Seoul Business Agency successfully opened “2021 TRADE WEEK” December 7

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, 2021-Dec-09 — /EPR Network/ — Hosted by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), the “2021 TRADE WEEK” successfully opened December 7 in a hybrid online and offline format and will be held until December 10 at the FIC Convention Hall on Sebitseom Island in southern Seoul. SBA is a city-run agency that supports overseas marketing and export expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises based in Seoul.

The 2021 TRADE WEEK aims to provide opportunities for promising export companies in Seoul to promote their products to international buyers and have consultations on exports so that they can increase their export volumes in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 TRADE WEEK consists of diverse programs, including Online Export Consultation Meeting, Global Trade Conference, and Live Commerce & New Product Launch Show.

Most SMEs have been facing difficulties in exporting their products since COVID-19 broke out. At the Online Biz Matching, SBA provides trade consultations with pre-matched international buyers for SMEs and help them explore overseas markets. A total of 300 SMEs participate in more than 1,200 online export consultation meetings with 500 international buyers from more than 20 countries.

The Trade Conference consists of keynote lectures and discussions to draw up strategies for export-promising countries and sectors in preparation for the post-COVID 19. The four-day conference features prestigious domestic and foreign speakers from each field to provide various perspectives on global trade trends and strategies.

The Live Commerce is also prepared for SMEs that export beauty, food, and lifestyle products. It is live-streamed mainly in the rapidly growing Greater China and Southeast Asia regions. In Greater China, including China and Hong Kong, the show is broadcast through Taobao. For Southeast Asia, WebTVAsia Live Commerce (LUVE), the largest MCN group in Asia, conducts a live on-site, and for Korea, social media influencers participate and lead the show through the Naver Shopping Live.

For the New Product Launch Show, four export companies have been selected through a separate screening process, and their products are introduced during the TRADE WEEK.

On the first day of the 2021 TRADE WEEK, the Trade Conference began with behavioral scientist Jon Levy’s keynote speech on the community world after COVID-19. John Levy is well known for his research on influence, human relations, and decision-making. He has a variety of companies, ranging from Fortune 500 conglomerates including Samsung, Microsoft, and Google to startups, as clients. He also advises companies on marketing, sales, consumer participation, and corporate culture.

In addition, Kim Yong-dae, Professor of Seoul National University and Jeffrey D. Jones, Former Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea participated in the seminars yesterday. Professor Kim talked on the theme of ‘Seoulite in big data’ and Jeffrey D. Jones gave a speech on enhancing the branding of Seoul through trade. After the keynote speech and two seminars, “Talk Concert” discussion moderated by Fabien Yoon, a popular foreign broadcaster, was followed.

Followed by all sessions, opening ceremony was held and attended by Juan Carlos Caiza Rosero, Ambassador of the Colombian embassy in Korea, Rowan Petz, CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Korea and diplomatic envoys from 17 countries, including Peru, Vietnam, and the UK, to discuss various directions for mutual cooperation with SBA and Seoul Metropolitan Government in the future.

SBA CEO Kim Hyun-woo said in his opening speech, “Held for the first time this year, the 2021 TRADE WEEK aims to serve as an opportunity to enhance the global competitiveness of Korean SMEs by holding various programs online in line with the trend of the times. Please pay a lot of attention to each program that will be held over the next three days, and we ask for your continued interest and support in SBA and SMEs in Seoul.”

Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Rowan Petz, CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Korea, said, “Many SMEs are experiencing difficult times compared to relatively large companies due to a number of complex problems caused by the global pandemic. I would like to express my gratitude to SBA for hosting this amazing event during this time.”