Local Creative Festival 2021 Enthusiasm Grows 9 Local Hero SMEs At Lake Toba DSP

JAKARTA - After going through a series of trainings and selections, the 2021 Local Creative Festival has successfully screened 50 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Super Priority Destination (DSP) Lake Toba, North Sumatra, the majority of which are from the culinary business sector. In the first stage of the selection process, 64 percent of SMEs are engaged in the Culinary sector, 22 percent are SMEs in the Craft sector, and 14 percent are Fashion.

The selection was made based on product innovation and originality, vision and mission, business models, and developed business strategies. Of the 50 SMEs, nine local heroes were selected as finalists in each creative economy field:

- Fashion:

1. Shan's Craft

2. UKM Sabina Collection

3. Medan Weaving Songket UKM

- Crafts:

1. D'Saka Indonesia

2. Borna

3. The Flower of Longing

- Culinary:

1. CV. Andaliman Mangintir

2. Dodol Prosperous

3. CV. Indonesian Patin King

Furthermore, these local hero SMEs will undergo a number of training activities and additional materials to improve soft skills through coaching camp activities provided by Prasetiya Mulya Executive Learning Institute (ELI) and Entrepreneur Camp (Ecamp).

Through the 2021 Local Creative Festival, SME players in the Lake Toba DSP are expected to gain new insights about the practice of growing their business, so that they are known in the national scope, but are also attractive to be marketed globally.

"Adira Finance wants to grow together with SME players according to their promise to become 'Faithful Friends Forever'. The 2021 Local Creative Festival is the right moment to collaborate, not only SMEs in Lake Toba DSP, but also in general all SMEs in North Sumatra," said Regional Collection Head Sumatra-1 Adira Finance Tengku Zainal Arifin, in Medan, North Sumatra during a webinar, Thursday 30 September.

This collaboration will be an acceleration momentum for SME players in increasing their capacity and capability, so that they can create competent creative economy business actors, and ultimately become an added value to tourist attractions, especially in Lake Toba DSP.

"The 2021 Local Creative Festival is expected to have a sustainable impact, so that SMEs who become local heroes, after receiving training and mentoring, can also become icons for SMEs, especially in the Lake Toba DSP," said Zainal.

In addition to additional training, these nine local hero SMEs will undergo an advanced judging process from figures who have expertise and experience in the business and creative economy fields. The jury consists of the founder of M-bloc Space, Handoko Hendroyono, as the chairman of the jury; and as members of the Jury are the President Director of Adira Finance, Hafid Hadeli; Deputy of Marketing for Creative Economy Kemenparekraf RI, Nia Niscaya; Director of HR & Marketing Adira Finance, Swandajani Gunadi; Director of Marketing for Creative Economy Kemenparekraf RI, Yuana Rochma Astuti; and Director of Adira Insurance, Wayan Pariama.

The best local UKM hero chosen by the jury is entitled to a Creative Local Award which will be handed out during the Gebyar Adira Kreasi event on November 13, 2021, to coincide with the celebration of Adira Finance's 31st Anniversary at Borobudur Temple, Magelang, Central Java.

As additional motivation, the best SMEs will also get prizes worth a total of hundreds of millions of rupiah in the form of additional business capital, and exposure in various national media, both print and online. The benefits of training and mentoring at the 2021 Local Creative Festival are felt by Sri Dewi Yana, as the owner of the Sabina Collection business who is a participant in the 2021 Local Creative Festival. According to her, this program provides broad opportunities to create collaborations, as well as provide new ideas and perspectives on business development.

"The 2021 Local Creative Festival is a golden opportunity so that the pioneered business can continue to grow, as well as open new insights about business management not only relying on capital, but also innovation and adaptation to development," said this SME player from the Lake Toba DSP.

In order to make the 2021 Local Creative Festival a success, Adira Finance collaborates with several parties to support its implementation, both from the government and the private sector, such as MUFG, Zurich, Adira Finance Syariah, as well as Baba Rafi Enterprise and Prasetiya Mulya ELI.

Through the 2021 Local Creative Festival, Adira Finance provides support for the national campaign #BeliKreatifLokal and Proud to be Made in Indonesia. This activity is part of Adira Finance's corporate social responsibility (CSR) program which is held in line with the company's commitment to give the best contribution to the nation, in order to improve welfare. This is in line with Adira Finance's vision of "Creating Shared Values to Improve Prosperity".