World SME Expo, IDT Expo and Business of Design Week form a powerful combination for SME business
	Mario Bellini, a leading light of Italian architecture, will speak at BODW 2007

Entrepreneurs and executives from the world's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will converge next month in Hong Kong, a city that has long counted on this sector as its main economic growth engine. 

More than 30,000 SMEs are expected at the 7th World SME Expo (December 12-14) organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to explore opportunities in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region.

"The World SME Expo is an international SME marketplace for networking, business matching and exchange of ideas and inspiration," said HKTDC's Head of Customer Service, CH Lai.

Experience sharing

Participants will hear first hand about the challenges and opportunities of globalisation in Asia while successful entrepreneurs will share their experiences and business tips at a designated area called the New SME Corner. Here they will learn about managing business risks, enhancing SME competitiveness and SME funding schemes among other topics.

To move up the value-added chain and improve their competitiveness, SMEs around the world need innovative technologies to streamline their operations, energy-saving solutions to address environmental issues, branding and marketing tools to take their products to the market. With these concerns in mind, SMEs should attend the Inno Design Tech Expo (December 12-15). 

"The IDT Expo stands as a renowned trading platform for business-focused technologies and design services," explained Mr Lai. A series of seminars on technology and design development will outline scope for opportunities going forward. Decision makers from leading mainland enterprises, IT experts, designers and global industry players will offer plenty of opportunities for potential partnerships.

Forging new partnerships

Over the past few years, IDT Expo has established close partnerships with leading design-savvy nations, mounting high profile country promotions such as the Scandinavian Design Day (2005) and DesignUK Day (2006). "This year, we will launch a premiere promotion of Italian Design to underscore the strengths of Italian design through exhibitions, seminars and experience sharing sessions," added Mr Lai. 

Running concurrently with both the SME Expo and the IDT Expo is the Business of Design Week (December 10-15), Asia's leading design event for innovation, design and brands. With acclaimed international and Asian speakers, BODW 2007 promises to uphold its status as one of the year's most important design events. Italian designers such as Massimo Vignelli, Mario Bellini and Massimiliano Fuksas together with their Japanese counterparts Noriaki Okabe and Fumie Shibata lead the pack of iconic designers who will share their success stories on how design and commercialism can co-exist to produce a powerful and lucrative business.