Engage Cambodia successfully organised the 1Khmer B2B & B2C Exhibition from September 22-24, 2023, at Olympia Mall in Phnom Penh. The event was supported by the Securities Exchange Regulator of Cambodia (SERC), the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX), and the Real Estate Business and Pawnshop Regulator (RPR).
The 1Khmer B2B & B2C Exhibition served as a networking platform for more than 80 companies and brands to showcase their products and services.
Opportunities For Businesses Of All Sizes
During an interview with the media, H.E. Huot Kheang Veng highlighted the significant opportunity the exhibition provided business communities to engage with one another, as well as with new potential customers. Eric Lim, the CEO of Engage Cambodia, stated that the exhibition aimed to act as a point of connection for small and big businesses so that they could come together, exchange ideas and possibly collaborate on future projects. He also mentioned the exhibition’s objective of informing the public about broader opportunities, particularly in regard to the CSX. Lim said, “As you know, the Cambodia Stock Exchange and the Securities Exchange Regulator are lowering the bar, making it very easy for small and medium enterprises and also large companies to get listed.” He added, “I think this is a very important platform for a lot of companies that are looking to secure capital; and secure funding in the capital market today.”
In Line With Cambodian Government Strategy
Huot Kheang Veng noted that the organisation of the event aligned with the Cambodian government’s new Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I which is committed to fostering business growth and development, and underscores the importance of public-private cooperation to developing the Cambodian economy. “What we're trying to do is organise events, exhibitions, seminars, and networking sessions with the government in order to promote better relations in view of the new government coming up,” added Lim. Of the Pentagonal Strategy, Lim highlighted the new priority given to digital transformation as being crucial, especially for small businesses. “It's because everything today is very digital-oriented, so in order for smaller companies to take advantage of accelerating their growth, I think digital transformation would be the best way to go,” he confirmed.
1Khmer B2B & B2C Exhibition - Showcasing Products And Services
The 1Khmer B2B & B2C Exhibition was sponsored by a number of different local and foreign-owned businesses in Cambodia. One of the exhibition’s main sponsors was Gold Financial Global Investments (GFG), a Cambodian company that provides advisory services on currency trading in the foreign exchange (forex) market and other expert consultations. Speaking with Siv Visal, GFG’s Marketing Manager, on why his company decided to sponsor and participate in the B2B & B2C Exhibition, he said GFG wanted to showcase its products and services and also raise awareness about forex trading (foreign exchange). Given the recent publicity around the surge in online scams, Visal said GFG is dedicated to educating the public and promoting a safer trading environment.
An Opportunity For Exposure
Among the range of company and brand exhibitors, three booths particularly stood out from the rest; the Indonesian and Philippine Embassies of Cambodia, and Tourism Malaysia. B2B Cambodia spoke with Santo Darmosumarto, the new Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia, who said that his embassy had decided to participate in the exhibition because they saw an opportunity to shed more light on the potential of building increased links and business partnerships between Indonesia and Cambodia. Although Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia, Darmosumarto felt that many people in Cambodia still do not see much potential for cooperation across the two Southeast Asian countries’ many sectors.
However, he hoped that the exhibition would help change this by giving this potential partnership increased exposure among investors in the business community. The ambassador further added that there already are many Indonesian products being sold in Cambodia, mostly food products, so the two countries could strengthen their cooperation in the areas of food and health security. He also said that there are many Indonesian businesses operating in the Kingdom which include restaurants, and others investing in Cambodia in real estate and entertainment companies. The Indonesian ambassador stressed that his embassy is always seeking new ways to strengthen cooperation and work together to build a stronger ASEAN region.
Watch the highlights from the 1Khmer B2B & B2C Exhibition and B2B Cambodia’s interview with the new Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia, Santo Darmosumarto:
The 1Khmer B2B & B2C Exhibition additionally featured a series of informative seminars on investing in the Cambodian stock exchange, raising capital through the securities market, property business governance, promotional marketing for your business, and more. The event also marked the launch of a new quarterly business magazine by ADVANTAGE – a brand under the Universal Alliance umbrella – called ‘Cambodia Business’, which will aim to cover business and investment-related topics.
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