Handicraft Corp Makes Strong Pitch At New York Show

By Manik Mehta NEW YORK, April 20 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Handicraft Development Corporation (MHDC) is making a strong pitch at the ongoing New York trade fair for consumer goods and gift articles called NY Now which runs from August 17 to 20. The eight exhibitors under the MHDC umbrella are showcasing a wide range of products ranging from batik to gift items. MHDC Chairman Sohaimi Shahadan said the fact that the event constituted a "good platform" afforded exhibitors an excellent opportunity to exhibit their products before discerning buyers. "The small-scale industry is an important economic factor and needs to be promoted. I believe we need to encourage and help the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because they prop up the economy in the final analysis. "Such support also encourages entrepreneurship which is key to economic development,” he said, adding that there was good business potential inherent in the products offered by these exhibitors. MHDC statistics revealed that Malaysia’s exports of these items amounted to US$13 million (RM42 million) in 2013, with the United States absorbing about 10 per cent of such exports. Malaysia’s major markets for such products were, however, Hong Kong and Europe. Explaining the objective behind the participation of the exhibitors at the event, Sohaimi said that the exhibitors were eyeing the lucrative American market. "We are here to penetrate the US market. We are confident that our exhibitors will bag good business after the show by following up all the business enquiries received here," he added. The exhibitors who had participated in the 2013 show under the aegis of the MHDC, which is under Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture, had contracted business worth some US$315,606 (RM1 million) directly from their participation last year. This year’s targeted business is around US$473,640 (RM1.5 million). Many of the exhibitors are looking for agents and distributors in the United States to market their products. Indeed, as Sohaimi revealed in the interview, a Malaysian lecturer at the Rutgers University in New Jersey had proposed the establishment of a Malaysian Centre for Culture, Heritage and Handicrafts at Rutgers University which would showcase Malaysian products. "We actively support this project and are recommending it to the relevant Malaysian authorities. "We hope this project will materialise because it will flank our efforts to penetrate into this vital market where we are trying to create a strong awareness for Malaysia’s consumer goods’ industry which can customise its products to meet specific US customer needs in terms of designs, specifications, etc. "We are also looking at the possibility of opening a showcase of such products at the New York office of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation where visitors could get an overview of such products, thus helping us connect with local buyers and importers," Sohaim added. The MHDC Chairman also looked around at the quality, designs and packaging of products of exhibitors from other countries. "Besides getting a good first-hand exposure to what other suppliers have to offer, you also learn a lot about the buying behaviour of customers at such international venues," he said. But he said the products showcased by Malaysian exhibitors were "competitively priced besides being unique in design and substance" which attracted a continued flow of visitors to the Malaysian pavilion on the trade fair’s opening day. Besides, the eight Malaysian exhibitors, there were also US-based Asian companies that were showcasing products from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. -- BERNAMA