Local Trade Show Expert

Activity Background

The USAID Burma Responsible Investment and Trade Activity is a five-year (2020 – 2025) activity that will work with a broad range of international and domestic private sector firms and civil society actors to promote civilian ownership of the Myanmar economy by increasing the share held by responsible, accountable, and transparent firms. Through the Activity, USAID will increase trade and private sector investment. To attract and sustain investment and trade, the Activity is supporting firms operating in or entering the market in Myanmar to improve corporate governance, business transparency, and competitiveness.

DAI Organization and Values

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Consultant Title: Local Trade Show Expert

Project: USAID Responsible Investment and Trade Activity (the Activity)

Location: Remote

Reports to: Private Sector Director or the designee

Background:

The USAID Responsible Investment and Trade Activity (the Activity) is a five year (July 2020 – June 2025) $18.7 million activity that works with a broad range of international and domestic private sector firms and civil society actors to promote civilian ownership of the Myanmar economy. Through a facilitative and business ecosystem-strengthening approach, the Activity helps increase responsible trade and investment in Myanmar, and supports firms operating in or entering the market in Myanmar to improve corporate governance, business transparency, and competitiveness. The Activity contributes to USAID’s Development Objective 2 “Inclusive economic growth strengthened” and Intermediate result 2.2 “Responsible and transparent private sector expanded”, as well as to USAID’s Private Sector Engagement Strategy, Indo-Pacific Strategy, and the Integrated Country Strategy.

As the Government of Myanmar takes steps to implement liberal policy reforms, a stronger and more diverse private sector is needed to achieve inclusive growth. The Activity’s approach to strengthening the private sector is guided by four objectives:

• Increase fair and responsible trade and investment in Myanmar.
• Improve corporate governance, business transparency, and competitiveness of local firms.
• Promote economic integration, investment, and trade for the benefit of economically marginalized and conflict affected (EMCA) people in Myanmar; and
• Empower women to participate in the economy more fully.

The Activity achieves these objectives through the following:

• Identify and support transactions that bring new investments into Myanmar
• Increase gender-lens investing in Myanmar
• De-risk investments in firms located in economically marginalized and conflict afflicted states
• Build the capacity of businesses to improve corporate governance
• Increase private-sector capacity to comply with new regulations
• Strengthen corporate accountability through civil society and media
• Build the capacity of business support organizations to promote trade and investment

The Activity uses grants and a flexible Investment and Technical Assistance Facility (ITAF) to collaborate with and co-finance business advisory service providers, firms, and associations to take risks they otherwise could not, and build capacity within the business ecosystem. The Activity also identifies actors committed to expanding business support services to new regions and supports the development of more sustainable business models that reach EMCA states. Combined with strategic communications, collaboration, and learning, the activities models work to demonstrate pathways to success and catalyze growth.

Background & Objective

One of the Activity’s objectives is to ‘improve corporate governance, business transparency, and competitiveness of local firms.’ (Objective 2). In order to facilitate new business partnerships and improve the international presence of Myanmar SMEs and export associations, the Activity aims to empower a variety of these firms through sponsorship to participate in international trade shows located in Dubai, Singapore, and Thailand.

Given that most Myanmar SMEs associated with the Activity have no experience with attending or exhibiting at international trade shows, the Activity will need to further support these companies through developing their trade show knowledge and expertise prior to their participation in such shows. To facilitate this support, the Activity will develop a trade show best practice guide, as well as a corresponding educational PowerPoint that details additional trade show best practices and explains how to effectively use the best practice guide. Both of these resources will be given to local SMEs and will be available for reference leading up to, during, and after target international trade shows.

This role requires the Consultant to acquire an in-depth comprehension of all aspects of the aforementioned trade show guide and PowerPoint. After acquiring such understanding, the Consultant will be responsible for imparting their complete knowledge regarding trade show best practices onto local Myanmar SMEs for the purposes of preparing them to successfully attend international trade shows.

Task 1- Learn and fully comprehend the trade show guide and PowerPoint- The Consultant will be responsible for acquiring a comprehensive understanding of content found in the trade show best practice guide provided by the Activity, and the PowerPoint presentation. The Consultant will also be required to fully understand and have the capability to operate the PowerPoint detailing additional trade show best practices. To facilitate these learnings, the Consultant will be directly mentored by the creator of the trade show best practice guide and corresponding PowerPoint and will briefed on the two documents. The author of the trade show guide will be available for minor questions throughout the Consultant’s time with the Activity, but the Consultant will develop sufficient knowledge on the subject to teach all material found in the best practice guide and PowerPoint to individuals with no previous trade show experience.

Task 2- Deliver a training session(s) to on the trade show best practices guide in PowerPoint to local SMEs – The Consultant will deliver the Burmese version of the PowerPoint to local SMEs in four training sessions. The Consultant will also remain available to be contacted by any Myanmar SME via phone or email for Q&A regarding trade show best practices over the course of one year.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in Economics, Business, or Marketing studies or a related field or relevant experience; Advanced degree in Business, Economics, or Marketing studies is desirable
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in international trade shows in Asia and the Middle East
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and writing ability
• Experience in research, writing reports and/or guides is highly desirable
• Private sector experience is a plus, especially in Myanmar
• Fluency in English