Trade shows are nothing new. Nor are on-line trade portals. Both have their shortcomings. The MIHAS Trade Matching Service aims to change all that.
MIHAS 2004 marks the beginning of a new trade matching service, a way to keep the arena of contact open, not just to the participants, but open to all. A searchable interactive database will enable buyers, sellers, producers, financiers and agents to find each other.
THE HALAL JOURNAL talked to a spokesman from MIHAS. “This is a free service to keep the momentum of the Expo alive, and make it grow from year to year. In the great days of Islamic Trading, when our trade routes stretched across the world from China to the Maghreb, from Delhi to Tashkent, our markets were strong because they were free. Sellers could enter the market and display their goods free of charge. And so of course the buyers came and trade flourished.”
In line with this thinking, will MIHAS Trade Matching remain a free service?
“Yes. Other trade matching portals charge the seller to display their products, so of course there is an advantage for the bigger and wealthier companies. The smaller companies can’t afford to display their wares, so how can they sell? We plan to change that. Primary services – such as displaying up to 10 products, searching the database, giving buyers, sellers and agents access to each other – will be free of charge.”
“We are still building up the database, and we strongly encourage the Halal Business community to log in and enter their company details. Tell the business community what you are offering, what are you looking for. This is our Halal marketplace, let’s make us of it, make it strong.”
According to MIHAS organisers, the basic details of the MIHAS exhibitors are already on the database. Trade visitors to MIHAS are also invited to enter their company and product details to take advantage of the free exposure.
“After the Expo, we will put the service online at www.halaltradehub.com and make it accessible for the Muslim business community globally. This is a service to the Muslims to encourage trade.”
The Halal Journal will be following this development with great interest.
**This article was first published in The Halal Journal Pilot Issue (August 2004).
