South East Asia is an attractive market for Contemporary European Design companies.
On Asian markets like Indonesia and Singapore, European design is of high standing and allure. It is an industry that garners €36 billion annually for European companies in a wide range of decorative and innovative design fields.
From 8 to 14 March 2017, EU Gateway | Business Avenues held a Contemporary European Design business mission in South East Asia.
During the first half of the mission week, the companies travelled to Singapore to showcase their products at the International Furniture Fair 2017 at the Singapore Expo.
During the second half of the mission week, the participants were taken to Indonesia where they attended technical seminars and had pre-arranged business meetings with local companies.
One of the companies selected for the business mission was the Italian interior furniture design house Cizeta L'Abbate.
In business for over 30 years, Cizeta L’Abbate is known for continuously improving its offering of interior design products that meet superior aesthetic, qualitative and ergonomic standards. The company’s products include a wide range of designs, settings and uses.
“Cizeta's quality starts from the choice of the wood, coatings and other materials, and then involves all production stages.” - Simone Cavassi – Managing Director, Cizeta L’Abbate (Italy)
The company’s authentic Italian craftsmanship drew the attention of local companies.
Cizeta L'Abbate manufactures its products in San Giovanni al Natisone, a region known for its flourishing woodworking tradition. This way, the company ensures all products are ethically and sustainably built.
Before the business mission, the EU Gateway | Business Avenues team helped Cizeta L’Abbate identify relevant business partners. Thanks to a thorough process, which included creating a wish list and setting specific goals, the company managed to reach the audience it was looking for.
The key to Cizeta L’Abbate’s success on the mission was the prior matchmaking process which ensured the company had pre-arranged meetings with interested counterparts.
It was this groundwork that drew the right people to the company’s right products.
“In my opinion, the design is the first thing that Asian companies note. Then all the other features come into play before finalizing the cooperation. Many companies are not used to seeing this high-quality production and design coupled with this historic craftsmanship.” - Simone Cavassi – Managing Director, Cizeta L’Abbate (Italy)
For Cizeta L’Abbate, the mission to South East Asia represented an invaluable opportunity to tap into unexplored potential.
Thanks to EU Gateway | Business Avenues, the company managed to better understand the intricacies of conducting business on the Singaporean and Indonesian markets.
“You can really choose the markets you are interested in with EU Gateway | Business Avenues, and the staff provide guidance.” - Simone Cavassi, Managing Director, Cizeta L’Abbate (Italy)
Cizeta L’Abbate’s representatives held meetings with new potential partners, including importers and distributors, and new customers during the mission.
Following the mission, the company plans to consolidate long-lasting collaborations with two of the prospects met in Singapore and to start distributing products on a larger scale in the region.
The programme will soon schedule new EU-funded business missions to Asia in Contemporary European Design: check the business mission calendar for upcoming opportunities in this sector!