check out our suppliers in Food Industry today.

If you have any other questions, feel free to share with our Industry specialist at Socialwalk

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About Us

A subsidiary team of Socialwalk Sdn Bhd, exclusively dedicated to the Food and Beverage Trade Industry, in building your bridge to the perfect business match. Can’t take our word for it? Just visit http://www.socialwalk.com/LandingFood.aspx to see the testimonials from other global business owners and learn more about our service :)

Our Philosophy

We believe that business owners should have a global mindset, and we're your connector to the world. Quality relationship-building starts here. Through us, you will meet serious buyers, quality suppliers and credible partners. Our business community is developed by a team who delivers happiness and celebrates with you on your successful business transactions!

Each individual in Socialwalk has been talent-spotted and has undergone Socialwalk’s training to ensure quality and consistency in our service. They have learnt to discover our users' true needs through observations and interactions with users and clients. They have developed, executed and are continuously fine-tuning our business matching solutions. Why? Because they never stop aiming for the next level of perfection in our service and online platform.

 

Socialwalk Food & Beverage Team at Work

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Socialwalk's Supplier of the Week

Percetakan Tenaga Sdn Bhd

Percetakan Tenaga is the leading total solutions provider, who have assembled a comprehensive suite of printing services to meet the various requirements of customers in today. These services are complemented by their employees who take pride in offering a high level of expertise together with responsive and quick services.

Their services include:

Pre-Printing Consultation

• Identifying needs of customer
• Design concept development
• Creative design using latest graphics design software

Types of Printing

• leaflets, manuals, brochures and reports
• POS materials such as POP Standee, Hanging mobiles, Flag lines, Wobblers and shelf talkers
• Blister card printing
• Fluted board packaging boxes
• Paperboard packaging boxes
• Customized Blister card PVC, PP, PeT packaging
• Metallized foil packaging boxes
• 3D lenticular
• scratch cards, security labels and prepaid cards

Printing Finishing

• Spot UV varnishing
• Drip off UV varnishing effect
• Matt UV varnishing
• Blister varnish
• Silver / Pearl varnish
• Soft touch varnish
• Matt / Gloss lamination
• UV / Water base calendaring
• 3D / Screen / Varnish embossing
• Hologram casting

Are you looking for packaging service in food industry ? Click here to view the company's details in our platform.

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2013: Where will the Food be?

Yes, where exactly will the global F&B sector be thriving in the year 2013?

 This booming industry, which comprises farming, food production, distribution, retail and catering, has surpassed the value of $5.7 trillion USD since 2009 and is one of the major contributors to growth of all economies and has historically witnessed consistent growth, and the industry is expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.5 percent to $7 trillion by 2014. With such a compelling projection, it is no surprise that everyone wants a bite of this cake. But where do you start? Well, the good people at Socialwalk F&B Team have done the research for you, just read ahead and plot your reign for the F&B throne this 2013!

India

India is one of the largest countries in the world, with a growing population of 1.2 billion people. While India supplies the majority of its own food for consumption, the country is a growing market for processed food imports, which are becoming more popular with the younger population, especially in urban areas. Changing food consumption patterns of India’s population is expected to not only increase consumption volume in absolute terms to US$230 billion by 2013 but also shift people’s diet qualitatively towards richer, processed foods, which will force increased commodity requirements.

Tips for getting into the market:

1.      Supply Chain: The food supply chain in India once complex and less developed has seen notable development since the advent of global brands in the Indian F&B sector. Many large F&B Players have favoured direct procurement by way of contract farming to source key products. While contracting firms benefit from more assured supplies and reasonable control over quality and other specifications, this system does have its risks. In India, contracting agreements are often verbal or informal in nature, and should there be a breach, neither party will be keen to contest these issues in court, where litigation can be an extremely slow process. 

 

Source: Athena Informics

2.      Business partner: It is crucial that time and money are allocated towards identifying the right local partners and companies, which can help establish a brand in the Indian market.  Key factors to consider when selecting a business partner:

·         The suitability of their target market for your product.

