@Halal January/February 2022 | Page 13

January-February . 2022 | @ Halal

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Left : Launching of Malaysia Showcase pavilion .

“ We also had invitation cards to explain what ‘ teh tarik ’ is all about and all our exhibitors invited their friends , buyers and trade visitors during the Teh Tarik session .”

Hema added that they implemented some Covid-19 precautions for the safety of the exhibitors . Even though Turkey did not have a stringent Covid-19 ruling , the dedicated My Events International team took the initiative to conduct PCR tests for the delegates before the departure and conduct regular sanitisation at the pavilion .

“ Malaysia Showcase is a brand by My Events International . A brand that we carry abroad showcasing all Malaysian products and services , which are ready for export .

“ We provide the platform for entrepreneurs who do not have the accessibility , network and capability . We provide them with this platform so that they can join us in showcasing their products and services to not only trade visitors but the trade buyers .”

the B2B meetings , we also provided a platform for exhibitors to do pitching ,” said Hema , adding that My Events International worked with about 21 trade association chambers who helped to connect them with the trade buyers .

A total of five MoUs had been signed and exchanged in the Malaysia Pavilion between the Malaysia Showcase ’ s exhibitors and their counterparts . The exchange of MoUs included the following companies : 1 . Waham Sdn Bhd & Medicare Global 2 . ASUV Technology & Kreteg 3 . Ezee Food & Deniz Feneri Dernegi 4 . Malakat Eco Group & Saccarra 5 . Ezee Food & Linkage International Shipping & Forwarding Co . Ltd During the pitching session , each participating exhibitor was given a platform inside the pavilion of the Malaysia Showcase to promote their products and services to all pavilion visitors . According to the post-event report , the virtual pitching managed to pull more crowds into the pavilion .

“ With that online business itself ( virtual exhibition ), we attracted sales potential of US $ 1.738 million . Then , physically we brought in sales of US $ 4.32 million . So , we have got nearly US $ 7 million in sales . That

surpassed our target as we only targeted about RM20 million for sales .”

Iconic Teh Tarik session

Another highlight at the Malaysia Showcase was the Teh Tarik session . According to Hema , the organiser ’ s impromptu idea was to provide a more casual and relaxing environment for exhibitors and visitors to have their enlightening roundtable conversation .

“ Malaysia is known for its ‘ teh tarik ’. To our surprise , it caught visitors ’ attention and many exhibitors from other countries . So every evening , at 4pm we do it like how we do it here in Malaysia .

“ So , we carry our culture , and we introduce that culture to all our friends not only from Turkey but from all the other countries , and they fairly enjoyed it . Our ‘ teh tarik ’ was sold out every day . It became an attraction ,” said Hema .

During the session , visitors witnessed the demonstration of ‘ teh tarik ’ pulling trick that was famous in Malaysia . Hema explained there was also a pantry at the pavilion that provided the 3-in-1 sachets of the drink , and visitors would just come to the booth and get their ‘ teh tarik ’ cravings fixed .

IN ITS post-event report , My Events International concluded that the Malaysia Showcase during the 8th OIC Halal Expo was successful .

Nevertheless , the event organiser received some constructive feedback from the exhibitors and observed some aspects they could improve in organising future events .

The three aspects included booth space , meal provision , and translator availability .

“ English is not the main or second language in Turkey . Hence , it may become a challenging issue . Therefore , appointing a resident or student from Malaysia as a translator is crucial . This will allow better communication and understanding between two

parties ,” said the report .

In addition , the exhibitors of the showcase also thanked the organiser for opening up an opportunity for them to showcase their products and services to Turkey and other markets .

Nur Aliaa Mohd Saad , from Freecap Resources , said it was their first time to join this kind of event . She described it as a good experience for the company .

Another exhibitor , Nurhusni Mahad Nor from MOS Nutraceutical Sdn Bhd , said : “ We have gained new connections and prospects . We are happy that many people outside Malaysia are very interested in Malaysian products .”