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Once again, on May 6th 2019, the Association Singapore-Italia is organizing a talk during the exhibition Tuttofood in Fiera Milano (Rho) named:

“Food & Beverage: trend and opportunities in the ASEAN area”.

The ASEAN area is strongly growing in the Food & Beverage sector. Singapore is considered the hub of this area, both for its high level of development and for its financial and fiscal characteristics. Italian companies must export the excellence of Made in Italy products in this area to increase their revenues.

We with our partners in Singapore, are able to accompany you at 360° on this journey.

For further info, please write to: info@singaporeitalia.it

See the page:
http://www.tuttofood.it/en/content/showcookings-workshops-conferences-and-special-areas

View more on https://www.facebook.com/Singaporeitalia

Dear Ms. De Cruz,

As Director General of CIS Broker SRL, we thank you for the opportunity to participate at your excellent event with esteemed speakers who articulated very well the available opportunities available in the country you represent.

Dr.ssa Giuseppina Corona
Director General
CIS Broker SRL

Dear Ms. De Cruz,

it is with much appreciation that i thank you for the invite to your seminar, that had portrayed a very positive and supportive vision for Italian businesses who have intentions to expand into Singapore and the other countries in ASEAN.

Best regards,
Dott. Andrea Zanetti
Consigliere dell’Ordine dei Commercialists of Verona

Dear Ms. De Cruz,
As President of the Consorzio Pavia Export, we thank you for the opportunity to participate at an event that corresponds with the current suite of services and assistance we provide to businesses whom intend to export their services and products. Singapore, undoubtedly for years, has always been an important country for businesses interested in gaining market share in asia. Your speakers have further underlined and emphasised the importance and the opportunities that Singapore offers.

Best regards,
Dr. Giovanni Delucchi
President Pavia Export

Good morning Clares,

I wanted to convey my compliments regarding yesterday’s event that judging by the attendance alone was already a great success, but most of all, the topics raised were extremely interesting.

Laura Tagliabue
FHW Project and Development Manager
Fiera Milano S.p.A

Hello Clares,

As one of the sponsors of the event, I wanted to congratulate you on the organization as well as the outcome of the event. Not only was Singapore presented in an extremely positive manner, but real tools and actions directly from decision makers provided to us during the presentations, going beyond a purely informational event. I am sure that, as Task Force International, we will be able to take advantage from both the information and stakeholders that we met at the event.

Thanks again and Kind Regards,

Roberto Paganelli
Task Force International

Associazione Singapore-Italia organised a welcome lunch for Singaporean students studying at Bocconi University. Following is an article by one of the Singaporean Bocconi students on why he chose Italy and Bocconi for his university education.

Why Bocconi University (Milan)? – By Felix Lim I chose to study at Bocconi due to its impeccable reputation as a business school and the overwhelming representation of Alumni in multinational companies, financial institutions, academia and government. Bocconi’s selection of major courses, exchange destinations and the opportunity to learn a new language appealed greatly to me. On a more personal level, I hope to encourage more Singaporeans to broaden their horizons in choosing an undergraduate programme and/or university by not limiting themselves to ‘traditional’ places such as Australia, the UK or the U.S. My experience at Bocconi so far has been really positive. I believe that an institution attracts people of similar mindsets and with Bocconi being having students from many different nationalities and backgrounds, one sees different sides of issues which aids one’s growth and development. Since young, I’ve always been interested in European history and culture and had a desire to experience the Old World culture. My interest in economics stemmed from reading news about the Global Financial Crisis and I wanted to explore this field of study in greater depth. The European economy features heavily in financial news reporting and I thought it would be a unique opportunity to study at an institution based in the heart of Europe. It may still be too early to pass a final judgment but thus far, I have no regrets in choosing to pursue my undergraduate studies at Bocconi. Learning a new language is intimidating and takes a while to get used to but English is widely spoken at the University. I find it advantageous to be a Singaporean as people would like to get to know more about me and Singapore in general, an effect which is very much subdued in places such as London, Sydney or New York.

Singaporean living in Italy since 1986, independent professional specialized in marketing and management of top Italian brands of furniture and lighting, with over 20 years, this included 12 years in manufacturing high end Italian-made furniture and 8 years specialized in marketing focus in Chinese market.

Q: Can you please give us a brief description of your professional activity?

I represent 5 top brands of Italian furniture producers, of classic and contemporary styles furniture I advise and update the Italian team about the current market trends and market situation. I participate of the designs team and creates new collections.
I am rigorous about marketing research, and travel often to Asia, China included, almost 6 times a year. Each trip to Asia is usually for a minimum of 2 weeks, in major cities in China.
A key part of my job involves guiding the producer to enter into an international market.
This involves:

1. Identifying potential dealers and selecting the suitable qualifying one.
2. visiting the qualifying one, assessing and approving the location of the dealer,
3. negotiating the contract between the Italian producer and the Asian dealer,
4. giving guidelines to the dealer on how to set up and style the dealer ‘s shop,
5. providing training to the local sales staff of how to sell the Italian products,
6. following up and monitoring the development and growth of the business.

Q: Please share your insights and experience from working with:
Working with Italian producers can be challenging. However, thanks to living here in Italy for over 35 years, I have developed a deep understanding of the mentality, the business culture and the Italian mindset. All the 5 brands I represent are handcrafted products , using the manual carver, sculpting by hand, marquetry inlay works and artist painting on furniture, following and keeping true to form the King Louis and Versailles style. A lot of art work is involved. Therefore a professional study and understanding of the history and period furniture style is an must.
Mandarin is my main language for business. I speak fluent Italian and English and it helps a lot in my job. I can speak directly with both the Italian producers and with the Chinese dealers without need of an interpreter. This is a great comparative advantage for me.
Working in the Chinese market is demanding. The market situation can change very quickly, from month to month. The power to purchase remains strong and I believe it will be so for the distant future.

China is an big country. Between the north and the south there is a very different mentality and there are different ways of doing business. Even the weather and food are so different. International business tend to concentrated in Shanghai and Beijing, Guangzhou is more of a manufacturing and industrial area. The second tier cities are opening up fast.
The luxury furniture industry is very closely connected to the luxury real estate developments, so we are talking about high end products. Rarely would a home owner move into a new home with their old furniture, unless it is antique furniture, with substantial value. So there is an large market for Italian made furniture and decorations, including lighting, carpets, curtains and draperies.