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December 2003
EXPORT AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES The recent announcement of the forthcoming wedding of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark to Miss Mary Donaldson has generated a surge of interest in Tasmania and all things Tasmanian. This interest varies from Tasmania’s appeal as a holiday destination to a desire to taste Tasmanian gourmet foods and acquire Tasmanian-made homewares and collectables. Tasmanian businesses are capitalising on this strong interest with shipments of wine, cheese, gift wares and gourmet foods being despatched to Denmark. While these shipments are relatively small, the challenge is to achieve increased sales and sustainability. The Department of Economic Development is examining how best to support promotional and marketing events in Denmark over the coming months. It is envisaged that these events will focus on the Tasmanian products that have received the most interest and will be discrete, with an objective of achieving sustainable export sales for Tasmanian companies. Tasmanian timber and furniture showcase – Korea A showcase initiative will be held in Korea in January 2004 in conjunction with Austrade, following a Tasmanian visit earlier this year by Mr Sang-Joon Byun, a representative of one of Korea’s major furniture magazines, Gagu Guide. The initiative will revolve around a Tasmanian timber and furniture showcase to be held at the prestigious Australia Day Celebration in Seoul on 29 January 2004. A Tasmanian Furniture Seminar will be held in conjunction with the exhibition. A number of pieces from the Tasmanian Wood Design Collection (TWDC), together with other commercially manufactured furniture, will be sent to Korea for display. Tasmanian industry will be represented by:
For information about the initiative, please contact Kim McShane at Economic Development via kim.mcshane@development.tas.gov.au or 6233 5828. ICT industry development mission in United States A delegation of Tasmanian ICT companies participated in a United States ICT Market Development Program coinciding with ANZA Tech.Net Australian and New Zealand Technology Showcase Conference 2003 in the Silicon Valley, California from 9-11 November 2003. Participating companies regarded the ANZA Technology Network Conference as a valuable experience for their businesses, especially the insights and experience on the United State IT market conveyed during the conference business forums by successful Australian and New Zealand IT technology executives. As well as attending the conference, companies undertook a number of business matching activities designed to meet new potential partners or referral agencies for their products and services. The trade mission enabled Economic Development to provide Tasmanian IT enterprises with access to international business opportunities and gather much needed market information about IT initiatives, markets, trends and technologies on a global scale. For more details, contact Mark Warrener via mark.warrener@development.tas.gov.au or 6233 5879. Market development mission: United Kingdom The Department of Economic Development is seeking expressions of interest from Tasmanian ICT companies interested in participating in a market development mission targeted at the United Kingdom in partnership with UK Trade and Investment from 8-19 March 2004. This program is designed for Tasmanian companies currently active in export or seeking to develop new international market partnerships and business. The program aims to assist your efforts to meet UK companies with a view to developing a business relationship. This mission is unique in that it will not focus on the identification of customers for your products and services – instead it is designed to help you identify and form partnerships with like-minded UK companies to create two-way trading opportunities. For details and an expression of interest form, please contact Mark Warrener on 6233 5879 or Mark.Warrener@development.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian grouping to exhibit at Cebit Australia 2004, Sydney The Department of Economic Development is seeking expressions of interest from Tasmanian ICT companies interested in exhibiting as part of a Tasmanian grouping at Cebit Australia 2004 to be held in Darling Harbour Sydney from 4-6 May 2004. Cebit Australia 2004, Australasia’s leading exhibition for information and communications technology, is targeted at IT professionals: executives and IT managers; telecommunications professionals, channel representatives (dealers, distributors and resellers), system integrators and purchasing consultants, corporate buyers and SME owners and managers. Specific activities include a pre-exhibition workshop entitled Successfully Exhibiting at Trade Shows, a networking function in Sydney and exhibiting at Cebit Australia. For details and to receive an expression of interest form, please contact Mark Warrener on 62335879 or Mark.Warrener@development.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian promotion at the Hong Kong Club Support was provided for a Tasmanian function at the prestigious Hong Kong Club in November 2003. Thirty of Hong Kong's leading chefs and food service executives were presented with a menu featuring scallops, oysters, mussels, ling, cheese and wines. Orders have already been placed for products highlighted at the presentation. The Department of Economic Development is organising a Tasmanian-coordinated stand at the forthcoming Fine Food exhibition from 19-21 March 2004 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Nine Tasmanian companies will be part of the stand and various events will be coordinated to highlight their participation. For more information, please contact Ann Atkinson on (03) 6233 5838 or ann.atkinson@development.tas.gov.au. Austrade helps Australian companies win overseas business for their products and services. Austrade is represented in 105 locations in 58 countries including an extensive domestic network throughout Australia. One of the many Austrade services on offer is visits to businesses by its industry specialist Business Development Managers or Trade Commissioners from overseas offices. Economic Development works closely with Austrade and facilitates visits of incoming Austrade staff. If you wish to meet with an Austrade officer from a particular country, please contact Martin Turmine on 6233 5795 or Martin.Turmine@development.tas.gov.au. Austrade staff visiting Tasmania in the near future include: Geoff Gray – Washington 13 February 2004 Tasmanian Exporters Guide – ensure your entry is always current INDUSTRY NEWS Ossa Design - “Understanding what the customer needs” Tasmanian company Ossa Design has developed a niche range of items for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, as well as made-to-order products for the hospitality industry. Ossa Design uses only the finest grade quality timbers including Huon Pine, Blackwood, Celery Top Pine, Myrtle and Sassafras. Ossa Design owner Karen Harvey credits much of the company’s success to its level of market knowledge, saying that companies often simply produce products and expect them to sell themselves. “It is critical to find out what the customer needs,” Ms Harvey said. Visits to galleries and homeware specific outlets occur every two to three months to Victoria, NSW and ACT as well as Tasmanian clients. Each visit is usually three to four days in duration and provides the company with invaluable feedback. “By visiting these outlets we not only develop personal relationships but we see first hand where