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Tag: asia

  • Vietjet announces three new aircraft and more international routes

    Vietjet announces three new aircraft and more international routes

    Vietjet reported continuous growth in its business performance in May with the addition of three new aircraft to its new generation fleet, the launch of new international routes and increased frequencies of international flights to meet the increasing travel demand of domestic passengers in the high season.

    In May, Vietjet launched the Da Nang – Seoul route; opened sales for Hanoi – Yangon route, which is expected to operate as of August 31, 2017. Besides, Vietjet increased the frequencies of Hanoi – Taipei route to 11 return flights/ week from July 21, 2017 and Hanoi – Seoul route to 14 return flights/ week from August 2, 2017.

    Along with the series of new route launches, Vietjet maintained its high load factor, with a rate of over 88%. In the first 5 months of 2017, Vietjet operated nearly 39,100 safe flights, transported more than 6.5 million passengers, an increase of 29% as compared to the same period of 2016. In May, it carried over 1.5 million passengers

    Up to the end of May, Vietjet had its own channel for online ticket distribution and consumer services with 21,378 offline sales points, an increase by 2,803 points compared to that by December 31,2016.

    With this result, the revenue from airline operation of Vietjet in May approximately stood at VND8,352 billion (around USD3.6 billion), an increase of 44% compared to the same period of the preceding year and exceeding the budget forecast by 9%.

    On the international scene, on the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the US in late May, Vietjet signed agreements with CFM International, GECAS and Honeywell Aviation, worth a total of USD 4.7 billion.

    Later, in Tokyo, Vietjet and Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance (MUL), a member of Japan’s leading finance group Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), signed a strategic agreement, which would pave the way for MUL to finance Vietjet’s acquisition of three brand new A321 aircraft, worth US$348 million.

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  • YSL Beauty opens largest store in KL

    YSL Beauty opens largest store in KL

    YSL Beauté has officially opened its first flagship boutique in Malaysia, the luxury retailer’s flagship store for Asia.

    It’s a milestone move for YSL. Spanning over 1,057 square feet, the new boutique is currently the largest YSL Beauté boutique in the world and also the first in Asia to offer gifting and engraving services to its patrons.

    Conveniently located in the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the new French cosmetics store boasts glossy black panelling licked with the iconic YSL gold embellishments.

    Better still for local shoppers, it offers the full range of YSL Beauté products, including the bestselling YSL Touche Éclat concealer and its new summer 2017 collection.

    Dubbed “Solar Pop,” the new line features four of YSL’s flagship products revamped for the season with exclusive packaging and colours.

    This includes Yves Saint Laurent’s “Les Sahariennes Bronzing Stones,” a bronzing palette formulated with ultra-fine pigments to smooth and illuminate skin with a natural effect, and YSL’s “Full Metal Shadow” glossy eye colours, which get two new shades: Gold Source and Violet Wave.

    YSL classic “Baby Doll Kiss & Blush” comes in two bright new shades with Orange Intrépide and Mauve Aventureux, and for nails, the new Malaysia store will sell “Laque Couture” in two new colours: Jungle Green and Jungle Orange.

    With scores of YSL Beauté counters and concessions already open across Asia, including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan, no further indication has been given from the brand regarding more standalone boutique openings in the near future.

    The new YSL Beauté is located at Lot 3.63.00, Level 3, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

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  • Ceva achieves CEIV certification in Singapore

    Ceva achieves CEIV certification in Singapore

    Ceva Logistics has been awarded IATA’s CEIV status at its facility in Singapore. CEIV is designed to indicate a company or branch’s level of competency as well as operational and technical preparedness in the global transportation by air of pharmaceutical products. A certified pharmaceutical location meets consistent standards and is fully capable of assuring product integrity.

    CEVA staff in Singapore have undertaken a comprehensive training program conducted jointly by IATA and Changi Airport Group, in readiness for certification. A quality team was established at the company’s facility at the Air Logistics Park of Singapore (ALPS) within the Free Trade Zone and this group coordinated and implemented the CEIV process.

    “Our 90,000 sq feet facility is fully accredited for the full range of active and passive temperature ranges,” says Michael Yip, SVP Freight Management of CEVA’s South East Asia cluster. We are the largest user and operator of active RKN e1 equipment outbound from Singapore and this new CEIV status recognises the full scope of our capabilities”.

