This was HDC ’ s second participation in the event , which is being organised in collaboration with the Korea Trade-Investment Agency ( KOTRA ) to promote halal trade , investment , and know-how between Malaysia and South Korea .

For HDC , SFH 2021 will be an ideal opportunity to launch its new virtual product demo platform and continue to facilitate halal trade and investment through the Virtual Businessto-Business ( B2B ). This effort was a huge success the previous year .

The Halal Integrated Platform ( HIP ) establishment , a one-stop online platform that helps companies grow their businesses by connecting them to other industry stakeholders within the global halal ecosystem , is one of HDC ’ s main development plans for 2021 .

HIP provides a Digital Augmented Showcase of Halal Malaysia , or DASH , an application that combines Augmented Reality capabilities with 3D-enabled presentations of Malaysian halal products and services to enable Malaysian halal exporters to showcase their products and services to potential global buyers .

Virtual platform

As cross-border travel restrictions continue to be imposed worldwide , DASH provided a viable virtual platform for sellers to creatively display and sell their products to potential buyers all over the world , without the need for any physical presence .

“ So far , 54 Malaysian halal exporters have had their products integrated into DASH , and their products will immediately gain more exposure , either through a hybrid or

Seoul Food & Hotel ( SFH0 2019 )

full physical participation in trade promotion events organised by HDC or any of our counterparts ,” said Hairol Ariffien Sahari , Chief Executive Officer of HDC .

“ By prioritising digital participation through DASH ( Augmented Reality ), Virtual Reality , and Interactive Digital Screens , we hope that the current 250 products listed in this 3D-enabled platform can be accessed by various global businesses participating in major regional trade shows , such as this SFH 2021 for the Asia Pacific region or the upcoming World Expo 2020 Dubai .”

Another priority for HDC during its halal mission to Korea was to continue its Virtual B2B series . In this regard , HDC ’ s International Cooperation Department has already held two virtual B2B meetings for Malaysian companies .

The first session was with Korean buyers

in conjunction with the Seoul Food & Hotel 2020 , which took place on Oct 6-8 , 2020 . The second was with potential Chinese buyers in conjunction with the Food & Hospitality China ( FHC ) 2020 : Shanghai Global Food Trade Show , which took place from Nov 24-26 , 2020 .

The previous two business meetings were held entirely online between Malaysian exporters listed in DASH and foreign buyers from various provinces in Korea and China , respectively .

East Asian market

These sessions have undoubtedly improved Malaysia ’ s halal product positioning , particularly in East Asian markets . Positive and conclusive feedback was received , with an estimated RM 10 million in potential sales from these two sessions .

“ During times of global pandemics , such as now , virtual B2B is quickly becoming the new preferred method for local halal producers to access foreign markets .

“ This has not only helped us understand the expectations of global buyers as well as those of our local exporters , but it also demonstrates the competitiveness of their products in entering new markets while adhering to new business norms ,” Hairol added .

During the event , HDC showcased its Halal Training Institute , Halal Consultancy & Advisory and promoted Halal Parks as well as the upcoming World Halal Business Conference 2021 .

After being postponed twice due to the global Covid-19 outbreak , SFH took place amid a social distancing level 4 imposed by the local authorities .

SFH , organised by KOTRA , is Korea ’ s most significant international food and beverage exhibition and Asia ’ s fourth-largest food industry exhibition , attracting over 1,550 qualified exhibitors and 50,335 visitors from 40 countries each year .

“ The global prospect of the halal industry is highly regarded as a new source of economic growth by both the Korean government and business community .

“ HDC is certainly honoured to be leading this win-win collaboration with KOTRA , and we remain fully committed to contributing to the development of a robust regional halal industry , as well as to strengthening the warm ties that exist between our two countries ,” Hairol said .

More Virtual B2B sessions in other parts of the world are planned for HDC ’ s calendar beginning in Q2 2021 . With the DASH app , you can increase your global visibility .