the products are physically positioned in the store and what other products are stocked – either complimentary or competitive. Getting closer to the market via these visits has enabled us to gain feedback on existing products, immediate feedback on proposed new products and ideas for new designs. I’m also able to find out why certain products sell better than others.” The benefits of such sales trips are evident. “I either receive orders on the spot or upon my return to home, stimulated from my visit to the outlets,” Ms Harvey said. Ossa Design uses a soft sell approach, targeting a mixture of clients who are regular buyers or those who have not bought for some time. “Maintaining regular contact with your client base is an effective way of sustaining sales and makes it easier to sort out any product or trading issues,” Ms Harvey said. It is evident from Ossa Design’s experience that the development of relationships via regular visits is extremely beneficial to business growth and determining knowledge of what the customer wants and needs. Aquatic Biodiversity Group – a successful exit from the TradeStart program Economic Development delivers the TradeStart program, which offers a range of services to eligible companies with a desire to grow their business by targeting export markets. The TradeStart program offers practical assistance to develop a business into a successful exporting company. One company which has successfully completed the TradeStart program is Aquatic Biodiversity Group (ABG). ABG’s experienced staff collect, hold, transport and market quality live temperate marine specimens. ABG works closely with associated organizations in the development of fishery management, hatchery technology and a cooperative network to supply the aquarium trade with unique Tasmanian marine specimens in an environmentally sustainable and mutually beneficial manner. ABG, through the TradeStart program, has received valuable information and advice on a range of issues from packaging and logistics to distributor agreements and ideas for advertising. The program allowed ABG to recognise the areas that need to be addressed in preparation to export, and the program provided the required assistance. ABG’s Sales Manager Emma Greenhatch said: “The company will leave the TradeStart Program with clearly identified export markets, a greater network of contacts, increased export sales and significantly more potential clients, increased knowledge about the issues to be considered as an exporter, and most importantly, the confidence that the business is well placed to become a highly successful exporter.” Tasmanian ocean trout available in United States A deal between Tasmania’s Petuna Group and a Los Angeles-based importer has allowed Fresh Tasmanian ocean trout to be made available in the United States for the first time. According to Seafood International (October 2003), Lee Fish USA is importing 1.8 tonnes of Tasmanian ocean trout every week. The company has an extensive wholesaler network and Petuna’s product is already available in 19 outlets of national supermarket chain Wholefoods. It has also made in on to the menus of top chefs Charlie Trotter, of Chicago, and Christian Albin, of New York’s Four Seasons restaurant. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Economic Development will be facilitating a series of seminars and workshops in association with industry. Risk Management for Exporters workshop – tentative date is March 2004 This workshop is targeted at those within a company who develop and manage policy. It will identify the main areas of risk associated with the export transaction and offer solutions to mitigate those risks. Statutory Labelling Requirements for Exports workshop - tentative date is May 2004 This workshop is targeted at food producers who need to familiarise themselves with the requirements for labelling products that they wish to export to markets such as Europe and Asia. Product Packaging workshop - tentative date is July 2004 This workshop will cover the three broad categories of packaging – sales or primary packaging, grouped or secondary packaging and transport or tertiary packaging. The issues to be discussed by industry experts will range from the design of a product’s label focusing on appeal to customers to design of appropriate packaging to provide protection of products from factory to the store. For more details, please contact Martin Turmine on 6233 5795 or Martin.Turmine@development.tas.gov.au. Marketing your business – develop a marketing plan Irrespective of the product or service, consumers today want choice. Unless your business provides what customers want at prices they can afford and are willing to pay, your future in business could be bleak. Marketing in a small business means attracting and retaining customers. Matching what people want with what you can profitably supply is what marketing is all about. Use the Department of Economic Development’s Guide to Marketing your Business to develop a marketing plan. BRIEF NEWS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
If you have never exported before, this tool will show you the key capabilities, in relation to aptitude and attitude, required for your company’s successful entry into export. The tool is designed to help non-exporters understand their capability to export rather than readiness to export. Export capability refers to the extent to which a company is both willing and able to export generally, whereas export readiness refers to a company that is export capable and has progressed to a stage where it is ready to enter and compete in a specific export market. Austrade receives many inquires about Australian products and services from its offices around the world. If you are interested in reviewing its active inquiry list, please visit the Austrade web site. DFAT travel advisories are the Australian Government’s advice to its citizens regarding the perceived travel risks and precautions that individuals should exercise. More information can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. The website www.halalaustralia.com is a one-stop-shop through which Australian and overseas food buyers can contact the growing number of Australian companies producing Halal certified food. The website is a means of listing your products and also identify Halal certifying authorities. Cargo Management Re-engineering The Australian Customs Service is introducing a change to its dealings with freight being exported and imported. The Cargo Management Re-engineering project is being introduced in stages in 2003 and 2004. In response to request from the industry, the final cut over to the new system will not take place on 1 March 1 2004. A new date will be announced after the Australian Customs Service and key stakeholders are confident of the system’s reliability. For comprehensive information on the new Cargo Management Re-engineering project, refer to the Australian Customs Service website.
If you have any export and market development queries please email at info@development.tas.gov.au or call 03 6233 5888. If you wish to subscribe to ExportActive please send an email to info@development.tas.gov.au with the words "ExportActive Newsletter Subscription" in the subject heading.
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GPO
Box 646, Hobart, 7001, Tasmania, Australia 22 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, 7000 Telephone: +61 3 6233 5888 Facsimile: +61 3 6233 5800 Email: info@development.tas.gov.au Internet: http://www.development.tas.gov.au |
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Export and Market Development Activities
