The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) through its agency, the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has organised the 18th edition of the Malaysia International Halal Exhibition (MIHAS) 2022 in a hybrid format. Recognising the creative culture and innovative excellence of international Halal businesses, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the prestigious 2022 MIHAS Awards ceremony was held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) on 9 September 2022.
In addition to the participation of local companies, submission from international companies were also accepted including exhibitors from Kuwait, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa, Palestine dan United Arab Emirates (UAE). MIHAS Awards evaluated the spirit of innovation and creativity presented in the form of products, services, exhibition booth designs and social media platforms dedicated to promote the Halal economy. The categories of the MIHAS Awards comprised of The Best Booth Award, Most Innovative Award (Food and Beverage Products, Non-Food & Beverage and Services), Best MIHAS Promotion via Social Media and the Halal Achievement.
MATRADE CEO, Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz hopes that MIHAS Awards will attract more local and international exhibitors to participate in MIHAS in the future. “This is because the potential of the global Halal industry is huge and it opens the door wide to opportunities for these companies to explore new markets,” Datuk Mohd Mustafa added.
Datuk Mohd Mustafa explained, “Through the MIHAS Promotion Award ia Best Social Media, exhibitors have highlighted the creativity and innovation of their products and services by leveraging on social media platforms. This strategy further encourages more Malaysian business to elevate their digitalisation efforts. This is in line with MATRADE’s agenda outlined in the National Trade Blueprint 2021-2025, thus promoting a culture of business digitalisation among exporters.”
All 1,258 MIHAS 2022 exhibitors were automatically eligible for selection in the Best Malaysian and International Booth Award, while the Best Promotion via Social Media Award and Most Innovative Award, required MIHAS exhibitors to register online to be evaluated.
The submissions for the Best Booth and Pavilion Award were evaluated in terms of creativity and uniqueness of design, presentation and overall appearance.
The selection for the Innovative Award was based on the participating company’s nomination and pitching presentation (conducted physically). A a total of 61 entries were received, which includes 37 entries from the Food and Beverage segment, 14 from the Non-Food segment and 10 entries from the Services. The evaluation of submissions in this category focused on aspects of quality and innovation applied in product design or service offerings. The sustainability aspect exhibited by participants in this category also scored highly.
Impactful efforts to promote MIHAS 2022 were recognised through the Best Promotion via Social Media category. This category aimed to encourage companies to use social media platforms creatively in promoting their products, services and brands, and at the same time publicise their respective participation at the MIHAS 2022 exhibition. The effectiveness of social media strategies, the volume of likes and shares, engagement rate with which reflected responses to complaints or criticisms were responded to and managed, as well as the use of hashtags such as #MIHAS2022 #ChooseMalaysia #MIHASAwards2022 were among the performance indicators of this award category.
The Best Halal Achievement Award was curated to extend appreciation to Halal industry strategic partners and their effort to boost the country’s Halal exports at the global level continuously.
The Award winners were evaluated and selected by a panel of judges with various backgrounds and expertise in the relevant fields. The selection of winners is made based on the overall characteristics of products and services including its originality, innovative elements, appearance and Halal quality.
