CCC leads missions to untapped markets

Puvi Domingopillai Consultant, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

This year marks eight years of dedicated service by the CCC Trade fair Unit, working towards ensuring the success of the trade and fact finding missions initiated by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Established in 2002, its mission is to explore untapped potential overseas markets and assist the CCC membership to benefit from the experience.

Over the years, many mission leaders have experienced the success as well as the trials of each mission abroad; the collective agreement seems to be that the missions were indeed worth the time and effort committed as they resulted in participants obtaining confirmed orders, establishing new links and enhancing their trade volume.

The CCC trade fair unit did a recent poll among its mission leaders to gauge their views and the following are a few excerpts, taken from the interviews with Chemical Industries (Colombo) PLC Managing Director/CEO Samantha Ranatunga (SR) and Hameed Brothers Colombo (Private) Limited Managing Director Tufail Salie (TS).

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: Were you able to achieve your goals/expectations/gains for your organization through your participation?

SR: Having participated in more than six missions, we value the efforts of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Trade Fair Unit immensely.

TS: The CCC has been quite successful in initiating these trade missions. However, I feel that if our Embassies and Trade Consulates overseas are more organised and supportive towards these trade missions, we could achieve much greater heights.

Q: Did your participation result in successful contacts/ orders for your organisation and how beneficial was your participation towards the expansion of trade?

SR: Our main aim was to look at the macro economic opportunity in each of the regions we travelled to and how they would fit into our new projects, business development and concepts. In these areas all the missions had been of great help in meeting our expectations. Virtually at every mission, we had successful contacts where we developed in most countries and it has helped us immensely in widening our scope.

TS: Apart from making successful contacts abroad, I value the exposure given for interaction with CEOs of large reputed organisations.

Q: Did you feel that it was prestigious for you to lead the CCC Business Promotion Mission and did it increase the image of your company?

SR: As we are dealing with one of the oldest chambers in the world, it is always an honour to lead one of their missions.

TS: I was indeed honoured to head the CCC business promotion mission and it certainly increased the image of my Company.

Q: Did the missions offer opportunities for your organization to diversify into new sectors?

SR: The mission offered us opportunities to enhance business in our current strategic sectors, than encouraged diversification.

TS: These missions enhance the possibility to diversify and was a great opportunity to learn and experience the trends taking place around the world.

Q: Do you feel that the services rendered by this Unit through its missions are a boost to the economy of Sri Lanka?

SR: Normally the CCC undertakes three to four missions through the Trade Fair Unit, annually.

Each of them showcases economic opportunities in various parts of the world. By exposing the business community to various types of business members I think the CCC greatly contributes to the Sri Lankan economy.

This is more so for the smaller companies as they get an opportunity to work with leading trade chambers and develop high level business contacts.

TS: The services rendered by CCC is indeed invaluable specially to a developing country like Sri Lanka.

I strongly suggest frequent CCC missions should be organised targeting untapped markets like West and South Africa apart from the Eastern European block.

The Trade Fair Unit is now in the midst of setting off on its next business promotion mission.

An eight member CCC delegation, led by Laugfs Holdings Ltd. Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya, will be visiting Spain and Portugal shortly.

The main focus of this mission is to offer opportunities to the members to penetrate into these markets and to strengthen trade ties and establish business links in the areas of Trade, Investment, Joint Ventures, technology transfer and services.

This is the first occasion the CCC has ventured into exploring the potential in these two markets.