China ranks #2 as a destination for Wisconsin agricultural exports. To access this market, companies need information on navigating regulatory hurdles, finding buyers, and marketing products in the world’s most populous nation.

Join MITA members to hear from Roger Zhang of SMH Shanghai, who will present on the current market for food and agricultural products. Also, learn how a build a strategy for utilizing e-commerce to sell consumer products in China. Mr. Zhang will provide an overview of the market for imported food, current trends, the rising e-commerce sites, Shanghai Free Trade Zone, and opportunities for Wisconsin companies. Joining Mr. Zhang on a panel will be several Chinese food importers from Beijing and Shanghai. They will each give an overview of their company and share their insights on developing market share for American food products in China. Plus, network with a staff writer from one of China’s leading food and culinary publications covering the Wisconsin industry..

This special event is co-hosted by MITA and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Co-sponsors are the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) and ME Dey.

Learn more and register.

The U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange and the Midwest Specialty Grains Conference will take place Sept. 15-18, 2014 at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee. Attendees will include international buyers and traders of food-grade soybeans, conventional soybeans and grains, and food ingredients. Networking events will be hosted with transportation and logistics company representatives, grain producers, agricultural industry organization leaders, researchers and more.

For more information, or to register for this event click here. The deadline to register for the Wisconsin Pavilion is August 11.

The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) competitive grant program was launched in 2008 to strengthen Wisconsin’s agricultural and food industries. The grants work to reduce the marketing, distribution and processing hurdles that impede the expansion of sales of Wisconsin’s food products to local purchasers.

Farmers and others in Wisconsin’s food industry who want to grow their local markets are encouraged to apply in the 2015 round of grants. Managed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP), the grants can help farms and business more efficiently process, market and distribute food in local markets.

Pre-proposals must be received at DATCP by 4pm on December 1, and must include a cover page, a completed budget template, and a three page project description. Find the grant application materials here.

Contact DATCP’s Grants Manager Juli Speck at 608-224-5134 with any questions about the application process.

The Strategic Sourcing Forum will focus squarely on the challenges facing SME importers from China. As we enter a new era where double-digit price reductions stemming from labor arbitrage are harder to find, SME’s must now aim at becoming more effective and efficient at managing Chinese suppliers if they are to avoid margin compression. The Strategic Sourcing Forum will bring together business leaders, academics, and policy makers to discuss and better understand how to approach and answer the question, “How can I become more profitable in China?”

To frame this question, attendees will engage in a range of presentations, including an economic overview of China’s economy and what it means to US businesses, a procedural examination of how to best manage Chinese suppliers, and relevant case studies from key businesses in the region. It is our hope that attendees will gain valuable insight into the tools and processes needed to effectively manage Chinese suppliers and actionable knowledge to guide their future strategic planning.

Who Should Attend?

• Presidents, VPs and business owners
• General Managers and sales leadership
• Trade association leadership
• State and Federal policy makers
• Academics
• Legal professionals focused on international trade

Why Attend?

Join senior business professionals to discuss the challenges facing SME’s looking to export to China and how to overcome those obstacles.

Participate in genuine debate, based on actionable knowledge, to help guide your decision making process. There will be interactive panel discussions, presentations and case-studies that draw on the views of peers,  and board leaders.

Gain insight from the only event that is not afraid to offer a broad perspective while covering pertinent issues facing exporters to China.

Meet other forward looking business, political, and academic minds who are on top of their respective industries.

Learn more and register by 8/31 for the early registration fee.

The Leadership Summit series will begin in 2014 by focusing on mid-sized companies across the nation that are seeking to better understand the business landscape in China and how they can successfully develop and execute a viable import or export strategy. The Opening China Summit will bring together business leaders, academics, and policy makers to discuss and better understand the opportunities in China for our nation’s businesses and examine how carefully crafted import and export strategies are essential to long-term growth.

To frame these discussions, attendees will engage in a range of presentations, including an economic overview of China’s economy and what it means to US businesses, a procedural overview of how to manage a Chinese customer base, and relevant case studies from some key businesses in the region. It is our hope that attendees will gain valuable insight into the opportunities available for American business in China and actionable knowledge from case studies to guide their future strategic planning.

Who Should Attend?

• Presidents, VPs and business owners
• General Managers and sales leadership
• Trade association leadership
• State and Federal policy makers
• Academics
• Legal professionals focused on international trade

Why Attend?

Join senior business professionals to discuss the challenges facing SME’s looking to export to China and how to overcome those obstacles. 

Participate in genuine debate, based on actionable knowledge, to help guide your decision making process. There will be interactive panel discussions, presentations and case-studies that draw on the views of peers, and board leaders. 

Gain insight from the only event that is not afraid to offer a broad perspective while covering pertinent issues facing exporters to China. 

Meet other forward looking business, political, and academic minds who are on top of their respective industries.

Learn more and register online.