·         Flexibility and adaptability of your business partner. Agents and importers / distributors that are smaller tend to be more adaptable than larger companies.

·         If there are any conflicts of interest with other products that the agent / importer / distributor is involved with.

·         Reputation through checking with their associations, clients and bankers.

As we know how important suitability and reliability is, Socialwalk can help you find the perfect business match with our expanding database of buyers and suppliers at http://www.socialwalk.com/

3.      Visits and trade shows: India has a complex food and beverage market so it is recommended that companies interested in exporting to India visit the country itself and visit or participate in major trade shows.

See our list of upcoming F&B trade shows here!

4.      Advice on packaging: Packaging sizes are very important, usually for Indian consumers, the bigger the better. Indian importers and distributors generally have the best knowledge and should be consulted when making packaging decisions.

5.      Regulations: Import tariffs vary depending on the product, but in general are quite high. Furthermore, the tariff system can be complex as there are a range of taxes which must be paid on imports. The main duties and tariffs are:

·         Basic Duty: This tax is applicable to most imported goods and the rate is 30 percent for most products.

·         Additional Duty (AD) or Countervailing Duty (CVD): An additional duty to match the domestic Central Value Added Tax (CENVAT) for goods produced and manufactured in India. The CVD rate is based on a product’s Maximum Retail Price (MRP).

·         Special Additional Duty (SAD) or Special Countervailing Duty (SCVD): A 4 percent duty on most imported products. This tax is designed to match domestic taxes such as Sales Tax and Value Added Tax.

·         Due to food inflation concerns and unpredictable weather that affects agriculture, there are certain products that are exempt from import tariffs such as wheat, rice, corn and crude vegetable oils.

6.      Opportunities: A positive growth rate for overall food and beverage consumption is expected for the next few years, in particular:

·         Processed food

·         Milk and dairy        

·         Beverages, including wine

·         Fish and seafood

Source: trade.indiamart.com

Source: thediningtable.sg

References:1. http://www.businessvibes.com/blog/facts-and-figures-global-food-and-beverage-industry2. http://www.nzte.govt.nz/explore-export-markets/market-research-by-industry/Food-and-beverage/Pages/Food-and-Beverage-Market-India-January-2012.aspx3. http://www.athenainfonomics.in/assets/F&B%20Food%20Service%20in%20India.pdf4. http://www.ehospitalitytimes.com/?p=558465. http://lmd.lk/2011/05/01/leading-edge-4/6. http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120122/BusinessTimes/bt10.html

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Food Production Chain - Strong and Weak Links Identification

What holds true for every chain also applies to the food production chain. Every chain must be dependable. All of its links must be strong. We know too well that this is not the case for the food production chain. There are links that render it weak enough to cause us some concern.
These links can be seen in this food production chain diagram provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The diagram here has been slightly augmented with additional point descriptions for a total of 11 identified points or links.

Are you able to identify the strong and the weak links in this diagram? Where in the supply and consumption chain you see your role and how does the aspect you are involved in contribute to the strength of the chain? Is it a strong or a weak link? Everyone is at least a consumer and personal food preparation or consumption habits contribute to the weakness or strength of the supply and consumption chain.

You may follow your criteria for identifying the links except for this small hint: The strength and weakness of the links have something to do with the points where things are adequately or inadequately regulated and monitored for hazards - biological (including allergens), chemical and physical contaminants.

Socialwalk is the official business matching partner at more than 260 events across 24 industries.

In 2012, we have facilitated more than USD$432 million dollars worth of trade. We help companies with their buying requirements as well as sales and expansion requirements all year round.  Our platform features about 50,000 companies currently. If you are interested in connecting with the buyers, click here.

Source: http://gcse-food-health-protection.blogspot.ca/2012/08/food-production-chain-strong-and-weak.html?goback=%2Egde_4027142_member_198838685

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