Heaptalk, Jakarta – The handicraft trade fair, Inacraft, to return on March 1st-5rd, 2023, at Jakarta International Convention Center, Jakarta (2023). This year, the 23rd Inacraft will bring fresh nuance by adopting The Authentic South Sulawesi as its theme.
The concept is adopted to mark the collaboration between Indonesian Handicraft Producers and Exporters Association (ASEPHI) as Inacraft’s initiator and the South Sulawesi Government. This cooperation is expected to introduce the culture of South Sulawesi to society and also to assist the region in finding its right target market.
The head of Industry Department in South Sulawesi Ahmadi Akil, stated, “Inacraft is a great moment for MSMEs, especially for the handicraft sector. We perceived that we still could not reach the right target market that brings great impact for South Sulawesi, although we had nurtured our craftsman for years. Performing this collaboration, we expect to find the right target market that will advance our handicraft industry.”
Running this collaboration, the expo will not solely present the province’s authentic handicrafts but also the local art, tradition, food and beverage, and culture, one of which is reflected by the appearance of the Indonesian Phinisi boat.
“The Indonesian Phinisi is chosen because the boat has become the national identity. Even, this boat also was announced as an intangible heritage by UNESCO in 2017,” said Akil during the Inacraft press conference, Tuesday (02/28).
As additional information, the handicraft exhibition is expected to attract 170,000 visitors with a total retail transaction of Rp145 billion and a USD 12 million trade contact. To achieve this target, ASEPHI has obtained great support from 35 State Owned Enterprises (SOE) and 5 Indonesia’s Ministries, spanning the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industry, and the Ministry of Cooperation and Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and Ministry of Education and Culture.
The Chairman of ASEPHI Muchsin Ridjan, conveyed, “We purposely chose March as the great time to organize the event as this month will coincide with Ramadan. Further, we capture great enthusiasm from the participants, and we hope people will be enthusiastic too.”
As the background information, Ramadan is a special month in Indonesia as the majority population in the country is Muslim. During Ramadan, the demand for daily necessities, such as clothes and F&B, generally experiences a significant surge along with the people’s enthusiasm to celebrate the month. Tapping into this moment, ASEPHI and Mediatama Binakreasi expect to assist participants in increasing their sales rate.
“This year, we hope the atmosphere can return to normal as before the pandemic,” stated General Secretary of ASEPHI, Baby Jurmawati, during the press conference of the 23rd edition Inacraft 2023 (02/28).
Jumawati also added the total occupancy in 2023, similar to the previous year, namely 1,200 booths, and the entire spaces have been sold out. In more detail, about 60% of the total booths, or around 940 participants, are ASEPHI members, 214 booths are non-members, and the remaining booths are taken by MSMEs guided by SOE.