  • Jaeger-LeCoultre reopens Philippines store

    Jaeger-LeCoultre reopens Philippines store

    Luxury watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre has reopened its flagship store in Makati City in the Philippines, enhancing the experience for local timepiece gurus.

    Located in Ayala Center’s Greenbelt 5 in Makati, the 40-square-metre boutique was reopened last week with an official relaunch party attended by company executives including Jaeger-LeCoultre’s managing director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, Maxence Kinget.

    “It’s not a store, it’s a boutique with an experience,” Kinget told the Philstar, when describing the new store at the party.

    “For us it’s very important that there is emotion and discovery, the two key mindsets when we designed the boutique.”

    The newly reopened Philippine boutique will carry the watchmaker’s complete range of watches and accessories, as well as the famous Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time, of which just one will be stocked.

    Jaeger-LeCoultre has also launched a new Geophysic collection for men with a steel metal bracelet, said to be “very good for South Asia because with the humidity and warm weather sometimes you want a stainless-steel bracelet instead of the alligator strap,” according to Kinget.

    There’s also a women’s range, with a new take on the iconic ‘Rendez-Vous’, a round watch with diamonds around the bezel.

    Finally, the new store will stock boutique-exclusive pieces, made in collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre and Lucerne – the distributor of Jaeger-LeCoultre in the Philippines — that aren’t available anywhere else in the world.

    Moreover, timepiece aficionados can create their own one-of-a-kind watch with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new bespoke service on offer.

    “There is in the Philippines a very high level of watchmaking knowledge, a very strong appetite for watches and a very strong Maison in the Philippines,” said Kinglet. “Jaeger-LeCoultre is considered a reference in fine watchmaking, as well as having a very high level of craftsmanship. Within our manufacture we have developed the biggest collection of movements — 1,200 calibers developed in our history, which is absolutely crazy — and we still produce more than 50 calibers in the collection today. We spend a lot of time trying to make sure there is a very strong connection between respect for our tradition, our heritage, as well as being oriented towards the future.

    The Swiss watch group entered The Philippines in 2000, after striking a deal with Lucerne. But it only opened its first store in 2008, which is the newly fitted Greenbelt 5 store.

    Jaeger-LeCoutlre is also sold at Lucerne Jewellers in Taguig City and at the recently opened L’Atelier Lucerne at Shangri-La at the Fort.

  • Cisco launches intent-based networking solutions

    Cisco launches intent-based networking solutions

    Cisco has unveiled a new networking paradigm it is calling intent-based networking, with the aim of creating an intuitive system that anticipates actions, stops security threats in their tracks, and continues to evolve and learn.

    The new solutions are designed to help businesses to unlock new opportunities and solve previously unsolvable challenges in an era of increasing connectivity and distributed technology.

    They involve a shift from hardware-centric to software-driven networking to improve agility, productivity and performance.

    This new network is the result of years of research and development by Cisco to reinvent networking for an age where network engineers managing hundreds of devices today will be expected to manage 1 million by 2020.

    “The network has never been more critical to business success, but it’s also never been under more pressure,” Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said.

    “By building a more intuitive network, we are creating an intelligent platform with unmatched security for today and for the future that propels businesses forward and creates new opportunities for people and organizations everywhere.”

    Today companies are managing their networks through traditional IT processes that are not sustainable in this new age. Cisco’s approach creates an intuitive system that constantly learns, adapts, automates and protects, to optimize network operations and defend against today’s evolving threat landscape.

    With the vast majority of the world’s internet traffic running on Cisco networks, the company has used its unique position to capture and analyze this immensely valuable data by providing IT with insights to spot anomalies and anticipate issues in real time, without compromising privacy.

    Already, 75 leading global enterprises and organizations are conducting early field trials with these next-generation networking solutions, including DB Systel GmbH, Jade University of Applied Sciences, NASA, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Scentsy, UZ Leuven and Wipro.

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  • Singtel launches $1.89b IPO for NetLink Trust

    Singtel launches $1.89b IPO for NetLink Trust

    Singtel has launched an up to S$2.63 billion ($1.89 billion) IPO for its fiber broadband subsidiary NetLink NBN Trust.

