Indonesian business events industry players have seen significant growth of interest from China this year compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Hosea Andreas Runkat, chairman of the Indonesia Exhibition Companies Association, said: “After the pandemic, I’ve observed an increase in business activity originating from China.

“As I learned from my industry contacts in China, their government is actively encouraging industry members to pursue overseas business ventures to support China’s economy. These initiatives receive government funding and have been pursued with increased intensity since 2022, surpassing the level of activity seen in 2019.”

Among the events hosted in Jakarta this year is China Homelife Indonesia, which took place from March 13-16. Held at the Jakarta International Expo, this marked the largest show from China to date, occupying up to 50,000m² of space.

Looking ahead to September, Jakarta will host the Global Source and Gift Show exhibitions, each taking up approximately 15,000m² of space.

“Many are still in the process of exploring opportunities. I’ve hosted several groups per month, each comprising about 10 people. In China, these activities are organised by cities, with each city allocating funds for such endeavours.”

Andreas identified Indonesia’s large population and its strong consumer culture as the primary factors driving the aggressive approach.

“The mid to low-end consumer base in Indonesia is substantial, even more so than in neighbouring countries, and they have a strong penchant for shopping across various product categories. This creates abundant opportunities for Chinese producers to market their products here,” he remarked.

Indonesia is increasingly becoming an attractive destination for Chinese companies to host their meetings and seminars for product introductions, as noted by Ramson Piter, head of convex and professional training at AntaVaya.

Piter has received enquiries for events not only in Bali, but also in Yogyakarta, due to the latter’s rich heritage and improved infrastructure. As such, he has started offering Yogyakarta to PCOs in China.

“Although these products may originate from Europe or the US, after successfully expanding their business into China, companies are now looking to expand into Indonesia,” Piter explained.

One ongoing discussion involves a skincare product from Italy that has made strides in the Chinese market, and now sees an opportunity in Indonesia.

“They are planning to host a conference for approximately 250-300 attendees, including a product exhibition, in Jakarta,” Piter revealed.