(Source: BusinessMirror | October 27, 2015 )
Members of a 500-strong Japanese delegation to the biennial 17th Asia-Pacific Retailers Conference and Exhibition (APRCE) have started arriving in Manila for the biggest and grandest retail-industry event in the region slated from October 28 to 30 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.
Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) President Lorenzo “Enchong” C. Formoso, COO of Duty Free Philippines, said the Japanese contingent could, in fact, be more than 500—the biggest foreign delegation among the Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Association (Fapra) member-economies—to the APRCE
“Every serious retailer in the Asia-Pacific region now talks about the Manila APRCE, especially with the formidable lineup of speakers and well-thought-out topics the PRA team has prepared for the delegates. The strong global interest in the event is evident in the huge Japanese delegation,” Formoso emphasized.
Aside from the Japanese retailer-participants, Japan is also well represented in the panel of experts that was put together to render technical presentations at the 2015 APRCE edition.
Highly respected Japanese executives from Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., UNY Group Holdings Co. Ltd., Daiso Industries Co. Ltd, Family Mart Co. Ltd., Aeon Co. Ltd., Life Corp. Co. Ltd., and the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will be among the APRCE 2015 resource speakers.
“The presence of these distinguished Japanese experts makes APRCE Manila 2015 a truly compelling event for our international attendees, especially those who want to learn from the retailing industry pillars of Japan, which is one of the most sophisticated and important markets in the world,” PRA Chairman Frederick D. Go, Manila APRCE 2015 overall chairman and president of Robinsons Recreation Corp., stressed.
Hiroshi Ohnishi, president and CEO of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., will open the Day 3 Plenary Session with the topic “Innovation for Ideal Retail Business in Japan.” Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. operates major department store chains in Japan and East Asia, including Thailand, Singapore and China.
Norio Sako, president of UNY Group Holdings Co. Ltd. which operates UNY, Circle K, Sankus, Sagami and Palemo in Japan, will talk on “Building Familiarity and Trust by Improving Our Group Network.”
The other Japanese key resource speakers include Hirotake Yano, president and CEO of Daiso Industries Co. Ltd., who will speak on “To LIVE”; Life Corporation Co. Ltd. President and COO Takaharu Iwasaki, whose firm operates one of Japan’s largest supermarket chains, will discuss “Reforming Three Corporate Cultures of Life Corp.”; giant Family Mart Co. Ltd. chain President Isamu Nakayama will make a presentation on “Successful Expansion of Convenience Store Business in Japan. Now Leading the Way to Asia”; and Aeon Co. Ltd. conglomerate chairman Hiroshi Yokoo will discuss “Development and Contribution of AEON Group in Asia.”
Japan will also be represented at the “Retail Policy Forum: E-commerce: Changing the Game of Retailing” by Eigo Nomura, director of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Distribution and Retail Industry Division.
“We thank our friends in the Japan Retailers Association for helping us assemble a formidable cast of international speakers with the inclusion of these seven Japanese experts,” Formoso added.
Read more:Â http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/over-500-man-japanese-delegation-on-hand-for-manila-aprce/