    NetLink NBN Trust is the holding company for NetLink Trust, the company operating the passive infrastructure for the next generation nationwide broadband network (NG-NBN).

    NetLink NBN Trust has filed a preliminary prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore ahead of the planned IPO and listing of the company on the Singapore stock exchange.

    In its role as the NetCo for the NG-NBN, NetLink Trust designs, builds, owns and operates the ducts, manholes, fiber cables and central offices and other passive infrastructure for the network. Its assets include around 76,000km of fiber cable.

    The company sells wholesale dark fiber services to licensees including Singtel itself, StartHub, M1 and MyRepublic. It recorded revenue of S$299 million and net profit of NZ$79.4 million in the most recent financial year ending in March.

    The IPO is expected to give NetLink Trust an initial market capitalization of between S$3.09 billion and S$3.59 billion.

    It will also fulfill Singtel’s regulator-mandated requirement of divesting at least 75% of the trust before next April, as part of the structural separation requirements for the state-led NG-NBN project.

    The IPO is on track to become Singapore’s largest public float since the S$7.6 billion listing of Hutchinson Port Holdings Trust in 2011.

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  • Eres opens first Hong Kong store

    Eres opens first Hong Kong store

    High-end women’s swimwear and underwear brand Eres has opened in Hong Kong, the first official Eres store in Asia.

    Located in the Harbour City Shopping Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, the French retailer has brought all its current swimsuits, bikinis and lingerie collections to the shopping hub city and will follow the aesthetic of other Eres boutiques across the globe.

    Part of the prestigious Chanel group since 1997, Eres was founded by Irene Leroux in 1968 as a swimwear label. In 1998, Chanel expanded the brand into lingerie and in 2011, the French brand started opening across the globe, opening stores in Las Vegas, Toronto, Antwerp, Kiev, Saint Bart’s and Sao Paulo.

    In 2013, it ventured into Amsterdam, Moscow, Athens and Connecticut, and opened its first German store in Hamburg in 2014.  In the same year it was scooped up by luxury e-tail giant Net-a-Porter.

    Before Hong Kong, the last Eres store was opened in Houston last year, with more U.S. openings in 2017. In Asia, Eres has a Singapore shop inside the Four Seasons Hotel on Orchard Boulevard and a concession in Japan inside the Isetan department store.

    The brand also recently created a capsule swim collection inspired by Ursula Andress, the Swiss actress who played the first Bond girl.

    Eres Hong Kong is located at 260A, Ocean Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui’s Harbour City complex.

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  • Visa Thailand Grand Sale goes digital as the flagship inbound program gets a mobile revamp

    Visa Thailand Grand Sale goes digital as the flagship inbound program gets a mobile revamp

    Thailand Minister of Tourism and Sports Ms. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul (center), Mr. Noppadon Pakprot (right), Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Mr. Suripong Tantiyanon (left), Visa Country Manager, Thailand launch Visa Thailand Grand Sale 2017.

    This year the entire customer journey will be made available for the first time on mobile. Visa cardholders can simply sign up by scanning a QR code at more than 7,000 merchant locations nationwide. To claim the offers, cardholders simply present the code or screen capture with merchants.

    Customers with internationally issued Visa cards who registered upon arrival at the airport will receive a welcome pack consisting of a complimentary SIM card with WIFI access, Grab ride worth THB 100, and a complimentary drink at Coffee World.

    More than 50 leading retailers in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket take part in Visa Thailand Grand Sale, which runs from 15 June to 31 August 2017. In Bangkok, Visa Thailand

    Grand Sale is present in three shopping and dining clusters: Downtown Bangkok from Siam to Asoke; Along the Chaophraya River at River City and Asiatique; and outer Bangkok on Bangna and Ramintra.

    Offers extend to popular online shopping websites: Lazada Thailand and Sephora.

    Suripong Tantiyanon, Visa Country Manager, Thailand said: “Having served millions of visitors to Thailand over the past 20 years, this platform has been revamped to meet the changing travel needs and behaviours. This year it has been renamed “Visa Thailand Grand Sale” from “Amazing Thailand Grand Sale” in partnership with TAT’s Thailand Shopping and Dining Paradise program.”

