Hip Hops Brewers Director Shaun Reeves believes a recent trade mission to Japan has created new opportunities for Moreton Bay businesses looking to expand their networks and explore international markets.
Reeves joined a delegation of business and council representatives that travelled to Tokyo, Shizuoka and the Global City Network for Sustainability (G-NETS) Conference as part of efforts to strengthen ties between the City of Moreton Bay and Japan.
The mission provided opportunities for local businesses to meet with Japanese organisations, explore potential partnerships and gain a better understanding of opportunities within the market.
“We were presented to by a lot of businesses, identified a lot of business opportunities for ourselves and collaboratively with our hosts and those on the mission,” Shaun said.
“Overall, it’s an amazing location. A lot of similarities between our two cities and an eagerness to do business together.
“Not just to have a trip, but to get really solid commercial outcomes from the opportunities.”
Businesses participating in the delegation paid their own way, reflecting a focus on pursuing genuine commercial opportunities rather than simply attending a networking event.
Building relationships through business
For Reeves, the visit also built on relationships already established between Moreton Bay and Japan.
Hip Hops Brewers previously produced a commemorative beer for a visiting delegation from Sanyo-Onoda, one of the City of Moreton Bay’s international partner cities.
The beer later won gold in the Hybrid Beer category at this year’s Royal Queensland Beer Awards, providing an example of how international relationships can lead to commercial and cultural collaborations.
Shaun said the delegation demonstrated there was strong interest in developing deeper business relationships between the two locations.
Turning connections into outcomes
While the trip created opportunities for introductions and discussions, Shaun said the real value would come from what happens next.
He believes the relationships developed during the mission have the potential to create opportunities for local businesses across a range of industries, particularly those looking to explore export markets, partnerships and new customers.
As discussions continue following the visit, participating businesses are now focused on converting the connections made in Japan into tangible commercial outcomes.
For Shaun, the trade mission reinforced the value of international engagement and highlighted the opportunities available to Moreton Bay businesses prepared to look beyond their traditional markets.
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