The World Halal Business Conference 2022 (WHBC), an industry forum organised by the Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC), will be expanding its reach to Australia with the setting up of the first WHBC Circuit to be held outside of Malaysia at Pullman Albert Park, Melbourne this 1-2 September.

Organised by HDC, an agency under Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Malaysia and supported by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (AUSTRADE) and the State Government of Victoria, WHBC Circuit Australia is seen to directly contribute in the overall development of halal industries both Malaysia and Australia.

With the theme “Halal Opportunities in a Borderless World”, WHBCC2022, which is in its 14th. edition this year, will take advantage of the physical gathering of key government leaders and representatives of both countries, as well as captains of the industry, businesses, trade councils and civil society leaders from all over the world, to deliberate, promote and network within the two-day conference.

“As per the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between HDC and AUSTRADE in February this year, the WHBC Circuit in Australia will focus on strategic business initiatives comprise of three main pillars, which include investment promotion, trade negotiations and Halal skilled talents,” said Hairol Ariffein Sahari, Chief Executive Officer of HDC.

“We will deliberate prevailing issues faced by the industry, with a view to inspire wealth creation, as well as promote Halal business opportunities amongst industry players. Post-event, we will continue our engagement with the industry with a series covering all the major cities throughout Australia, to create the momentum on the lucrative potential of the Halal industry and recognise Malaysia’s leadership role in the halal industry eco system,” he added.

“We are honoured that Australia has been chosen as the inaugural host country for WHBC Circuit 2022. This is a unique opportunity for the Australian industry and businesses to learn more about the opportunities for collaboration with Malaysian businesses to benefit both our nations, but also more broadly within the global halal economy,” said Paul Sanda, Austrade’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, based in Kuala Lumpur.

“Australia and Malaysia have a strong trading and investment relationship built on a shared understanding of the value it brings to sustainable economic growth and the complementarity of our two economies. A focus on building greater links in halal and collaboration across multiple industry sectors can only lead to positive outcomes for our businesses and industry bodies.

“I am excited by the caliber of speakers and the participants will hear from some of the very best in their respective fields. Many businesses will expect most of the topics to centre on food & beverages but the conference will also attract representatives from the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, supply-chain, financial services and technology sectors. I am excited by this opportunity to work more closely with businesses to strengthen our international collaboration in all facets of the halal economy”, he said.

Delegates to the two-day inaugural WHBC Circuit Australia will not only be empowered by the main Thought Leaders Conference, which will feature a total of 46 panelists and moderators to drive the agenda forward, they will also be presented with six parallel sessions on various subsectors within the halal economy.

Within the Thought Leaders Conference, among the highlights include issues and opportunities within Food Security, Safety & Sustainability, Halal Ingredients Ecosystem, Halal Business Agility through Digitalization, Halal Finance and Banking, Muslim Friendly Tourism and Halal Trade Connectivity.

The six Parallel Sessions meanwhile, will cover presentations such as Clarifying Misconceptions on Halal, Investment into Halal industry in Malaysia, Opportunities for Start-ups in Healthcare Industry, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Halal Science & Innovation, and Halal Media and Entertainment.

In addition, there will be brand positioning showcase of 20 Malaysian and Australian companies focusing on Halal Champions and wealth creation from technological breakthroughs and innovation. Among the participating companies include Duopharma Biotech, Ramly Food Marketing, Fraser & Neave Holdings, Malaysia Airlines, Halal International Selangor, Malaysian Palm Oil Council and the Australian Halal Certifier (Islamic Coordinating Council of Victoria), as well as state government representations from the Malaysian states of Selangor, Sabah and Melaka.

“We will also organise a pre-session Halal Park preview for WHBCC2022 delegates, on the potential for investment into nine selected Halal industry parks in Malaysia. In addition, a Halal Industry Training will also be organised in Melbourne by Malaysian companies exporting to Australia, including by Fonterra, Cedar Meats and Supreme Food,” added Hairol.

For members of HDC’s Halal Integrated Platform (HIP) platform, a Business2Business matching session between Malaysian and Australian companies are also in the cards, which will also hopefully conclude during the Business Networking Dinner in conjunction with WHBC Circuit Australia, to be hosted by AUSTRADE for the Malaysian and Australian halal industry stakeholders.

Hairol also took the opportunity to announce the participation of the Australia-Malaysia Business Council, the Malaysian High Commission (Melbourne), Australia-Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the Asialink Business of the University of Melbourne as WHBCC2022 partners. Others supporting agencies for this conference include MATRADE, JAKIM, MIDA, MAFI, and MESDAQ Melaka, he said.

“All in all, this is definitely a conference that should not be missed for key decision makers, diplomatic envoys, captains of the industry and related stakeholders within the government sector, multinationals, trade and industry associations and chambers of commerce. At the moment, top participating countries for delegates are from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Canada. We hope to get more delegates from Europe, Africa and West Asia,” he said.

Admission for all sessions is chargeable at RM1,000.00 for Malaysian delegates and AUD300 for Australian/international delegates. For more information about WHBC 2022 and to register, log on to whbc.hdcglobal.com