    For every THB 1,000 spent with Visa during the campaign, cardholders will receive a ticket to enter a lucky draw. There are ten prizes, each including two return air tickets and a maximum of seven-night stay at one of the program’s destinations. Five prizes are for international Visa cardholders and the other five are for participants with Thailand-issued Visa cards.

  • Asian Retailers use mobile engagement to grow sales

    Asian Retailers use mobile engagement to grow sales

    Mobile devices have become an essential tool for retailers across Asia looking for more effective ways to engage their customers. Whether using a smartphone or tablet, and whether comparing products and prices, reading product reviews, or making purchases, consumers’ always-on mobile devices are now a pivotal feature of the retail experience. Mobile is now the logical centrepiece for enhanced customer engagement.

    A recent global study by Nielsen found that Asia Pacific leads the way when it comes to mobile shopping, with use above the global average for every mobile shopping activity.

    Customers are engaging more of the in-store experience on their mobile devices, with Nielsen finding that more than half of shoppers use their mobile device when shopping to compare prices or look up product information.

    Progressive retailers are embracing cross-channel engagement strategies, which extend the physical contact that customers have with the store into all possible digital touch points. 

    Two of the main ways that retailers across Asia are using mobiles to engage their customers are for promotional offers to drive sales, and for after sales support and feedback capture to continuously improve the customer experience.

    Driving sales

    Based on customer preferences and purchase history, retailers may send rich, on-brand offers to customers, refined by attributes like market segment, location or social media interaction. These can include text updates announcing upcoming sales as well as discount codes sent directly to native apps or rich messages within the phone browser. Geolocation allows timely, contextual offers to be sent to customers when they are actually in-store, prompting high, immediate redemption rates.

    Nielsen found that almost half of shoppers use their device to look for coupons or deals (44%), make better shopping decisions (42%) or make shopping trips quicker or more efficient (41%).

    Mobile messaging allows an unprecedented level of real-time contact with customers and it’s vital to maintain trust and add value when communicating this way. Giving customers the ability to opt in and out of contact, as well as setting their personal preferences ensures that contact is both welcome and relevant. 

    Customer satisfaction

    Given the general preference for rapid, easily accessed communication, SMS is a viable initial channel for customer service, lowering costs, and keeping contact concise and focused.

    More complex conversations can readily be facilitated by seamlessly pivoting from SMS into mobile web, app, phone or email, allowing customers to engage further via their preferred contact paths when it suits them. This provides immediate options for customers to feed back negative responses for action, reducing risk of social media venting, and brand impact.

    Best practice mobile engagement insights

    There are a few elements that all retailers should consider when designing effective mobile management to grow sales and improve customer service.

    1. Multi-channel communication – send messages to customers in the way that suits them, whether that’s voice, SMS, push, social media, rich messages or email, to improve the rates of delivery. Knowing that customers will almost always have their mobiles close allows retailers to provide messages on all these channels
    2. Geolocation – GPS-enabled smartphone applications allow users to share real-time location information, with relevant data and offers matching the customer’s location.
    3. Automated and integrated messages – incorporating messaging systems with other customer facing and internal technologies such as CRM, marketing and billing systems reduces the need for manual intervention, providing a range of automated, high value communications options, including: customer surveys for generating instantaneous feedback; voucher and barcode downloads; loyalty program offers; time based offers; multilingual support options; and mobile catalogues. 
    4. Consolidate and simplify communications – combining communications streams into a single platform, provides a single view of the customer engagement, regardless of their preferred medium or location, while vastly reducing cost and complexity of managing diverse communications tools.
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  • Korea ranks number 1 in online grocery shopping

    Korea ranks number 1 in online grocery shopping

    South Korea ranked No. 1 in terms of e-commence for grocery shopping, far outpacing other major developed countries, an industry report showed.

    According to the report by industry tracker, Kantar Worldpanel, the percentage of fast-moving consumer goods shopping via online and mobile channels out of all purchases in South Korea between June 2015 and June 2016 came to 16.6 percent.

    FMCG refers to goods such as soft drinks, toiletries, over-the-counter drugs, processed foods and many other consumables.
    Japan came in second with 7.2 percent, followed by the United Kingdom with 6.9 percent, France with 5.3 percent and Taiwan with 5.2 percent, the report showed.

    For the United States, the share of e-commerce represented just 1.4 percent, Kantar Worldpanel said. However, with initiatives from Amazon and more established grocery retailers, the region is likely to catch up quickly.

