Fonterra, a perennial exhibitor at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), has participated for eight consecutive years, deepening its presence in the Chinese market. It now operates six application centres and one innovation centre in China, with the Wuhan application centre officially opening in 2024. Its R&D products cover baking, foodservice, and beverage channels.

During the 8th CIIE, Fonterra’s management team visited in a group, treating the expo as 'China Lesson One'. Chief of Staff James Robertson got lost on his first visit, overwhelmed by the scale and diversity of the exhibition. The CIIE provides Fonterra with a platform for product showcase, market insights, and global connections, helping it quickly engage customers, suppliers, and partners while exploring internationalisation needs.

Fonterra continues to increase its innovation investment in China; specific cooperation plans and future initiatives are yet to be announced.

Fonterra’s eight-year consecutive participation in the CIIE, and the scale of its investment, underscores China’s strategic value to the company. For New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners, the CIIE is not merely a showcase window but also an efficient platform to understand Chinese consumer trends and contact potential partners. Fonterra achieves localised innovation through its six application centres; SMEs can learn from this strategy by leveraging CIIE resources to seek niche collaborations, for instance, supplying specialty dairy ingredients for baking and foodservice channels.

However, it is important to assess exhibition costs versus returns. While a giant like Fonterra can afford a large booth, SMEs might consider joint booths or targeted matchmaking sessions. Additionally, Fonterra management’s 'first lesson' indicates the complexity of Chinese market demand; it is advisable for SMEs to research target customer preferences in advance to avoid blindly following trends.

Conclusion: designing exhibition plans around product characteristics and trends such as health and convenience may prove more effective than simply pursuing high contract volumes.

Keywords: CIIE, Fonterra, Chinese market, application centre, innovation centre, Wuhan, New Zealand dairy, perennial exhibitor, management team, localisation

恒天然作为进博会的'全勤生'，连续八年参展，深耕中国市场。目前已在华布局6个应用中心和1个创新中心，2024年武汉应用中心正式揭幕，研发产品覆盖烘焙、餐食、饮料全渠道。第八届进博会期间，恒天然管理团队组团到访，将其视为'中国第一课'，幕僚长詹姆斯·罗伯逊首次参会时被展会的规模与多样性震撼而迷路。

进博会为恒天然提供产品展示、市场洞察及全球链接平台，帮助快速对接客户、供应商与合作伙伴，同时挖掘国际化需求。恒天然持续加大在华创新投入，具体合作方案及未来计划待进一步公布。

恒天然连续八年参展进博会，其投入规模证明中国市场对其战略价值。对于新西兰中小企业主，进博会不仅是展示窗口，更是了解中国消费趋势、接触潜在合作伙伴的高效平台。恒天然通过6个应用中心实现本土化创新，中小企业可借鉴其策略，利用进博会资源寻找细分领域合作，例如为烘焙、餐饮渠道提供特色乳品原料。

但需注意参展成本与回报评估，恒天然作为巨头可负担大规模展位，中小企业可考虑联合展台或定向对接会。同时，恒天然管理层'第一课'表明中国市场需求复杂，建议中小企业提前调研目标客户偏好，避免盲目跟风。结语：结合自身产品特点，围绕健康、便捷等趋势设计参展方案，或许比单纯追求签约量更有效。

关键词: 进博会, 恒天然, 中国市场, 应用中心, 创新中心, 武汉, 新西兰乳业, 全勤生, 管理团队, 本土化

Photo by JonathanPayne on Pixabay

Source: Tencent News