A unique week-long tour in late October will give people throughout the Australian beef industry the opportunity to learn more about the Chinese market and the chance to connect with potential customers in the country.

From October 23 to 29, the AccessChina ’16 tour being organised by the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise.

The tour will leave Australia on the first international passenger flight to depart the newly built Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport near Toowoomba.

Most seats have now been filled but there is still an opportunity to join the tour, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore the powerhouse Chinese market.

Delegates will receive the full advantage of access to extensive trade networks established by the Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise (including its CEO Dr Ben Lyons who spent 18 years until 2015 living and working in agricultural trade in Shanghai), the Australia-China Chamber of Commerce and our own Beef Central and Sheep Central red meat industry networks both within Australia and China.

They will also travel with and learn from people actively involved in the Chinese market.

Delegates now committed to the tour include leading meat processors, meat exporters, brand program managers, and commercial and stud cattle producers.

The broader AccessChina ’16 delegation will include businesses in resources and manufacturing, education and training, financial services, tourism and health. Several regional mayors from southern Queensland will also travel to China with the tour.

The jam-packed itinerary includes an Australian beef extravaganza dinner with Chinese beef importers and the Ag in the Asian Century conference, which will feature speakers including:

• Australian exporters currently trading with China,
• Chinese customers describing their own supply chains,
• a social media start up for foodies in China backed by Silicon Valley investment which links its 250,000 followers with peer-recommended restaurants;
• Chinese investors speaking on investment in Australian ag,
• and MLA updates on its latest research into red meat consumer trends in China.

The tour will also give delegates unique access to a range of site visits including:

• the headquarters of Chinese online retailer Alibaba;
• an Australian-Chinese joint venture handling fresh beef and fresh milk into China and using tracking and temperature recording devices;
• Qantas’ brand new cold chain logistics site at Shanghai’s Pudong airport;
• an online start-up delivering food from restaurants to customers, now handling about 100 million transactions per day across China, and now accrediting its full supply chain and moving into wholesale foods and beef sourcing, and
• a Shanghai beef importing company which imports boxed beef from Australia and has dozens of retail sites in China.

If you’re involved in the red meat industry and want to learn more about the Chinese market, this tour represents a a unique and unmatched opportunity to do so.

To secure your space or for more information email admin@beefcentral.com with the words ‘China Tour’ in the subject line.