    South Korea also ranked the highest in terms of the percentage of households that buy online FMCG products at least once a year.

    Industry watchers attributed the broadened digital shopping experience by South Koreans to an aggressive expansion of online-based fresh food delivery services by key e-commerce companies and related startups.

    The diversification of fresh food supplies and shortened delivery periods due to heated market competition has led to the overall increase of the transactions and improvement of online shopping services for consumers.

    The growing number of single-person households is another factor that has fueled the demand for online grocery shopping here, observers added.

    Along with many double-income families that have little time to shop at a supermarket, those who live and eat alone have shown a tendency to spend generously if they can have groceries delivered with a simple click.

    One-person households in Korea account for some 35 percent of the total population as of September 2016. The trend has prompted local retailers and e-commerce companies to scramble to launch fresh food delivery services.

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  • China Telecom to expand JV with AT&T

    China Telecom to expand JV with AT&T

    China Telecom has agreed to extend its partnership with AT&T to cover the development of more advanced network services for multinational companies operating in China.

    The operators have signed a framework agreement to explore ways to develop new IoT, cloud-based big data, VoLTE roaming and SDN based services.

    AT&T, China Telecom and Shanghai Information Investments entered a joint venture in 2000, Shanghai Symphony Telecommunications (SST). The companies now plan to expand the scope of SST as well as the locations it serves.

    Under the agreement, China Telecom and AT&T aim to help establish industry standards for SDN, explore ways to collaborate on IoT platforms and solutions, launch bilateral roaming tests and explore the potential of VoLTE roaming.

    “Working with AT&T, China Telecom is creating future business solutions that use enterprise mobility, cloud, IoT and other technologies,” China Telecom executive director and EVP Gao Tongqing commented.

    “Global businesses have to be innovative and agile to succeed today. Growing our relationship with China Telecom, AT&T is helping multinational customers have consistent access to the advanced solutions they need in China,” added Thaddeus Arroyo, CEO of AT&T Business Solutions and International segment.

  • New Cebu Pacific flights from Davao to boost tourism

    New Cebu Pacific flights from Davao to boost tourism

    New Cebu Pacific direct domestic flights from Davao are seen as another door of opportunities for the local tourism industry especially for the upcoming Kadayawan Festival, said City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) official. By July 26, Cebu Pacific will have scheduled flights three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between Davao and Dumaguete. They will also fly four times a week from Davao to Tacloban and vice versa starting July 27. Schedules will be every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

    The flights will be carried by the Cebgo fleet of ATR aircraft. “We’re very happy with these updates as it means opportunities for us. We’re deep into planning for Kadayawan so we’ll include these new routes in our plans. We’re going all out now with preparations and events. We’re setting up a Kadayawan Village at Magsaysay Park and hoping that Dabawenyos will also help promote and join the activities,” said CTOO Head Generose Tecson. It was earlier reported that the tourism sector in Davao City had been “slightly affected” by the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao especially with the hotel bookings, accommodations, and events being cancelled for security purposes.

    Aside from the direct Davao flights to be launched by the last week of July, Cebu Pacific will also launch flights between Cebu and Masbate, Zamboanga and Cotabato, and Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

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  • Vietnam to continue fuel import

    Vietnam to continue fuel import

    According to a report issued June 26  by Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR), the operator of the US$3-billion Dung Quat Oil Refinery in Quang Ngai Province, the country is projected to consume 6.5 million tons of gasoline and 8.5 million tons of DO from 2018 to 2022.

    Meanwhile, Dung Quat and another oil refinery, Nghi Son, can supply nearly six million tons of petrol and seven million tons of DO from 2018, representing 92% and 82% of domestic demand respectively.

    The shortfall would be offset by fuel imports from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and China.

    Nghi Son Oil Refinery in Thanh Hoa Province will be put into operation next year with an annual processing capacity of 10 million tons of crude oil. It is expected to supply 8.8 million tons of fuels, including about 2.3 million tons of petrol and 3.7 million tons of DO, meeting 40% of local needs.

    Condensate processing plants such as PVOIL Phu My, Saigon Petro, Nam Viet Oil and Dong Phuong have a combined annual capacity of 690,000 tons of gasoline.

