VECO’s ‘last appearance’ at Indonesia’s largest B2B trade event

VECO Indonesia is once again participating at Indonesia’s largest annual business-to-business (B2B) trade event, the 32nd Trade Expo Indonesia 2017. VECO Indonesia’s participation at Trade Expo started in 2014 and for the last three years has been organised with the support of the Sustainable Coffee Platform of Indonesia (SCOPI), a national coffee platform aimed at promoting and enhancing public private partnership in coffee production and trade.

Unlike previous years, the 2017 Expo was held at the International Convention Exhibition (ICE) in Pagedangan, Banten instead of the trade fair grounds at Kemayoran, Jakarta. The Expo this year was launched by Ir. Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia. According to the Ministry of Trade, 4,500 buyers from 79 countries and 1,100 exporters from across the nation attended the Expo which lasted for five days from 11 to 15 October 2017.

Seven VECO Indonesia farmer organisations partners attended this year’s event. From the coffee sector, the Flores-based Manggarai Coffee Farmers Association (ASNIKOM) and the Society for the Protection of the Geographic Indicator of Arabica Flores Bajawa (MPIG-AFB), Sulawesi-based Toraja Coffee Farmers Union (PPKT) and Benteng Alla Cooperative, and Jambi-based Koerintji Barokah Bersama Cooperative took part in the trade expo. Koerintji Barokah also promoted cinnamon, which is one of Jambi’s leading commodity, apart from Coffee.

From the Rice Sector, the Central Java-based Boyolali Organic Rice Farmers Alliance (APPOLI) and Boyolali Rice Farmers Association (APOB) attended the trade expo. These two organisations had received wide attention when their booths were visited by President Joko Widodo during his tour after launching the Expo. Mr. Shidiq, a Manager at APPOLI, recalled the President’s short visit to his organisations display booth as ‘unforgettable’.

APPOLI’s experience was also shared by Mr. Triyono, Chairman of Koerintji Barokah Cooperative when his booth was also visited by the President, making it his second encounter with the President within the last 15 days. Mr. Triyono had previously been invited along with other leading coffee producers and coffee business industry leaders in Indonesia for a cup of coffee together with the President to celebrate International Coffee Day on the 1st of October 2017.

Entering the last day of the Expo, VECO Indonesia is counting down to the national launch of its new brand which will take place within the next 24 hours. Given the circumstances, in its own respect, the 32nd Trade Expo Indonesia will be the “last” public appearance of VECO which had first operated under the name Vredeseilanden Country Office (VECO) back in 2001.

From farmer organisations, NGOs and avid commodity buyers that have partnered with VECO Indonesia over the years, the rebranding announcement made during the Expo came as a ‘bitter-sweet’ surprise to them. ‘Bitter’ because it will be sad to part with a brand that they have become attached with, yet ‘sweet’ because the new brand not only maintains VECO Indonesia’s core values, but further strengthens it.