Govt plans ASEAN Fair in Bali

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Wed, 07/06/2011

The government plans to allocate Rp 101 billion (US$11.8 million) to organize a month-long ASEAN Fair 2011 in Nusa Dua, Bali, as part of efforts to promote the ASEAN Community.

Indonesian Trade Ministry secretary-general Ardiansyah Parman said Wednesday in Jakarta that the fair was being organized at the instruction of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Indonesia is the chair of ASEAN this year.

Ardiansyah said the event was estimated to cost Rp 101 billion, and that the ministry, one of those tasked with organizing the fair, would finance it using money saved from the ministry's 2011 budget.

"The Trade Ministry has saved about 10 percent of its budget, such as funds intended for officials' working trips that we think could be allocated for more important activities," Ardiansyah said during a House of Representatives Commission VI for trade, industry and investment hearing on the proposed fund allocation.

"The Rp 101 billion will come from funds we've managed to save from 10 programs at the Trade Ministry," he added.

Ardiansyah said Rp 14 billion of the funds would be used for promotional and public relations activities, Rp 68 billion on main expo and festival activities, Rp 9.5 billion on opening and closing ceremonies and the remainder on other things.

The fair will include music and food festivals, theatrical performances, and book and handicrafts expos.

Lawmakers have yet to respond to the proposal.

See the world

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 11/06/2009 11:15 AM

A man prepares a stand at the Indonesia Travel and Holiday Fair 2009 at the Jakarta Convention Center. The three-day fair opens Friday, with participation by many tours and travel agencies. (JP/J. Adiguna)

Book fair to promote new province

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's annual book fair this year is set to promote Sulawesi's new province Gorontalo by including a special stand focused on books all about the province.

Organizers said a planned performance called "Gorontalo: the Hidden Paradise" would showcase the province's art and cultural aspects at the opening of the book fair Wednesday.

"We chose Gorontalo because it has (a) qualified education and tourism potency that needs promotion," Indonesian Book Publishers Association exhibition head Robinson Rusbi said.

As many as 270 stands by 120 participants, including publishers and cultural centers would make up the event, which runs from Nov. 14 to 18.

The 27th Book Fair has also invited neighboring Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei Darussalam -- under the ASEAN Book Publishers -- to take part.

"We will provide one stand that sells original books from (these) countries," Robinson said.

Dyandra Promosindo project manager Jimmy Aritonang and event organizer Radyatama said the book event was larger this year thanks to the provision of more space -- an increase from 4,000 sqms last year to 5,500 this year.

"From the given space we hope that more people will visit the exhibition," Jimmy said.

The publishers association said it had registered 100 new publishers since 2005, adding to the already-listed 800 members.

The association said the public's increasing interest in reading all kind of books, including popular fiction and literature, was evident.

The growing number of book fairs held by other organizations or publishing companies was welcomed by the association, Robinson said, because these events helped stimulate the public's knowledge of new books, authors and publishers.

But he said he regretted the government's insufficient support for events and companies that promoted literature and reading.

"The government should give a subsidy so that small publishers can afford to open stands at book fairs," Robinson said.

And he said through the event he hoped many people would recognize small publishers along with well-known publishers.

Jimmy said however he expected to build a more internationally focused book fair in 2008 because this year would provide an opportunity to invite foreign publishers and institutions.

"But the concept will be discussed after this year's event," Jimmy said. (ewd)

Jakarta Fair wraps up 'most successful' year ever

The Jakarta Post

This year's Jakarta Fair completely outdid its predecessor and not only because it recorded sales of Rp 1.5 trillion (US$166 million).

Governor Sutiyoso spoke at the closing of the 40th annual city fair and said the fair's success "was not only measured by the high number of transactions and visitors, but by the security and transportation access."

Fair committee chairwoman Siti Hartati Murdaya said total sales were three times that of the city's 39th fair.

According to the survey conducted by the University of Indonesia, sales of automotive products led with Rp 800 billion, followed by electronic products, home appliances, food and beverages, furniture and handicrafts.

"The numbers will keep increasing as many transactions need to be followed up after the fair is finished," Hartati said.

The 32-day event was held from June 14 to July 15 at the Jakarta Fair Ground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, as part of the commemoration of the capital's 460th anniversary on June 22.

"More than 3 million people have visited the fair, which is an increase of 10 percent from last year," she said.

Hartati said the fair was also good for employment with some 30,000 people hired for the event.

Kemayoran's very own fairway to heaven

The Jakarta Post, Simon Pitchforth

I thought I'd have a well-earned rest from trying to get on the ruddy boatway for a while and instead paid my first-ever visit to Jakarta Fair last week.

However, this first entailed a busway ride from Blok M all the way up to the other terminus at Kota Station. The ride itself was fine but the rush-hour wait at the Blok M busway terminus was a touch unsettling.

The crush of humanity and high temperatures made me feel dizzy and the only way out was via the busway: Once you've committed yourself to the crush, there's no escape.

I felt as though I was in a scene from Schindler's List; to be fair, though, peak hours in London and Tokyo can be just as sardine-like. In Tokyo, they even crowbar you into subway trains with big sticks.

Back to Jakarta Fair; as I said, this annual festival has always managed to pass me by in previous years.

The fair used to be held at Monas (the National Monument), apparently, but its current location at the expansive Kemayoran fairground area is a little out of the way for me, as I'm sure it is for many other Jakartans, too.

That said, over two million people, it has been predicted, will visit Jakarta Fair this year. With that in mind I elected to visit the fair on a Monday evening when I thought it would be quieter.

Ha! Fat chance of that, as it turned out. It seemed to me as if the two million had all decided to show up at the same time and the whole place was a riot of people, color and noise.

