2017MFE has attracted many visitors
The 2017 Macao Franchise Expo (2017MFE) – a large annual event for the franchising industry – attracted exhibitors from all around the world. A number of exhibitors have expressed their satisfaction with the event, pointing out that MFE has helped them find fresh business opportunities and partners, as well as increasing people’s awareness of their enterprise.
Mr Tomoyasu Sasaki, head of a Japanese company, says that as Japanese culture is very popular in Macao – and in addition to the commercial opportunity created by Macao's prosperous hotel and service industry – the city offers chances for the company to expand its business. This was a factor in the firm’s decision to take part in MFE for the first time, promoting the seafood and agricultural products of Kyushu in Japan.
Mr Sasaki indicates that by participating in 2017MFE, the company aims to talk directly with hotels and restaurants and send its products directly to business partners in order to avoid the cost of using middlemen; so enabling restaurants to get the company’s products at a good price.
He says that in the past two days, he has had preliminary discussions with more than 10 enterprises, and this has made him feel more than happy with the results and glad that he attended this year’s MFE. Among potential partners is a buyer from Malaysia interested in purchasing Kyushu oysters to replace the French oysters the buyer’s restaurant has been using. The buyer is also very interested in blue tuna from Kyushu, said Mr Sasaki
Mr Andrew Chiang works for a company selling quality coffees to the public on a takeaway basis. It is the company’s first visit to MFE. He says that although his business is focusing on takeaway coffee, it is involved in the wider process of wholesaling – from the purchasing of the coffee beans to the roasting of the coffee – thus ensuring it provides high-quality coffee to its customers. He hopes to increase the popularity of the business and find commercial partners to expand its presence to Mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as for opportunities in coffee bean wholesaling and business consulting. His firm’s participation in MFE has secured him the attention of some potential partners for co-operation, and so he feels pleased with the result’s his company has achieved from attending 2017MFE.
A fruit wholesale company from Malaysia is also a first-time participant in MFE. Ms Shane Cheo, head of the company, says the aim of joining MFE was to find business partners with the same business aims, namely the selling of products directly to supermarkets. Over the last two days they have been in contact with many enterprises and are quite happy about the results, she said.
A second-time exhibitor, Mr Lei Kai Chao, head of a local catering group, says that after first participating in 2016, the restaurants in the group had enjoyed an uptick in popularity and had also attracted investors interested in the catering industry. So the group took part in MFE again this year, hoping to help its Macao catering brand “go global” via Macao's role as a Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, as well as via Macao’s participation in the “Belt and Road” initiative. The fact that this year MFE is taking place at the same time and in the same venue as the 2017 Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair – thus attracting attendees who are interested in franchising as well as in Mainland China and Macao quality products – boosts the effectiveness of both events.
As well as MFE being able to help attendees via Macao’s role as a Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, the event continues to attract enterprises from Portuguese-speaking Countries. Among them, is the Mozambique Chamber of Commerce, which has organised four companies – covering steel, tourism, seafood products and crocodile leather – to participate. Ms Natália Orlando, representative of a seafood product company, says that this year the company hopes to increase the popularity of Mozambique seafood, as well as to bring these quality products to the Macao market, and from there, further expand to the Mainland China and Hong Kong markets. In the past two days, a number of enterprises have been showing interest in co-operation, she added. The company has established contact with them and hopes for further co-operation in the future.
Tomorrow (30 July) – the final day of 2017MFE – is also dubbed the “Start-up Launchpad” Day, where a number of successful businesspeople have been invited to share their experiences with the audience, so that those who are interested in entrepreneurship or business expansion can learn from them.
To encourage the public to support public transportation as a priority and to encourage green travel, 2017MFE has arranged free shuttle buses from Macao, Taipa and other locations to the venue. Services will run between the 2017MFE venue and the following destinations: Rua do Dr. Pedro José Lobo (Macau Plaza); Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida; Iao Hon Market; and Taipa Central Park. There are also parking areas at Exhibition Hall D and E with a limited number of parking spaces on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the current MFE, please visit the official website www.mfe.mo, Tel: (853) 82946885, fax: (853) 82946701, e-mail: sec@mfe.mo or MFE Official WeChat: MFEMacau.
