The 13th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) Comes to a Close

The four-day 13th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), has come to a close today, 26th October 2008. The 14th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will be held from 22nd to 25th October 2009. Conclusion of activities As at 3:00 PM this afternoon (26th October), approximately 50,000 visitors were registered, of which 5,795 being trade visitors. On this fourth day, 37 agreements were signed, valued at MOP 3.54 billion. On the other hand, 860 sessions of purchase negotiations and business matching were conducted. During the period, a total of 35 forums, conferences and seminars were held with 2,546 attendees. Regarding the exhibitions, there were altogether 886 booths with exhibitors coming from 33 countries and regions. Business matching Prior to and during the 13th MIF, the Organiser has received a total of 2,363 business matching projects(a year-on-year increase of 210.51%), which include 213 procurement projects participated by 39 buyers, 556 sourcing projects, 60 franchised and chain store brands, 167 brand distribution, 1,367 investment projects. During the fair, a total of 860 business matching sessions were held (a year-on-year increase of 41.68%), of which 375 sessions were for procurement (43.6%) and 169 sessions for product/services supply (a year-on-year increase of 19.65%), 212 sessions for franchising and chain store operations (a year-on-year of 24.65%), and 8 sessions for brand distribution (a year-on-year of 0.93%), and 96 sessions for delegation matching (a year-on-year of 11.16%). Agreements reveal the directions of the market The Organiser has received a total of 37 projects for signing agreements valued at MOP 3.54 billion. The agreements signed may be classified as follows: 1) imports & exports from and to the Portuguese-speaking countries; 2) investment projects;3) agency business; 4) franchising, etc. In particular, the imports & exports to and from the Portuguese-speaking countries include solar panels, cables, and TV sets, coffee, minerals, and marine products. Moreover, a franchising cooperation agreement was signed for the first time at MIF. Through MIF, the buyers from Latin America, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao had a chance to get together and reach business deals. On the other hand, the Macao SMEs have learnt the procurement requirements of 3 large U.S. corporations in Macao. Higher level of internationalization This year’s MIF has seen a further increase in the number of participating countries and delegations. 33 countries have registered as exhibitors. A total of 274 visiting delegations have come from 57 countries and regions. Besides, this year’s MIF is strongly represented and supported by many international organisations and professional institutions, embodying that MIF is gaining higher recognition internationally. Those institutions include: WAIPA - World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, IFA – International Franchise Association, AFECA - Asian Federation of Exhibition & Convention Associations, ICOOI - Instituto de Cooperação Internacional, HKVCPEA - Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, HKLFA - Licensing and Franchising Association of Hong Kong, TWTC – Taipei World Trade Center, TCSI – Taiwan Coalition of Service Industries, and more. Serving Macao SMESs The 13th MIF has organized the “SME International Business Days” on 24th & 25th October, which has attracted plenty of SMEs to participate in the associated business matching, seminars and presentations. A total of 623 local enterprises have participated in the business matching. Amongst the many protocol signing projects, 46% of them belong to local SMEs. Meanwhile, the newly introduced product presentation area has attracted local enterprises to bring in a wide range of different products and services for promotion, for which 16 sessions were held. Forums & Conferences The 13th MIF has held a total of 35 sessions of forums and conferences attended by 2,546 participants. Speakers included government officials, business leaders, personages, experts and scholars. Survey Similar to past years, this year’s MIF has entrusted the University of Macao to conduct a survey to collect data for future reference. The report of the survey will be announced shortly.