BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Toyota launches ECHO 2000

-By A Staff Reporter

A model psing in front of Toyota's newly launched ECHO 2000 .

United Trader Syndicate Pvt. Ltd., the sole authorised distributor of Toyota vehicles for Nepal launched the new Toyota vehicle, Toyota 2000 ECHO, Monday.

With latest technologies in the automobile industry including Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and 16 V technologies combined with low weight and excellent aerodynamic values, the newly launched car was awarded most coveted ‘Car of the Year 2000’ by professional European motor journalists.

The size of the car, it’s fuel consumption efficiency and environment-friendly qualities has made it the most suitable of cars in Nepal, said Suraj Vaidya, Managing Director of United Traders Syndicate Pvt. Ltd., at a launching ceremony of the new cars.

Toyota went to work a few years ago on a completely new kind of small vehicle concept and what resulted was the model it introduced recently as the Toyota Yaris in Europe and as Toyota ECHO in other countries.

The challenge of the 21st century is the challenge of change. “At Toyota,” said Suraj Vaidya, “we want to do more than simply adapt better than our competitors to changing circumstances.”

The newly launched Toyota ECHO has garnered wide acclaim from automotive specialists and consumers alike since its introduction to Europe in March. The Echo offers remarkable fuel efficiency and a spacious interior designed with the human body in mind.

According to design, comfort, safety, economy, handling and roadworthiness, performance, functionality, environmental performance, driver satisfaction and value of money, the Toyota ECHO and Yaris were awarded the Car of the Year 2000 award last year   November. Altogether fifty-six professional motoring journalists from twenty-one European countries voted for the Toyota.

These models were also awarded the “Best Engine of the Year” by Engine Technology International, a magazine published from Brussels.

10th Himalayan Expo to kick off  April 12"

-By A Staff Reporter

The 10th Anniversary of the Himalayan Expo 2000 is scheduled to take place  12th - 16th April at Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu for a period of five days. The Himalayan Expo 2000 is expected to cover an area of 42000 sq. ft of exhibition space with about 200 exhibitors from about 12 countries. The Expo is expected to haul in over 45,000 business visitors from a total of 75,000 visitors.

The leading features of the Himalayan Expo are  the USA Pavilion, British Pavilion, German Catalogue Show, and the NSIC Techmark India. The USA Pavilion is jointly organized by the Nepal-USA chamber of Commerce and Industry and the US Embassy. Likewise, the British Pavilion is jointly organized by the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the British Embassy under the sponsorship of the British Trade International. The NSIC Techmart India is expected to put up about 25-30 companies offering   small-scale industrial machines and equipment for the medium and small-scale industrialists of Nepal. The German Catalogue Show organized by the Nepal German Chamber of Commerce and Industries will be exhibiting numerous product catalogues and samples of German companies interested in finding importers in Nepal.

Some of the new and special features organized as a part of the 10th anniversary and the new millennium are the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show and the Made-in-Nepal special display. Nepalese industries would be offered a chance to display their products in the Expo and appear as a part of the listing in the official directory for a very nominal charge. The Special Display is the first step in the effort to promote Nepal’s exports under the umbrella of the Himalayan Expo. The Pavilion of about 20-25 exhibitors will display products and services required by the hotels, restaurants and catering establishments, a sector that is growing very rapidly in Nepal. The Hotel & Restaurants Equipment Manufacturer’s Association of India (HREMAI) and Association of Resource Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHII) are being considered as potential co-organisers of the show.

The Himalayan Expo continues to strengthen and consolidate as a business event. As in the previous years, special VIP badges with exclusive privileges will be sent to 1000 key decision-makers of the Nepalese business community. As separate Sales Section has been segregated in order to provide an atmosphere that is conclusive to business interaction for those exhibitors who are primarily seeking business contact and exposure. Talk programmes will again be offered to visitors during the entire five days on relevant business issues of today.

As in the past, the opening day of Himalayan Expo 2000 is reserved as the Special Preview Day for visitors with invitation only, allowing proper businessmen and women to get the first opportunity to interest with exhibitors in a comfortable environment. The Himalayan Expo 2000 will again host 1000 business visitors from outside   Kathmandu Valley to visit the Expo. The Hosted Buyers Programme is intended to give a national reach for the exhibitors.

Again as part of the 10th Anniversary and New Millennium celebrations, two new programmes are being organized for the event, namely the Exhibitors Pre-scheduled Appointment Programme and the Investment Exchange Network. Every confirmed exhibitor may request pre-arranged meeting with potential clients and buyers. This way, the exhibitors will already have 15-20 serious potential clients even before the show, know who they are and prepare themselves for the meetings accordingly. For the first time, the Expo visitors will be given access to information on investment opportunities in Nepal. Investment opportunities may be in the form of franchise, dealership, sale of on-going business or new ventures.

New ideas, plans and programmes have been set forth to rejuvenate and boost up the Himalayan Expo to new heights during the year 2000.