MATRADE Takes Part in GEC 2016
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is supporting Global Entrepreneurship Community (GEC) 2016 Conference by participating in its Lifestyle Cluster through its industry-specific lab sessions and a mini pavilion.
The event that starts today until 9 December 2016 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is organised by Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC), an agency under the Ministry of Finance (MOF). Other than Lifestyle, other clusters include Finance, Supply Chain, Biotech, Green Tech & Smart Cities, Education, Creative, Healthcare and Social Innovation.
At the event, MATRADE's has been given the task to lead the GEC's Lifestyle lab where the agency will be conducting discussions with entrepreneurs, startups and industry experts in finding solutions and initiatives to improve the business ecosystem for Malaysian lifestyle sector. At the invite-only Lifestyle cluster lab, the industry players discussed challenges in gaining investment, maximising companies' capacity as well as the importance of market intelligence.
According to Mr Abu Bakar Yusof, MATRADE's lifestyle sector director, MATRADE is honoured that it has been chosen as the main agency to drive the development of local lifestyle sector through direct engagement with entrepreneurs especially startups at the event. "Through the labs we get to share with the industry players the latest trends in the sector and how they can leverage on creative thinking to be innovative in pushing their brands abroad. The labs have provided a platform for the entrepreneurs to compare notes and seek valuable advice from the experts on strategies to improve their business performance locally and internationally. MATRADE as Malaysia's export promotion agency is there to support local players when it comes to their global ventures," Mr Abu Bakar said.
Apart from the labs, MATRADE is also featuring five Malaysian brands through a mini pavilion at the GEC. The entrepreneurs involved at the pavilion included Fiziwoo, Galeri Muo, Arcabudaya, Nelissa Hilman & SEM Pai Wellness and the products showcased were apparels, fashion accessories, beauty care, health and wellness as well as art. "We would like to thank MaGIC for collaborating with us and for pushing the development Malaysian entrepreneurs, especially the young business community, who plays a vital role in driving the Malaysian economy," Mr Abu Bakar mentioned.
Malaysian Lifestyle sector, which comprises sub categories such as textiles, apparels, footwear, furniture, jewellery, cosmetics and toiletries, among others, is a main contributor to the Malaysian economy. In 2015, Malaysia's exports of fashion and lifestyle products recorded a value of RM36.91 billion, an increase of 13.2 percent as compared to RM32.61 billion in 2014.
This year, MATRADE organised 160 programmes for Malaysian companies particularly for the Small and Medium Enterprises to help them venture into global business. One of its signature initiatives for the lifestyle sector is Malaysia Fashion Week 2016, a project of INTRADE. Introduced in 2014, the event aims to boost the development of Malaysian fashion & lifestyle industry and to elevate Malaysia's status as a major fashion hub in ASEAN and beyond.
The GEC 2016 aims to connect global entrepreneurs with local ecosystem players in facilitating the exchange of new ideas, discussing insights on economic outlook, trends and to create actionable recommendation strategy in order to advance local champion go overseas.
