KAMLOOPS – Sultan Sandur, who graduated with a BA in Canadian Studies with a minor in Sociology this past June, is the first-ever from Kamloops to be selected to join a 32-member Junior Team Canada trade mission, which heads to China and Hong Kong this August.
Junior Team Canada, a Global Visions International Program initiative, is comprised of Canada’s best and brightest sixteen to twenty-five year olds, gathered together to represent the interests of small and medium-sized businesses in a number of economic sectors, including agriculture and agri-food products, building products and services, bio-technology, education, environment, financial services, information and communications technologies (ICT), natural resources, transportation, and tourism.
Sandur and his fellow delegates will be responsible for identifying companies in their regions which may have a specific interest in exporting or international business, but may be lacking the resources to be able to do so. Such businesses then negotiate representation on the trade mission through a sponsorship arrangement.
“I am hoping to represent the tourism and education sectors, and I need to get my sponsors by the end of July: the sooner the better,” said Sandur. “I welcome corporate and personal sponsorships and no sponsorship is too small,” he added.
Once a sponsorship has been arranged, the Junior Team Canada member works alongside the company’s management, preparing materials and conducting research specifically suited to the companies they will be representing.
Sandur has already been researching the target market.
“As Canada’s second-largest single-nation trading partner after the United States, and its first in Asia, China offers excellent commercial opportunities to Canadian firms,” he noted. “As Canada is currently negotiating Approved Destination Status with China, this would be an excellent opportunity for potential sponsors to promote their company or organization in the Chinese market.”
“Hong Kong also provides a wealth of opportunities,” said Sandur. “Last year Canada exported almost $2 billion CND in goods to Hong Kong alone, making it Canada’s 14th largest export destination for goods. Hong Kong companies have cumulative investments in Canada of CND $5 billion.”
Currently, Sandur has negotiated sponsorship arrangements with the BC Chamber of Commerce, TRU World, South Thompson Inn and Conference Centre, Bilkey Quinn, City Furniture and Appliances, Rocky Mountain Vacations, Brewster Tours and Atlas Drilling Ltd.
Sandur heads to Ottawa July 4 to 7 for mission preparation and training, research, and gaining value-added information for sponsoring companies and organizations.
During the trade mission August 3 to 21, the delegates will carry out the results of the pre-mission planning, which may include meetings with government, chambers of commerce, industry associations, media, industry experts and Canadian government personnel in the region, making contacts and compiling information. Once business is concluded overseas, the delegates complete a comprehensive report for each of their companies.
Global Visions created the Junior Team Canada program in order to create opportunities for young Canadians to promote Canadian industry and culture, and to provide access to national and global networks for young Canadians to acquire the international development, trade and cross-cultural experience to become the next leaders of Canada. As a key component of this initiative, a team of young Canadians from across the country is formed each year, with these teams traveling to foreign markets and explore business opportunities on behalf of their sponsors in Canadian business and industry.
Team members network with government, business and education leaders in order to gather key market intelligence. In addition, the team examines the global issues that developing countries face, and looks at how Canada can play a lead role in making a difference. At the end of the mission, participants produce market reports that are presented to their sponsors. These reports are also used by Canadian companies and organizations to help to further identify opportunities in foreign markets.
Business owners interested in sponsoring Sandur or finding out more about the project may contact him at (250) 377-0087 or (250) 371-0616 or email: sultansandur@hotmail.com.
For more information, please contact:
Sultan Sandur at (250) 377-0087 or (250) 371-0616 by email.
Guillaume Parent (Project Manager, JTC 2006) at (819) 246-0240 or
Website: www.gvconnects.com
Photo available on request.
