Posted:
10.04.2024 15:55:00
Products made to last
What is the benefit of participating in international exhibitions and why Belarusian products are highly appreciated in foreign markets
Our country is a regular participant in international trade fairs and exhibitions, demonstrating the potential of Belarusian companies. Domestic enterprises annually take part in more than 130 fairs and exhibitions in Belarus and abroad, including national exhibitions and expositions in over 50 countries on different continents. The Belinterexpo Exhibition Unitary Enterprise of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been promoting the interests of the country at international exhibition forums for 22 years, introducing high-quality products of our enterprises to foreign markets worldwide. Natalia Kurash, Director of BelCCI’s Belinterexpo, revealed why Belarusian goods are so much appreciated around the world and what stands behind the Made in Belarus brand.
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An effective tool
— What is the role of your company in promoting Belarusian products to foreign markets?
Natalia Kurash, Director of Belinterexpo
— The exhibition is a key marketing tool in the context of promoting national industry interests. Thanks to many years of experience in implementing projects, case studies and a well-established mechanism of interaction with foreign partners, Belinterexpo works at the world’s best exhibition venues, has exclusive rights for Belarusian exhibitors to participate in a number of major international exhibition forums, develops national exhibition brands under its auspices, among which the most popular are Made in Belarus, Belarus. The Taste of Nature. Belinterexpo has a wide optional range of practical and consulting services at its disposal in the field of support, provision and organisation of exhibition projects, congress events, business negotiations and business tourism. The company’s portfolio includes 300+ exhibitions in more than 50 countries around the world — from large-scale national events to industry expositions at specialised exhibition forums. According to the results of the year 2023, it should be noted that Belinterexpo arranged and held 28 exhibitions and expositions of Belarusian enterprises. The events were hosted by 15 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Georgia, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, Mongolia, the UAE, Serbia, Syria, Türkiye and Uzbekistan.
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Up the export arc
— Under the conditions of sanctions pressure, Belarus has relied on diversification of external supplies and market development of far arc countries. What exhibition events are held in Asia and Africa, and how high is the interest in Belarusian products?— The geography of exhibition projects co-ordinated by the national operator Belinterexpo is quite wide. Taking into account the increased interest in our products and services in a number of regions, our company forms a calendar grid of exhibition forums. Thus, domestic products will be presented at exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Algeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa. It is also planned to participate in trade fairs in Angola, Namibia, Tanzania, Egypt, China, Korea and Malaysia. In addition, Belinterexpo continues to interact with the organisers of exhibition forums in the European region.
— What are Belinterexpo’s plans for this year?
— The main calendar list of international exhibition projects is formed by specialists in advance. It is currently planned to organise about 30 exhibition forums aimed at showcasing collective locations of Belarusian enterprises and companies under the brands Made in Belarus, and Belarus. The Taste of Nature. In the CIS countries, where our products are already well known, we envisage a wide presentation of products within the framework of collective expositions. The Russian Federation and its regions show a special interest in the event. One of the priorities remains to be the organisation of domestic expositions at international exhibition venues in the People’s Republic of China and the countries of the African region as the most open to effective bilateral interaction between business communities and enterprises. Thus, with the support of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, strategic sessions are currently being held to arrange a domestic exposition within the framework of the China International Import Expo 2024. The calendar for 2024 includes the international exhibitions Africa’s Big 7 and SAITEX, in which Belarusian enterprises have been participating with the support of Belinterexpo since 2005. For the first time, new regions have also been considered for the presentation of national expositions — at the diversified SWAiTEX trade expo in one of the most technologically advanced countries in South West Africa, the Republic of Namibia, and at the International Food and Technology Expo in Jordan.
Belarusian stands for high-quality
— Speaking in general, what economic benefit does participation in exhibitions give the company?— The economic benefit of participation in exhibitions always means a prolonged effect that determines the subsequent activity and expansion of interaction geography of a particular enterprise with foreign partners. The Made in Belarus logo, registered in March 2020 by Belinterexpo, has become recognisable, and attracts significantly more visitors to the Belarusian location nowadays.
As part of exhibition events, in addition to displaying products and goods, Belinterexpo organises and co-ordinates business events for Belarusian enterprises, including B2B meetings and dialogue platforms with representatives of foreign business and business circles, seminars and negotiation events. The effectiveness of these events is evidenced by interaction geography of Belarusian enterprises in the international arena as well as by signed documents on co-operation. Thus, there were signed 435 co-operation documents in 2023, including commercial contracts, agreements, memoranda, co-operation agreements totalling about Br1.5bn. We also invite foreign partners to participate in well-known domestic international trade fairs, including those organised by Belinterexpo in the Republic of Belarus. The examples of the results of the efficient bilateral communication include the participation of foreign companies in the exhibition Belagro, Prodexpo, the involvement of the Russian Federation regions, the African region and provinces of the People’s Republic of China. It is noteworthy that Belinterexpo is currently engaged in organising an exhibition for enterprises of Chinese provinces at the premises of the Great Stone Industrial Park. A roadmap for the event is being drafted and co-ordinated step by step with Chinese colleagues.
By Vladislav Sychevich