    Since its debut seven years ago, Dung Quat has sold over 47 million tons of fuels with total revenue amounting to more than US$36 billion and profit reaching over VND13 trillion (US$0.57 billion) by the end of the first quarter of 2017.

    BSR has paid over US$7 billion in taxes to the State.

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  • SPAR and DHL launch first of 300 convenience stores in Thailand

    SPAR and DHL launch first of 300 convenience stores in Thailand

    SPAR International, the world’s largest food retail voluntary chain, will partner with DHL Supply Chain and the Bangchak Retail Company (BCR) to establish up to 300 new convenience stores in Thailand by the end of 2020.

    The deal will see DHL Supply Chain support SPAR’s expansion plans with end-to-end transport, distribution and warehousing services across Thailand, with BCR providing the front-end store infrastructure for the Dutch retailer. SPAR’s supply chain will currently use the DHL Bangna Logistics Campus for ambient warehousing and distribution; and its Klong Prapa warehouse for handling frozen goods.

    “To support SPAR Thailand in delivering SPAR’s global reputation for freshness, choice, quality, and service, we knew we needed a logistics partner with proven experience in maintaining world-class food retail supply chains,” said Tom Rose, Head of Operations at SPAR International. “DHL’s track record in sustaining fast-growing food retailers, both in Thailand and other markets worldwide, gave us the confidence to use their infrastructure as the foundation of our local supply chain.”

    “Since working with DHL, they have impressed SPAR with the smoothness and visibility of its third-party logistics services, leaving us in no doubt that this partnership will help SPAR reach its sizable ambitions for growth in the Kingdom.”

    The infrastructure at DHL Supply Chain will support SPAR’s quality standards with a range of features including CCTV systems, automatic fire protection, and temperature controlled warehousing. Both warehouses will also be managed by WMOS, a warehouse management platform, to maintain levels of inventory accuracy and productivity in line with SPAR’s global best practices.

    “Retail operations require highly specialized experience to achieve the levels of inventory quality, shipment accuracy, and timeliness needed to meet swift changes in consumer demand,” said Kevin Burrell, CEO, Thailand Cluster, DHL Supply Chain. “With Thailand’s retail sector expected to continue growing steadily alongside disposable income levels, we’re keen to take our award-winning services to the next level as we help SPAR bring its world-class quality direct to Thai consumers.”

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  • Big growth for Asia Fruit Logistica

    Big growth for Asia Fruit Logistica

    Asia’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable trade show is set for another record-breaking year on 6-8 September 2017 in Hong Kong. With more than two months to go before Asia Fruit Logistica opens its doors at AsiaWorld-Expo, sales of exhibition space are up by 25% on last year’s total.

    Exhibitor participation from China – traditionally the largest single exhibiting nation atAsia Fruit Logistica – has increased sharply, with the Chinese pavilion expanding by 90% compared with last year’s event.

    Well over 11,000 top-level buyers and trade professionals from more than 70 countries are expected to attendAsia Fruit Logistica.

    Visitors can purchase their tickets online and make up to a 40% saving on their entrance fee compared with buying tickets on the door.

    Asia Fruit Logistica’s business week kicks off with the Asia Fruit Congress, Asia’s premier fresh produce conference event, which takes place the day before the exhibition on Tuesday 5 September.

    Asia Fruit Congress returns with a high-powered programme covering a range of hot topics. Fresh trends in Asia’s food retail market, delivering global brands to local consumers, and the changing global trade landscape are the headline themes on the agenda.

    On the show-floor at Asia Fruit Logistica, visitors can take part in two Hall Forums this year. Asia Business Forum offers daily workshops with practical ideas and solutions for better fresh produce marketing.

    Day one focuses on packaging, looking at its role in terms of both product preservation and merchandising.

    Day two is all about marketing, while day three looks at production and trade issues.

    Meanwhile, the second Hall Forum turns the spotlight on the worlds of hi-tech and logistics. Each morning, SMART HORTICULTURE ASIA, the forum for information management, standards and technology, will explore data management at different stages of the supply chain.

    Each afternoon, COOL LOGISTICS ASIA offers a new series of practical workshops on cold chain management. The wide-ranging programme looks at the future of container shipping, perishable logistics for beginners and exporting to Asia by air.