God alone knows what it must be like on weekends. The fair itself covers a huge area, both indoors and outdoors, and it took me a couple of hours of traipsing around, promotions girls foisting snack foods on me all the while, to see everything.

*****

Jakarta Fair is basically a cross between a huge shopping mall and a funfair, with the accent on the shopping mall side. Everything you can possibly think of is on sale inside the cavernous halls of Kemayoran: motorbikes, furniture, watches, TVs, chocolate, electronic gadgets, bicycles, computers, clothes -- the lot, and most are at discounted prices.

Yes, take a break from the usual shopping malls and enjoy this annual opportunity to go and see ... a really huge shopping mall.

But it's not all about conspicuous displays of material consumption. Well actually it is, mainly, but there is some entertainment to enjoy, too. As well as a few funfair rides there is a tourist train that circumnavigates the site, which the kids were attracted to.

There's also a main stage hosting nonstop entertainment including plenty of slinky hipped dangdut singers; the dads seemed to love that one.

At the rear of the fair there's a motorbike safety course, which I think every Jakarta biker should be forced at gunpoint to sign up for, although it would probably take several centuries and several thousand hospitalizations to achieve that aim.

On a similar but slightly more dangerous biker note, I was amazed and amused to see that one of the fair's attractions was a good old-fashioned "wall of death".

I watched a few daredevils whizzing round and round before starting to feel dizzy and heading off for a feed.

As with any fair, there's plenty to eat here, from salmonella hot dogs and grotty, teeth-rotting sweets to the slightly more palatable fare available in the food court.

Boy, was it ever busy in Kemayoran, though; on weekends it must be even more so as family groups spend quality time together masticating on peanuts, drinking virulent blue soft drinks and entrenching their psyches even more deeply into the soft belly of the material consumer lifestyle as they ogle the products on sale together.

Don't come here if you're looking for a bit of rest and relaxation. I came away with a throbbing headache, although I quite enjoyed confronting the racket, hustle and cheap glitz of the Jakarta Fair experience.

It was somewhat like a concentrated version of the city itself.

A ticket for the fair will cost you a mere Rp 15,000. It's open from 3 p.m. to around 10 p.m. weekdays and all day on weekends. You've still got a couple of weeks left to check it out.

A few aspirins and earplugs may come in handy, though.

Simon Pitchforth - http://metromad.blogspot.com/

Flashy Jakarta Fair gets mixed reviews from the public

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Some applauded the more modern facilities, while some complained about the higher admission fee.

All in all, this year's Jakarta Fair has certainly been met with mixed reactions.

Held in line with the commemoration of the capital's 480th anniversary, this year's Jakarta Fair has been polished with additional halls and facilities as well as the adoption of a smart card entry pass system.

But these improvements have come packaged with several flaws.

"A lot of people have been disappointed to arrive and find the ticket booths still closed," Tari, a Bekasi resident who has attended the annual fair since her childhood, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Tono, Tari's husband, lamented the rise in parking fees, while Tari added that any increase should have been gradual.

"The entry fee per car is Rp 7,000 now -- a Rp 2,000 hike from last year. It's expensive, leaving aside the Rp 7,000 hourly parking fee," Tono said.

Atie and Mutik, both residents of Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, said this year's attraction failed to justify the high price of entry tickets.

They also said the new smart card system was highly inefficient and even a little unsafe.

"When we got here, only two entry gates were operating for the hundreds of people queuing up. Everyone was pushing and shoving to get into the fair," Mutik said.

Despite such inconveniences, Mutik acknowledged that the fairground had become cleaner and more orderly.

The expansion of the fairground, with the addition of Hall D and an upgrade of facilities at several other halls, also received warm responses.

The 2007 Jakarta Fair, which exhibits goods from around Indonesia ranging from traditional handicrafts and garments to food and electronics, is being held in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

Kicked off Thursday by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the fair will run until July 15. A one day general admission ticket costs Rp 15,000 per person on weekdays and Rp 20,000 on weekends.

Admission for children under the age of three, senior citizens aged 60 and over and members of the Indonesian police and military is free of charge.

Jakarta Fair to showcase the nation in a nutshell

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta's annual month-long fun and shopping spree -- Pekan Raya Jakarta, the 2007 Jakarta Fair -- is just around the corner, with the city administration announcing Monday it had already begun registration for participants.

The administration said, as of last week, 1,500 participants from small and middle-sized enterprises to top companies had already registered for the event, which is scheduled from June 14 to July 15.

The number of participants is already 25 percent higher than last year's figure of 1,200.

Governor Sutiyoso said he wanted the event to give a boost to the local economy.

The governor said he was targeting a 10 percent increase in trade from Rp 500 billion last year (US$54.9 million) to Rp 550 billion this year.

He said he was sure new municipalities would join in the event.

"They need to introduce themselves and their products through this fair," he said.

Indonesia has 33 provinces and 440 municipalities. Before the 2001 autonomy law, the figure was 27 provinces and 297 municipalities.

The president director of PT Jakarta International Expo, the organizer of the Jakarta Fair, Hartati Murdaya said he hoped this year's Jakarta Fair would effectively present Indonesia in a microcosm, with visitors being able to see products from all the country's provinces.

She said one more exhibition hall had been added this year.

"Last year we only used halls A,B and C but this year we're also going to use Hall D, which has 12,000 square meters of space," she explained.

Vendors and producers of a wide variety of goods, from traditional handicrafts to car accessories, will join in the exhibition and festival.

The fair, which offers concerts, traditional dances and street magicians, never fails to draw large numbers of both Jakartans and people from outside the city.

Hartati said she expected the number of visitors to exceed last year's crowd of 2.5 million.

The ticket price for this year's fair will be Rp 15,000 per person from Monday to Friday and Rp 20,000 per person for Saturday, Sunday and national holidays.