The heat of summer in June does not lessen overseas group visiting 21Food in Hangzhou. On June 20th 2009, one Mexican group arrives in Hangzhou headquarter of 21Food, with purpose of knowing Hangzhou TopHere Sci. & Tec. Co., Ltd. and its owned B2B website platforms-21Food (English version: www.21food.com, Chinese version: www.21food.cn), hoping to export more Mexican foods into China market.

The overseas group are China Business Representatives coming from Mexico. The Mexican government has one project called "Mexico-China Business Research Program", and annually sends some elites representing certain Mexican companies to China, making market research and development, international trading, trading with China, exporting to China and facilitating Mexican foods occupy market in China. For another side, learning Chinese for communication convenience.

It should be traced back to the first "21Food Buyers Sourcing Meeting" in May of Shanghai. It was during the special time of H1N1 flu, while in our meeting there was one Mexican buyer Minneth who had permanently live in China for years. In the follow-up services, she told us that she is keeping contacting with suppliers had met, and is now waiting for samples from them. She seems to be very satisfied with that meeting and results. Hearing this, our staff feel very gratified. Then she told us she has many Mexican friends in China, working just like her. Knowing her success experience, they also become great interest in our company and our activates. After discussing, they decided to visit 21Food together in group, to face to face know our website and company better, looking for business cooperation opportunities.

May 2009 - 21Food Buyers Sourcing Meeting, Buyer Minneth (right) and 21Food Staff

There are 17 people in this Mexican group, representing 17 different Mexican companies, coming from states such as Formacion de, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Yucatan, etc.

Mexican Visiting Group & 21Food Staff (second from left, third from right) -in 21Food Company Building

On June 20th, 21Food are well prepared for Mexican visiting group's coming. Obvious guiding signs and welcoming banner "Welcome Overseas Group Visting 21Food" beside company gate are showed for welcoming. At 10:30 am, they arrive timely. There is no sign of weary in such hot weather after long time of spending in trip, in opposite, we deeply feel their enthusiasm and sincerity. All 21Food Staff welcome them with rapturous applause.

21Food Staff Propose the Warmest Applause to Mexican Group

The CEO of 21Food-Zou Fenglei and staff Coral exchange business cards with them one by one. After briefing acquaintance, Mr.Zou gives one speech as follows:

"I want to express our warmest welcome to Mexican friends on behalf of our company.

21Food is a B2B website platform on food industry. After 6 years of developing, we have become the biggest professional food website in China. In China, internet has come to everywhere we live. Chinese is the largest internet user group, and we use internet to work, study and communicate, we can not live without internet now. 21Food is one third-party food e-commerce platform, providing internet service, marketing solution, informative and media service for food companies. Our willing is to be the leader of food electronic commerce in the world. 21Food programming is in Four-Step Development Strategy as follows:
First, promote China domestic food trading
Second, promote Chinese foods to the world.
Third, promote overseas gourmet foods to China market
Fourth, establish one global e-commerce B2B platform

21Food not only provide services online, but also service offline, to create business opportunities for food companies. We have our own magazines, CD-ROMs and software. We distribute magazines to food distributors and importers regularly. Now we have already had about 30 countries clients. Hope you will know us more by this meeting."

Lastly, I sincerely hope that we can taste more Mexican delicious foods in China. Thanks! "

Mr.Zou's speech brings rapturous applause. Next moderator Coral's presentation by PPT. Coral presents them with brief introduction of English flagship website www.21food.com, for example, website advantages, services, memberships, information management, partners searching, trade skills, etc. Then Coral pays great emphasis on the introduction of Chinese flagship website www.21food.cn, and its sub-website on imported products enterprise-establishing column (jksp.21food.cn), and Chinese Magazine Food Business, etc. Meanwhile, according to their business type and target market, 21Food especially set up one specified promotion strategy by both English and Chinese website's advantages. All presentation is done by PPT illustrating and website demonstration, which makes overseas group very satisfied and clear, and there is interaction between them during all meeting course.

Moderator is illustrating and demonstrating at the same time

Listening to moderator's presentation carefully

Reading Food Business Magazine

Listening & taking notes at the same time

During the meeting, overseas visiting group ask some questions as follows:

Q: Whether non-members can trade?
A: Our website is an open B2B platform, and suppliers' information is completely open for all visitors. So even non-member visitors can also inquire to registered suppliers about their products and trade leads posted on our website, can also contact suppliers by tel, fax, or other contact information that the suppliers leave.
Of course, only by showing your company and products information online can make potential partners search you out by internet. In this case, you have to firstly register as membership, and then possess online showroom.
Generally speaking, non-members can surely trade by our website. While compared with members, the main difference is on the privilege of inquire.

Q: If I contact suppliers, does your 21food.com website charge fee?
A: If the buyer don't have to become our premium membership, our website does not charge any fee for buyers who search, and contact suppliers.

Q: How can we estimate suppliers' credibility?
A: The registered suppliers are in such a large number, so generally speaking, it is really hard to distinguish which one is better to trust. However, we can guarantee the credibility of our premium memberships, because we carefully evaluate their credibility before showing online. So our premium membership are trustful, what's more, they also get well promotion and real results.

Q: Being as premium membership, do suppliers pay extra commission to 21food website if having success transaction with clients?
A: Absorbedly no. We provide online informative interaction and promotion service, and our website does not charge any other fee or commission when premium members have success transaction with clients. Nor do our website is involved in negotiation between premium members and clients.

Q: Whether 17 companies can use only one account?
A: No. One company can only have one account. Because every account has one set of functions for one company, for example, company introduction, products, pictures, trade leads and contact information. Every account is correspond with one contact information, if they are mixed up in only one account, will not helpful for potential clients' trusting.

Q: How to make trade show promotion? And what's the trade shows that attend both at home and abroad?
A: Every year, 21food attends about more than 60 domestic and 10 overseas tradeshows. Providing inquire services for visitors at our booths, showing advertising in Exhibition Catalogues, organizing free internet surfing service area and holding buyers sourcing meeting in the exhibition hall, or by other activities to make website promotion. And also, we distribute our professional food magazines to buyers and distributors for free, that is, Chinese version magazine Food Business and English version magazine Chinese Food Suppliers.
Trade shows that we attend in China: such as, Sial China, FIA, FIC, FHC, CPHI, Biofech, etc. Totally about 60 trade shows every year.
Overseas trade shows that we attend: such as, Sial France, World Food Moscow, Gulfood, Anuga, Brussels, FIE, Djazagro, Foodex, Seoul Food & Hotel, etc.

Q: How to make magazine promotion?
A: We have our own professional food magazines: Chinese version magazine Food Business and English version magazine Chinese Food Suppliers. Distributing in exhibitions attended for free, and mailing to subscribed clients.

During the meeting, we understand that the main products of Mexican visiting group are: Tequila, Avocado, Jam, Licor, Gourmet Sauces, Pecan Nuts, Organic, etc.

At 12:30 am, meeting comes to ending. Although there are only several hours, we feel their exciting and satisfaction from their smile. They express that they think well of the promotion strategy we set up for them, and will consider after back, looking forward for further cooperation soon. We also take one group photo for souvenir.

Group photo

We believe that this meeting can greatly promote China-Mexico trading, and we hope to taste more decilious Mexican foods by our further cooperation.

Related Link: The First 21Food Buyers Sourcing Meeting Makes Great Success