"Macao Franchise Expo 2012" (MFE 20I2), organized by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Brazilian Franchise Association (ABF), Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion, Taiwan (ACFPT), Macao International Brand Enterprise Commercial Association (MIBA), Macao Chain Stores and Franchise Association (MCFA) and Licensing and Franchising Association of Hong Kong (LFA), supported by China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA), International Franchise Association (IFA) and Japan Franchise Association (JFA), co-organized by Korea Franchise Association, Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association, Philippine Franchise Association and Thailand Franchise Association, and coordinated by Association of Advertising Agents of Macao, will be held during July 6 – 8, 2012 at the Venetian-Macao-Resort-Hotel Hall D. MFE – an ideal platform for new business investment, offers opportunities for business and trade co-operation With the slogan "Brand Expansion Continues, Business Opportunities to be seized" and to build on the fruitful results and experiences obtained, MFE 2012 is the fourth edition of the event and continues to strive to promote local brand products on an international scale and attract more international brands to invest in Macao, in order to meet the trend of franchises and chain businesses with an increased international participation. According to statistics, the numbers of business matching, on-site contracted projects, participating countries/ regions and attendance have been increasing proportionally over the past three years. MFE 20I2 has become a unique exposition which has already gained the recognition from the industry professionals, SMEs and business beginners in the region. Coupled with its geographical advantage and unique historical background, Macao is able to become a regional demonstration centre for franchises and chain businesses, which probably creates a broader spectrum of business opportunities for MFE and Macao enterprises. MFE 20I2 is committed to promoting and establishing a business platform to welcome all exhibitors from diversified industries and world-renowned brands to look for business partners in Macao. UntilJuly 2, 20I2MFE has recruited a large number of exhibitors from fourteen different countries or regions, which include Mainland China, United States of America, Japan, South Korea, Britain, France, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, attracting over 150 franchise and chain operators and brand agencies, and engaging in a variety of industries like food and beverages, retail, services, education, strategic planning and marketing, and so on. The number of custom-built booth has reached to 23 (comparing 9 in the 2011MFE), an increase of about 155%. There are a total of 107 overseas exhibitors, number of Macao exhibitor increases from 38 in 2011 to 49 this year, an increase of 28%. Hence 2012MFE is an ideal business occasion, offering a platform for exhibition, forum, business matching, and products & services presentation. Industry experts and professionals inspire the forum with new ideas to transcend Over the past three years, the organizer aims to foster a more desirable business communication platform for local SMEs to enjoy huge benefits through franchising and introduce more international franchise brands to develop in Macao, as a means to create a durable and stable market for business transformation and development. To weather the dynamic changes in the global and regional economic context , and to fortify the competitiveness of local enterprises, MFE 2012 invites a substantial number of renowned industry experts to speak in the forums to share their experience and professional advice, offering tips for the audience To consolidate Macao's role as the regional economic and trade platform, three forums featuring business opportunities of international brands and franchise will be held respectively on July 5, July 6 and July 7. The first forum will be held on July 5 Thursday at Macao Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre, Level 4 - Grand Hall. The topic will be "International Strategy for Franchise and Chain Store Industry" and the senior managers and experienced leaders from various international organizations and business associations from Mainland China, New Zealand, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong and Macao will present their points of view on the topic. The second forum will be held on July 6, which is also the first day of the expo. The topic will be "Beyond Macao – Opportunities of Development in Regional Franchise Business", and groups of famous international chain business specialists and scholars together with the representatives of different enterprises are invited to interactively explore different investment opportunities in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao of running the chain and franchising business and elaborate how to pursue pioneering opportunities and achieve a regional win-win through the franchise mode "Spreading Out and Bringing In". It is expected that the audience, especially for those prospective franchisees, can be inspired by these in-depth discussions to further investigate how to establish "Franchise and Chain Headquarters" for their own brand products. The Macao Retail & Service Award 2012, launched by Macao International Brand Enterprise Commercial Association, will be held on the same day. The topic of the third forum held on July 7 is "From Building Your Own Brand to Managing Chain Store Operations". Through questions prepared by the moderator and experience sharing of the invited speakers, it is expected that the audience can look at the encountered problems ranging from easy to hard, which helps the business beginners to foresee the prospect and trend of franchise and chain business. Brand Re-packaging Consultancy Pavilion Enhances Product Value A substantial number of Macao brands demonstrate the excellent quality and uniqueness of products through MFE. In order to strengthen the brands both locally and internationally, the organizer specially invites representatives from Beijing, Taiwan, and Hong Kong counterparts, who are expertise in brand packaging services, to share their insights and provide opinions tailored to individual needs in "Brand Re-packaging Consultancy Pavilion of MFE 2012". The Brand consultants-in-residence will illustrate and explore the techniques and skills in product packaging to achieve an innovative and attractive outcome and examine how brand packaging strategically enhances the brand value. Also consultancy services will be available for business beginners and SMEs. Food Tasting, MFE Square and Multi-functional Area boost atmosphere for business matching Based on the past experiences, food and beverages and retail franchisors received most attention. Therefore, the organizer has put more efforts in inviting more brands and franchisors of these two areas to participate in MFE 2012. Similar to the previous MFE, there will be a Food and Beverages Tasting Area, together with a newly added MFE Square, a multi-functional area and an opening ceremony to be held in exhibition hall for its first time, which is expected to allow exhibitors to demonstrate their products and boost the match making atmosphere with the special food and fabulous performances. One-stop support service to assist enterprise development and financing MFE 2012 presents the following supporting services for exhibitors, including marketing strategy, financial consultancy, real estate consultancy businesses, which can provide professional advisory services to those who are interested in starting the chain and franchising business. Moreover, Macao Economic Services (DSE) will also have a booth on site to provide information for any inquiry about the Small & Medium Sized Enterprises Schemes. Free Admission. Don't Miss the Opportunity! Macao is not only a free port and independent customs territory that enjoys a great economic vitality in the Asia-Pacific region, but also an important bridge that connects Mainland China to international markets. When the economy is getting better, a number of international brand agencies have shown a good development momentum in Macao. And it is timely for enterprises or individuals to expand the scale of operation or start personal venture in an effective way. Therefore MFE has become an effective platform for enterprises from various countries/regions that are exploring and exploiting chain and franchising business opportunities. Admission throughout the three-day event is free to everyone. Business representatives and general publics are all welcomed to visit the expo. The first day of MFE 2012 (July 6) will be open to business professionals only, and the opening hours are from 11:00am to 8:00 pm, while July 7 and July 8 will be open to general public. The opening hours on July 7 Saturday are from 11:00am to 8:00 pm and the opening hours on July 8 Sunday are from 11:00 am to 06:00 pm. For public convenience, two routes of shuttle bus service will be available on Saturday and Sunday. Round trip shuttle 1 goes between Estrada Marginal do Hipodromo (near Royal Supermarket, Areia Preta) and MFE venue. Round trip shuttle 2 goes between Avenida Doutor Mário Soares (Macao Square) and MFE venue. For other enquiries, please contact the secretariat of MFE 2012, Tel: (853) 6212 88ll or visit the MFE official website: www.mfe.mo.
