Saturday May 14, 2011

THE upcoming 3rd MALAYSIA SME Congress 2011 will be held on July 6 at the Shah Alam Convention Centre and is set to attract more than 500 SMEs participants.

The congress is endorsed by the International Trade and Industry Ministry and supported by agencies and associations that include SME Corp Malaysia, The Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Small and Medium Enterprises Association, National SME Council and Asian Women Business Network.

MALAYSIA SME chief executive officer Wayne Lim says the congress is an avenue for SMEs to network, exchanging business contacts, understanding the successful stories of SMEs and gain knowledge for their business development.

“As the majority of businesses in Malaysia is SME-based, business owners need to create differentiator to ensure that they are the first brand recall' for the markets they are involved in,” he says after the launch of the congress themed It's All About SME, recently.

He says the highlight of the congress this year will be the featuring ofTun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his capacity as the founder of The Loaf, a Japanese inspired bakery that had made waves among the upmarket consumers in Malaysia.

Another prominent speaker is Sirivat Voravetvuthikun, who is also known as the Sandwich Man by the global media. The Thai stockbroker turned to selling sandwiches in the street in 1994 as his business was affected by the stock market crash.

Other include founder of Cliff Ink Sdn Bhd Michelle Lau and Incontrol Tech Sdn Bhd managing director Harvinder Singh. Cliff Ink makes contemporary batik for the global market while Incontrol Tech is a regional player for automation technology.