SME Venture@ASEAN 2025 To Attract Over 10,000 Visitors, Generating RM300 Mln In Sales
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- The SME Venture@ASEAN 2025 is expected to attract over 10,000 visitors and more than 300 local and international exhibitors primarily from ASEAN member states and trade partners, generating more than RM300 million in sales.
SME Corporation Malaysia chief executive officer Rizal Nainy said the event will be scheduled from Oct 16 to 18 this year at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).
“It will serve as a platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their capabilities, facilitating business matching sessions with ASEAN SMEs and anchor companies and creating opportunities for export deals.
“SMEs must not only focus on reaffirming their position in the domestic front to safeguard their prospects in a more liberalised economic landscape. At the same time, must be equally willing to seek out new business opportunities abroad.
“SMEs must benchmark themselves against international competitors and be willing to embrace best practices and equip themselves with the necessary skills and technical expertise,” he said in his opening remarks during the soft launch of the SME Venture@ASEAN 2025, here today.
The event was launched by Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick.
The minister also witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) under the Export Accelerator Programme between SME Corp and Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).
In his speech, Ewon said that the SME Venture@ASEAN 2025 is a platform designed with a plethora of activities to provide SMEs with opportunities to venture into the global market.
He also noted that a total of 200 business matching sessions will be arranged.
Ewon said the ministry, through SME Corp, is also committed to bringing in anchor companies and buyers not only from the ASEAN member states but also from Malaysia’s MoU partner countries, such as Turkiye, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Georgia and Kazakhstan.
Ewon emphasised that exhibitors will have the opportunity to showcase their most innovative products and services, targeting both the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) segments.
“The B2B showcase aims to highlight export-ready SMEs in high-impact sectors such as electrical and electronics, oil and gas, biotechnology, medical devices, aerospace, tourism, smart farming, and the halal industries.
“The B2C segment under the ASEAN Market Fair aims to attract crowds with a variety of consumer products from ASEAN countries, including food and beverages, apparel, health and wellness items, cosmetics, handicrafts, and travel deals, setting the stage for Visit Malaysia Year 2026,” he said.
The event will also feature activities supporting SME export efforts, including workshops on free trade agreements (FTAs), a forum on environmental, social, and governance (ESG), export assistance talks, tech spot sessions, export fund pitching and product launches, among others.
-- BERNAMA