eBUSINESS FOCUS JAPAN

The eBusiness Focus Japan is an online B2B meeting bringing together Catalan fine food and wine producers and buyers from Japan.

The global situation created by the pandemic, with limited travel, opens up the chance to explore new ways of doing business, which is why PRODECA is organising virtual meetings with importers from the Japanese market, supported by a permanent PRODECA office in the country.

ORGANISATION OF THE B2B MEETINGS

Participating Catalan companies will have a schedule of between one and three one-to-one meetings with buyers from the target market interested in their products.

The meetings will be held during Japanese office hours, that is, from 15:00 to 18:00 Japanese time (07:00 to 10:00 Catalan time).

Prodeca will provide companies with a connection platform for holding the meetings. Note that the platform used may vary according to each buyer's preferences. Prodeca will give sufficient notice of the medium used by each buyer. A few minutes before the meeting, a connection test will be run between the Catalan company and the consultant to check everything works.

The meetings will last approximately 60 minutes.

If the participating company does not attend the meeting with the buyer, Prodeca does not undertake to arrange a new date. If it is the buyer who is unavailable, a second date will be proposed for the meeting.

The meetings may be held in English or Japanese. Prodeca will provide companies with an interpreting service where the Japanese company does not speak English or Spanish.

Participating companies are advised to give Prodeca their promotional materials and product catalogue in English so these can be presented to the buyers.

Prodeca will coordinate the shipment of samples to the buyer's offices in Japan. The participating company must cover the cost of shipping the samples. Prodeca will provide companies with a recommended carrier, which will submit a quote that the participating company must accept. Prodeca will not coordinate transport with other providers.

Each company will have:

• Market information, trends and outlook
• Visibility of the company's catalogue to all participating buyers
• Coordination of sample transport
• A schedule of 1 to 3 meetings pre-selected according to the buyers' interest
• The possibility of scheduling extra meetings depending on buyers' interest
• Support during the meeting from the office hired by Prodeca.
• Support with post-meeting communication with the buyer to ensure smooth negotiations (in no case to guarantee their success)

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Fine food and wine producers based in Catalonia from the following sectors* may register for this event:

• Preserves of all kinds
• Confectionery, chocolates and derivatives
• Cured meats (only those approved for the Japanese market)
• Biscuits
• Snacks of all kinds
• Wine and cava **

Interested companies must complete the registration form and pay the registration fee before 28 May 2021.

Once registered, each company will receive and must complete a form with all the information required about the product and its description, as well as sending the product catalogue.

The organising committee reserves the right of admission based on suitability criteria. There are 6 places for the wine sector and 6 for other companies, and the number of companies from the same sector that are direct competitors is limited to 2.

* Companies from other sectors: contact us so we can assess whether you can register, depending on the invited buyers. 

** Selection criteria for wine companies:

• A maximum of 2 companies with products carrying the same origin or territorial designation (DO, etc.)
• Awards received

For the wine sector: Japanese market trends/preferences:

• Organic products
• Local/native grape varieties
• Small or little-known designations of origin
• Wineries with a story to tell

Companies engaged exclusively in wine trading will not be accepted, unless they represent a producer: in that case, the name listed as exhibitor will be that of the producer.

PLANNED TIMETABLE

This is an indicative schedule that may change. Prodeca will indicate the steps to follow at each stage:

• 15 to 28 May: registration
• 31 May: confirmation of the participating companies
• 1 to 4 June: individual interviews with the Prodeca office in Japan.
• 19 to 26 July: shipping documentation
• 1 to 4 September: sending of samples
• 20 to 30 September: meetings with the buyers

REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT DEADLINE

Companies interested in taking part ineBusiness Focus Japan must complete the registration form and send it, together with the corresponding payment, before 28 May 2021.

A company will be considered admitted once it has submitted the duly completed participation application and paid the participation fee.
Once admitted, a company that withdraws loses 100% of the amount paid. Prodeca reserves the right to assess the reasons the company gives for cancelling its participation and to refund a percentage of the amount paid.

Prodeca reserves the right to select companies according to criteria of sectoral fit and product suitability for the market. Should demand exceed the places available, Prodeca will apply the order of arrival of applications and corresponding payments.

TRANSPORT OF SAMPLES

Prodeca will not cover the cost of transporting samples but will coordinate a joint shipment of all participating companies' samples, with an external provider, from the carrier's warehouse in Barcelona to the buyer's office in the market.

Companies must comply with the carrier's conditions regarding the volume and weight of samples. The instructions will be sent to participating companies in good time so they can arrange shipments.

COST OF PARTICIPATION

• The participation cost per company is €295 + 21% VAT (one to three meetings + interpreting during the meetings + subsequent follow-up service).

Extra meetings: if a company has any extra meeting, there is no charge.