Team Leader's Notes from the 2014 Indonesia International Tire Exhibition

    This time, leading a group to Indonesia coincided with the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370, a "major backdrop of the era" where multiple countries invested significant human and material resources in searching for over a month with no news. Personally, I don't mind, as I always believe such a "once-in-a-lifetime" event wouldn't happen to me; at the same time, I am truly grateful to my family, friends, and colleagues who cared about me. We flew Dragonair this time, and checked baggage was easily cleared as long as it wasn't ridiculously overweight; guests could also shop at duty-free stores during the layover in Hong Kong, which felt quite good. One thing to note on the plane is to fill out the departure card (which is part of the same immigration card) and not lose it, as customs will collect it when you leave. If lost, it's quite troublesome. Indonesian customs are also quite corrupt, so for companies transporting exhibits, it's advisable to prepare some tips in advance.

    As soon as Indonesia is mentioned, what first comes to mind are "Land of Volcanoes," "Land of a Thousand Islands," "Bandung Conference" learned in middle school, and of course, the beautiful Bali; a natural sense of familiarity emerges from the unfamiliarity. The time difference between Indonesia and China is only one hour, which is a great advantage for colleagues going abroad to exhibit.

    The NOVELTEL hotel we stayed at this time was quite good. Although not as bustling as hotels in Las Vegas, USA, its room configurations and hotel breakfast were in no way inferior. Moreover, perhaps because of the Chinese owner, the hotel felt particularly well-suited for Chinese guests in many aspects, which was especially evident during breakfast. The hotel is about a 20-minute drive from the exhibition hall, has free WIFI, and there are supermarkets, many Chinese restaurants, and fruit vendors right outside, making it very convenient. What might attract Chinese eyes the most around the hotel is a Bank of China branch in Jakarta, immediately evoking a sense of the strength of our heavenly dynasty. After returning in the evening, buying a few kilograms of mangosteen and rambutan to take back to the hotel became an almost compulsory activity for all group members. However, due to the unique smell of durian, the hotel prohibits bringing it back.

    We arrived in Jakarta on the evening of the third day before the exhibition opening. Aside from the half-day needed for setup, we had a day and a half scheduled for local tire and auto parts market research and local sightseeing. While surveying the market, local sellers told us that almost all wheels are imported from China, making it feel like tire companies could really benefit from visiting Indonesia. The swarms of motorcycles moving like locusts everywhere also mean that the demand for local motorcycle tires and parts is enormous, naturally presenting unlimited business opportunities. Speaking of motorcycles, I suddenly remembered something: while visiting companies at the exhibition hall, a young lady who went to Indonesia to exhibit alone mentioned that when she was buying something on the street, her necklace was snatched by a motorcycle gang. Therefore, be extremely careful when going out, and it's best to have a local accompany you or at least find a companion. Local Indonesians tend to procrastinate, so it's more appropriate to set up the exhibition on the afternoon of the day before the opening, otherwise, you'll just be anxious if you go earlier. The exhibition venue, Jakarta International Expo, has five halls in total: INAPA Passenger Car Hall, IIBT Commercial Vehicle Hall, INABIKE Two-Wheeler Hall, TYRE AND RUBBER Hall, and HEAVY EQUIPMENT Hall. The 2014 exhibition attracted over 1000 exhibitors from 25 countries and regions worldwide, so the scale was quite large.

    After the last day of the exhibition, we went to a local shopping mall again. Perhaps feeling that we were about to leave Indonesia, everyone bought quite a lot of things. From large items like wood carvings, silver jewelry, and agarwood to smaller items like batik fabric, durian candy, and dried fruit, all these carry our reluctance to leave this country...