Since 2004, the International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) has been showcasing the best in halal products and services. The exhibition is growing from strength to strength, riding on its growing reputation and brand name.
Every year, Malaysia plays host to the largest annual gathering of halal industry players and entrepreneurs, through the International Halal Showcase (MIHAS). This trade fair
showcases a wide range of halal products and services, from food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and herbal products, cosmetics and healthcare, toiletries, Islamic media to Islamic investment, banking and takaful.
Since its inception in 2004, MIHAS has been growing in size and stature, attracting both local and international exhibitors and visitors. In 2009, MIHAS saw the active participation of 529 exhibitors from 31 countries including Malaysia and attracted more than 31,000 visitors from over 25 countries. MIHAS is hosted by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE).
The Birth of MIHAS
MIHAS was started by a private company in 2004, when they organised the first trade fair. Later on, the company realised that they needed the government’s support and subsequently approached the government agencies including MATRADE for assistance. “We agreed to work with them as we realised the potential and importance
of the exhibition, which is also in line with the government’s initiative to promote the halal industry. We eventually took over the MIHAS brand in 2007 and it’s now owned by the government with MATRADE as the managing agency,” says Mohamad Kamarudin Hassan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Development) of MATRADE.
Kamarudin is pleased that MIHAS has been successful and has garnered strong support from both local and international exhibitors. “We also enjoy strong participation from buyers and visitors. This success can be seen in the results. This exhibition has been consistently generating millions of ringgit in immediate sales, not to mention the unrecorded potential sales,” he adds.
Despite MIHAS’s success, MATRADE is not resting on its laurels and is spearheading efforts to lift the event to greater heights. In moving forward, the greatest challenge is to attract the participation of more exhibitors. “This is an international event so we have to meet the criterion of at least 20% foreign participation. That’s a major challenge, bearing in mind that MIHAS is relatively new. So, we have to build up the image and attractiveness of MIHAS before we can get automatic response from people,” he elaborates.
The Planning Process
Planning for the annual exhibition is done more than one year ahead. In fact, the preparations for the 2010 event had already begun in 2009. The team has to at the very least, identify the date, the venue and all the important details. For example, the brochures for 2010 will be distributed during the 2009 event. As the event draws closer, advertising and promotions (A&P) and the recruitment of exhibitors are intensified. In organising MIHAS, selecting a suitable date is the key to success. Kamarudin says, “We have to make sure that the event does not clash with other similar events and also have to look out for related events that can support this event, so that we can leverage on them and attract their participants as well.” MIHAS 2010 will be held from 23rd to 27th June 2010 at the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC).
“Basically, these are the things that we plan. Sales and marketing is critical as the success of the event is dependent on how much booth space we can sell. We put a lot of focus and effort into this. Then, the A&P will come in after the other details have been decided, so that we can promote the event,” he reveals.
Vital Elements for a Successful Exhibition
Kamarudin opines that the vital elements that must be in place to ensure the success of any exhibition are a suitable date, conducive venue, the presence of quality exhibitors and buyers and an efficient organisational structure to manage the exhibition. “An event like this involves many parties and I think the key is how you manage them, by having a good organisational structure and good teamwork. We have our fair share of problems and challenges in organising the event, but we resolve them at the meetings that we have with various parties. So, basically we troubleshoot problems through consultations and discussions and we take the necessary proactive measures to minimise the effects of a problem,” he says.
Advertising and Promotions
According to Kamarudin, the starting point in promoting MIHAS is to bring in exhibitors, and this is done through their network of government agencies, to identify the exhibitors and to approach them. MATRADE’s task is particularly challenging as the halal industry in Malaysia comprises mainly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), most of whom are not ready to promote their products in an international exhibition such as MIHAS. Hence, the organiser has only a small target market of
halal companies that are ready to take part in MIHAS. Aside from exhibitors, it’s also a challenge to attract overseas buyers and thus, the organiser has to embark on a lot of promotional activities. The sales, marketing and advertising for MIHAS is handled by the MIHAS Secretariat, which is under the management of a private marketing
and public relations firm. The Secretariat utilises many channels of advertising to promote MIHAS, both below the line and above the line, such as TV, radio, print media, etc.
“The most important strategy is for the advertising and promotions to be very aggressive and widespread in order for such an event to be successful. We can’t pinpoint a specific promotion method that’s the most effective as it’s a combination of many methods that have contributed to the success of MIHAS,” explains Kamarudin.
The People Behind MIHAS
The people directly behind the operations of MIHAS are actually from a number of organisations. Firstly, there’s a small specialised team from MATRADE that’s responsible for the halal industry, including MIHAS. Secondly, apart from MATRADE, the organisation of MIHAS is also handled by a private event organiser that is contracted to assist
in organising the event. There’s a main committee and many sub-committees to handle specific areas such as promotions, the opening ceremony, booths, etc. MATRADE
brings onboard co-op staffs from all its divisions and they also enlist the staffs from other government agencies for assistance. In essence, it’s a small core team supported by offices from the various divisions in MATRADE and also the event organiser that’s directly involved in organising MIHAS.
What is Halal?
In the Quran, the holy book and guide for all Muslims, there exists verses that call for Muslims to seek provisions that are ‘halalan toyibban’. The English equivalent for this
phrase would mean lawful and wholesome. Therefore, halal is actually about everything from the food we consume to the businesses we conduct to the transactions we perform in our daily lives. It is the responsibility of a Muslim to ensure that what he practices and consumes is clean, hygienic and not detrimental to either his health or his well-being. Halal is an all encompassing concept which encourages a Muslim to seek and use products, ventures and services that promote cleanliness in all aspects – that a product or service is safe for consumption, produced in a clean environment and health.
Halal is the next benchmark for quality.
(Source: www.halal.com.my)
Bringing Buyers from All Around the World
One of the key features of MIHAS is its Buyers Programme, which hosts more than 500 foreign buyers and matches them with participants of MIHAS and Malaysian exporters. During MIHAS 2009, held from 6th to 10th May, this programme resulted in immediate sales of over RM333.4 million, with over RM3.38 billion under negotiation.
Under the Buyers Programme, MATRADE screens and selects buyers from all over the world. “Our trade offices overseas have a list of importers and they will assess whether these importers are reputable and serious. They will then forward us a list of buyers for our consideration. We assess their background to ensure that they are genuine buyers and importers of halal products in their country,” says Kamarudin.
True to the spirit of friendly Malaysian hospitality, the buyers are well feted while they are in the country. “As they are our guests, we extend them the necessary transportation from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the exhibition venue. We also provide accommodation for them throughout the entire duration of the exhibition and arrange appointments for them to meet Malaysian companies for business purposes,” he reveals.
Parting Words of Advice
For MIHAS, the first challenge was to build up its brand name, so that it is seen and acknowledged as the premier halal exhibition in the world. MIHAS has been widely accepted and is now the world’s largest halal exhibition. Kamarudin ended the interview with these words of advice: “You have to work really hard to build up the brand and image of the event you are organising. Otherwise, you’ll never meet your objectives. Building up a brand takes time and it has taken MIHAS six years to be where it is now. Also, focus on providing great value propositions to exhibitors, buyers and visitors to the event. If they don’t see any value in the exhibition, they will think twice before coming.”
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