With the help of the Province, B.C. companies representing everything from technology to agrifoods and all those in between are joining outbound business delegations to travel overseas, reach new markets and attract investment to expand their businesses and create jobs for British Columbians.

Take Vancouver-based tech start-up H+ Technologies, for example. CEO Vincent Yang said his company, which specializes in holographic technology, has made many meaningful connections with investors and potential business partners in China, Japan and Korea this year, all thanks to the support of ministry staff from B.C.’s Ministry of International Trade (MIT).

Before Yang went to Korea, he was trying to figure out how to find suitable partners to meet with. Three to four days before he left for Korea, he had a phone call with ministry staff about who he should see while there and he said they were very supportive.

“They sent an email to the embassy the same day to identify any possible connections with local companies and turned this trip into a very valuable and fruitful one. I feel very touched that they can give us such great support in such a short timeframe,” said Yang.

The contacts provided by MIT proved fruitful. Over the past 12 months:

• H+ has attracted potential investment and business partnership in Japan.
• H+ is working with one of the biggest museums in Beijing, using interactive holographic technology to showcase items and relics.
• It travelled to CES 2016 in Las Vegas in January to make more business-to-business connections and attract investment from the Silicon Valley.

H+ is just one example of a company taking advantage of the many business delegations supported by MIT. In 2014-15 alone, the Ministry of International Trade facilitated more than 170 B.C. business delegations to international conventions, conferences, trade shows and meetings all over the world. Ministry staff recruit businesses to participate in an international delegation and help them promote themselves and make important connections while they are in market. Staff also assist with any follow-up that may be required.

In the agrifoods sector, Eugene Ahn, operations director and vice president of sales and purchasing for Coquitlam-based Han-Ka Foods said, “Han-Ka is a huge advocate of meeting face-to-face and showcasing products in person as opposed to simply emails and phone calls. Furthermore, while we are still a small- to medium-sized business, participation with these delegations is integral to the promotion and growth of our business on a global scale.”

These businesses are also seeing tangible results from their missions. For example, Ed Sang, president of Vancouver-based Pacific Rim Shellfish says his company has acquired solid customers after participating in trade shows in China, South Korea, Belgium and the United States.

And in the technology sector, Vancouver-based technology company ReFleX Wireless has built international brand recognition, partnerships and direct sales opportunities through its participation on business delegations.

“In a recent example, our company secured a major contract with Weight Watchers International from a competitor who was backed by big name venture capitalists in the Silicon Valley,” said ReFleX’s president Andy Tsai. “These events provide large amounts of oxygen that fuels our business growth and vision. We will definitely continue to participate in these events in the future.”

In order to support more business delegations like these in the future, the B.C. government has implemented a new online registration system that makes it easier for B.C. organizations to participate in international trade show and mission delegations. The system has all the information they need in one place, allowing participants to easily plan their trip. This new system makes registration quick and easy, saving time for both ministry staff and the business.

Helping B.C. businesses get their goods to market is another step toward growing B.C.’s economy and creating more jobs for British Columbia as outlined in Raising our Game in Asia: The BC Jobs Plan Trade Strategy.

To find out about upcoming events and business delegation opportunities, visit: http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/export/events/

Quick Facts:

• Business delegations in 2014-15 travelled to China (93), Japan (25), India (24), the United States (12), South Korea (9), Europe (7), other countries in Asia (2) and South America (1).
• Some of the events they attended in 2014-15 include:
  • The International Exhibition of Food and Drinks in China
  • The Busan International Seafood and Fisheries Expo 2015 in South Korea
  • The 121 Mining Investment forum in London
  • The China Education Expo
  • CommunicAsia 2015 in Singapore

Learn More:

To learn more about trade and investment opportunities in B.C. visit: http://www.britishcolumbia.ca

Raising Our Game in Asia: The BC Jobs Plan Trade Strategy: www.gov.bc.ca/bcjobsplantradestrategy

Find out how international trade is creating new jobs in British Columbia: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca