REC Organized Business Contact Exchange and Business Program at the IV International Forum Commonwealth of Fashion

On November 20 and 21, IV International Forum Commonwealth of Fashion was held at the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. It became a key platform for developing international cooperation and strengthening ties in the light industry. Russian Export Center (REC, VEB Group) co-organized a business program and a business contact exchange (BCE), aimed at expanding export to the CIS countries. The main practical component of the program was the Business Contact Exchange. Its goal was to provide Russian and international companies with the opportunity to conduct targeted B2B negotiations to conclude specific cooperation agreements. More than 50 Russian manufacturers of clothing, accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, and consumer goods participated in the business meetings, as well as representatives of industry-specific agencies, associations, enterprises, and unions of entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Armenia. In total, over 30 business meetings were held. These negotiations were aimed at strengthening business ties and increase trade turnover. In addition to business negotiations, Russian Export Center organized a tasting of products from BRPI JSC and Belevskaya Pastila LLC, participants in the Made in Russia program, to promote Russian brands among forum participants from the CIS countries. The cultural program was complemented by a master class, Batik—the Art of Creating Miracles, hosted by Teply Veter, where guests learned about the process of creating batik scarves and were able to participate in the creative process themselves. Silk Tale exhibition of scarves was held, demonstrating the cultural and historical significance of batik and promoting the exchange of experiences. REC also initiated two key roundtable discussions dedicated to both the strategic and creative aspects of the industry: Fashion in Contemporary Cinema session provided a platform for dialogue among creators of visual culture. Participants discussed the powerful influence of costume and fashion on the perception of films, characters and emergence of new trends, as well as the synergy between film and fashion in the creation of new cultural codes. The session featured Maria Kiseleva, a three-time Olympic synchronized swimming champion, director of the Russian Water Theatre, TV presenter and actress, Moscow City Duma deputy, and Made in Russia ambassador. Creating a New Infrastructure for Building Effective Export Chains in the CIS roundtable discussion focused on developing cooperation chains within the CIS to increase export potential. The main idea was to unite the efforts of all stakeholders, from raw material suppliers to product distributors through Russian and CIS retail chains. The moderator was Ekaterina Kondakova, head of REC Services Export Support Project. Russian Export Center (REC, VEB Group) is a state institution that supports non-resource, non-energy export. It provides companies from various industries with both financial and non-financial assistance at all stages of entering international markets, including as part of the International Cooperation and Export national project. Most services offered by the REC Group are available online on My Export state-run digital platform. REC is also responsible for the key functions of supporting and implementing the Made in Russia program.