The upcoming 2016 Macao Franchise Expo plays the role as a regional franchise platform

“Brand Expansion Continues, Business Opportunities To Be Seized” – 2016 Macao Franchise Expo (2016 MFE) will be held at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, (Hall A) from 29 July to 31 July this year. This is the eighth year that the event has been held and it continues to play a role as a regional franchise platform by helping brands to “Bring in” and “Go Global”, MFE is also preparing a series of activities which are keeping pace with current global economic trends. MFE hopes to assist enterprises to open up new ways of thinking and creating new business opportunities through exhibitions, forums, experience sharing, business matching, brand consultancy, professional presentations and competition for start-ups. Portuguese speaking Countries and more than 180 franchise, chain operators and brand agencies have been invited to participate in this magnificent event 2016 MFE is jointly organised by IPIM, the Brazilian Franchise Association, Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion, Taiwan, Macao International Brand Enterprise Commercial Association, Macao Chain Stores & Franchise Association and Licensing & Franchising Association of HK. This year the exhibition space is over 1,900 square metres with nearly 220 stands. It has attracted more than 180 exhibitors participating from Brazil, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mainland China, Mozambique, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, of which East Timor and Mozambique are exhibiting for the first time. The expo will cover businesses within the food and beverage industry, retail, education, entertainment, finance, real estate, accessories, consulting service industries, as well as branding agencies. Business opportunities emerging from diversified activities The “Forum on International Franchise Business Opportunities” will be held on 29 July, the first day of the expo. Themed as “New Horizon for Chain and Franchise in the Internet Era”, experts and senior executives from several countries and regions have been invited to share the Internet development of local franchise industries and to explore how to achieve broader development under the “Internet +” thinking pattern. This forum will help business circles and youth start-ups comprehensively and correctly grasp the operating mode of “Internet +”, as well as allow them to understand how to take advantage of the opportunities to make the industry more international and open up new business opportunities. In addition, on 30 July, Mr. Robert Chua, the general agent of Tim Ho Wan Dim-Sum, Hong Kong and TV producer has been invited to be a guest speaker at the experience sharing seminar. The Franchise & Chain Award Ceremony hosted again to encourage diversified development of local franchise industry Moreover, with the aim of promoting friendly exchanges between Macao and the international franchise industry, Macau Chain Stores & Franchise Association will again hold the 2016 Macau Franchise & Chain Award Ceremony during the event. It acknowledges the outstanding enterprises in different sectors of the franchising business and encourages the diversification of the Macao’s franchise industry. Launching Online Business Matching Self-service Platform This year, with the aim of providing exhibitors and visitors with professional talks and matching services, the expo is launching the Online Business Matching Self-service Platform. Using the Online Platform, enterprises can look for and make appointments with appropriate chain brands prior to the expo, which will increase the matching abilities and provide business opportunities for the development of enterprises, the transition of enterprises and start-ups. Furthermore, building on its preceding reputation, the Band Re-packaging Pavilion will once again be at the expo and provide Consultancy Service to people who intend to start up or expand business through the franchise mode. At the expo site, there will be Professional Promotion Seminar as well as Products Presentation from Korean and Taiwanese exhibitors, where exhibitors will get the opportunity to present their brands or franchise business models. “Competition on chain business for youth start-ups” making youth’s business dreams a reality In order to help youth start-ups and improve the popularity of the chain business mode, 2016 MFE will specifically hold a “Competition on chain business for youth start-ups” and invite energetic youngsters who are dedicated to start a business to prepare investment plans for the brands involved in MFE this year and promote their investment plans to representatives from the venture capital fund sponsors. The competition will be held over three days. On the first day, experts will explain to competitors the skill of writing an investment plan as well as points to pay attention to; subsequently, the competitors need to talk to the exhibitors about co-operation opportunities and write a plan; later the competitor and the representative from the exhibitor need to introduce the project to the venture capital fund, which will decide the outstanding investment plan as the winning team. The “VIP Buyer Forum”, which is a new addition this year, provides a meeting opportunity for venture capital fund investors and MFE exhibitors to discuss the possibilities of investment projects. Golden opportunities created by concurrent events 2016 MFE will be held at the same time as 2016 Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair, in order to create golden opportunities for enterprises. Entry into 2016 MFE is free and on the first day (29 July) MFE is open to professional visitors only. On 30 and 31 July it is open to the public. Furthermore, MFE provides a free shuttle bus services with several bus pick up stops in Macau Peninsula and Taipa to transport visitors to and from the expo site; MFE also provides parking spaces at Hall D and Hall E of the exhibition centre with parking spaces limited and available on a first-come-first-served basis. For any further information regarding MFE this year, one can visit the official website at www.mfe.mo or telephone: 853-82946777, fax: 853-82946701, e-mail: expo@mfe.mo, or add the Wechat account of MFE: MFEMacau.