Bogota, August 1, 2023. In order to continue strengthening the different sectors of the economy, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce opened today meeting spaces and services to connect entrepreneurs of the 16 cluster initiatives led by the entity.

This is how it carries out activities that seek to boost the competitiveness of the business sector with the realization of: a business roundtable; talks on key tools and technologies to grow MSMEs; effective financial and logistical strategies for e-commerce, and trends for new businesses; and the expansion of the digital community will be launched.

Business roundtable and activities to generate B2B meetings

During the day, the First Intercluster Business Roundtable will be held, a space in which 57 companies from the different cluster initiatives will have the opportunity to establish contacts and explore new business opportunities with leading companies from different sectors. Between 40 and 50 buyers are expected, including companies such as Aviatur, Homecenter, Kokoriko, Mercado Libre, and Sodimac Colombia S.A., among others. In this space it is expected to generate about 200 business appointments to connect supply with demand in solutions that companies in each cluster can offer transversely to businesses in all sectors among attendees.

Digital Community

Tomorrow the entity launches the expansion of the digital community for 5 new clusters: Cosmetics and Wellness; Apparel; Jewelry and Costume Jewelry; Leather, Footwear and Leather Goods; and Gastronomy and Food. This comes after the good results obtained in the first version of the Digital Community launched by the CCB in 2021 as part of the economic reactivation strategy of the Cultural and Creative Industries in the midst of the pandemic.

This community is a virtual business space where actors and entrepreneurs from the different prioritized sectors can access courses, conferences and permanent specialized workshops for each sector; commercial connections through business rounds with clients and potential suppliers; current and interesting information to contribute to improve sectorial knowledge; and increasing visibility of the portfolio of products and services of the companies.

With this update, it is expected to link 14,000 active users from more than 7,000 companies during 2023. This expansion is the first step on the way for the 16 cluster initiatives led by the CCB to integrate the Digital Community in 2024 and thus reach more than 30,000 active users, which would represent nearly 14,000 companies. Joining this Community is completely free and can be done at the following link: www.comunidaddigital.ccb.org.co

Academic Agenda

This event also has an academic agenda with experts such as Abraham Martinez, director of operations and marketing at Microsoft, who will talk about key technologies to grow commercially and strategically to micro, small and medium enterprises. Likewise, María José Besson, account manager for Retail at Amazon for Colombia, will talk to attendees about financial and logistical strategies to build and develop e-commerce effectively.

Finally, the meeting will focus on business generation with a talk on trends for new businesses and the panel "Meet the buyer": the challenges and opportunities for generating B2B business from the perspective of different types of buyers, where large companies such as Constructora Bolivar, ETB, Hotel de la Opera and the Bogota Chamber of Commerce will present to attendees their supply needs and their challenges and opportunities in managing their purchasing scheme.

Cluster initiatives led by the CCB

Since 2012, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce has led 16 cluster initiatives, as a public-private effort, where businessmen and businesswomen, together with allies from government, academia, unions and other stakeholders, work collaboratively on projects and programs that contribute to the competitiveness, business and social development of the city and the region.

The 16 clusters represent a little more than half of the business fabric of Bogota and the region (more than 280,000 companies) and in the last 10 years, more than 26,500 people, representatives of 12,300 companies and 540 public organizations, support entities, academia and civil society have participated in the different instances of articulation, such as executive committees, working groups and other instances.

The work agenda of the clusters addresses 4 strategic axes on which projects, programs and initiatives are developed to strengthen the business environment and the productive sector; human talent and employability, innovation and new businesses, sustainability, and internationalization and investment.

Between 2021 and 2023, focusing on the economic reactivation of micro and small companies in segments highly affected by the pandemic crisis, economic reactivation programs were developed for each of the sectors, which have benefited more than 37,000 companies in these clusters (94% of them MSMEs), through participation in trade fairs and specialized business rounds, trade events and international missions, learning routes, business support, mentoring and specialized consulting.