Young Executive Stay (YES) Program XI

Commercial export mission to Japan: last mission took place 7-14 October 2018

Here you can read the general information concerning the YES Program.

Future missions will be announced in due time.
If you would like to be informed about future YES Program opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@bja.be.

YES programThe YES program is a commercial export project under the auspices of His Majesty King Philippe. It aims to train young executives from Belgium and Luxembourg in successful Japanese business practices, at reasonable costs, and in a short amount of time. For this purpose, in 2018, the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BLCCJ), the Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce in Belgium (BJA) and the Chambre de Commerce de Luxembourg will organize a one-week training program in Japan, beginning with two briefing sessions in Belgium.
The training in Japan will start with a panel discussion with businesspeople in Japan, followed by introducing each participant to potential customers and/or business partners in her/his business area. The YES program enjoys the support of the Japanese Embassy in Belgium and the Embassies of Belgium and Luxembourg in Japan, the Belgium-Luxembourg Market Council, the Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office and the representatives of the three Belgian Regions in Japan and Belgium.

  • Young Executive Stay (YES) Program XI and you
  • Program in Belgium: Seminars and Briefing Sessions
  • Program in Japan: Panel Discussion and Business Meetings
  • A few important points
  • When does the YES program take place?
  • Financial contribution from each participant
  • How to apply for the YES program?
  • Contact
  • Past YES Program


Young Executive Stay (YES) Program and you
The YES program aims to train young executives from Belgium and Luxembourg in successful Japanese business practices, at reasonable costs, and in a short amount of time. For this purpose, in 2018, the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BLCCJ), the Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce in Belgium (BJA) and the Chambre de Commerce de Luxembourg will organize a one-week training program in Japan, beginning with two briefing sessions in Belgium. The training in Japan will begin with a panel discussion with businesspeople in Japan, followed by introducing each participant to potential customers in her/his business area.

You are a young executive working for a small or medium-sized company in Belgium or Luxembourg. Your company is interested in the Japanese market. You do not want to be just one of the participants in a trade mission, but rather prefer to have a personalized hands-on program, which gives you direct contact with your potential customers and partners in Japan.

Program in Belgium: Seminars and Briefing Sessions
Seminars covering items concerning export to Japan and Japanese business culture are being held in 2018.
Intensive preparatory briefing sessions will be held for the selected YES participants in Belgium with speakers and experts on various topics concerning export to Japan in June and September 2018.

Program in Japan: Panel Discussion and Business Meetings
The Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan is committed to get real business prospects for each participant.

Panel discussion [the first day]
The panel discussion with Belgian and Luxembourg business(wo)men in Japan will cover different aspects of the business environment in Japan, including the recent evolution of the economy, types of enterprises, potential in different sectors, and general business practices as well as more specific aspects, such as commercial laws, trade barriers, shipping and distribution practices through a panel discussion with seasoned businesspeople in Japan.

Introduction to the market: business meetings
Under guidance of a member of the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan (the "business coach"), and with the help from students from Sophia University in Tokyo, each participant will have the opportunity to contact potential customers and organize business meetings.

The Japanese students come to visit the participant’s company end of August-beginning of September 2018 for one day.

Each YES program participant will work individually with a business coach, who will be selected from a company that is related to the participant's business, but not in direct competition.

A few important points
It is important to have some business experience before starting business in Japan. This will be an important point during the selection of the participants.

A good command of the English language is necessary for doing business in Japan.

Preparation work before the training is absolutely necessary. Some of this will be done during the one-day seminars, but participants are expected to prepare their trip carefully. Some ways to do this might be: market studies, preparing brochures in English or Japanese, preparing a practical distribution policy, having sales and technical support team in Belgium/Luxembourg, or having contacts directly from Belgium/Luxembourg.

Doing business in Japan is a rewarding long-term investment. The aim of a first contact with Japan is to discover for yourself and your company that Japan is indeed an immense market and meet potential customers who would like to see you again. Business deals might only come after a few visits, although in some instances former YES participants have returned home with a contract in their suitcase.

When does the YES program take place?
The one-week training program in Japan will take place 7-14 October 2018. The students from Japan will visit the participants and their company in Belgium end of August-beginning of September 2018 for one day.
The program in Belgium consists of general seminars in 2018, and the separate briefing sessions for the selected YES participants will be held in Belgium in June and September 2018. Exact dates will be informed in due time.


Financial contribution from each participant
The YES program is at reasonable cost to your company. The organizers will bear most of the direct costs of your trip to Japan, including your economy class airplane ticket, accommodation during the whole program, organization of seminars, Japanese language lessons, a reception where you can invite potential business contacts, Japanese language lessons, and the visit of the student to your company.

A token fee of 2,500 EUR to partially cover expenses should be paid to the BLCCJ upon confirmation of selection (foreseen end May 2018). This fee is non-reimbursable. Please note that other costs such as your personal out-of-pocket expenses, including food, entertainment, professional interpreters and domestic travel are to be borne by the participant.

How to apply for the YES program?

Coordinator for Belgium:
The Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce, Mrs Anja Oto-Kellens
Oto-kellens@bja.be
T +32 (0)2 644 13 33
F +32 (0)2 644 23 60

Coordinators for Luxembourg:
The Luxembourg Chambre de Commerce,
Ms. Na Shi and Ms. Sabrina Aksil, International Affairs
T +(352) 42 39 39 364/374
F + (352) 42 39 39 822
asia@cc.lu
www.cc.lu


Deadline for applications is 16 April, 2018.

The mandatory selection interview will be 3 May 2018 (timing and place to be confirmed mid April)

Together with your application form, we will ask you to send the following documents in English and by electronic means only to info@bja.be :

  • The application form : Download PDF format | Word format
  • A profile of your company
  • Catalogues of the products/services you intend to promote in Japan
  • A resume of the applicant
  • Financial Statement of the company
  • A tentative market study of the Japanese market
  • Overview of your activity in Japan to present (if any)

Please kindly provide the above documents in one document file.
Please keep it summarized as much as possible.

Contact
For more detailed information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce (BJA)
avenue Louise 287 box 7
1050 Brussels
Belgium
Oto-kellens@bja.be
tel +32 (2) 644 13 33
fax +32 (2) 644 23 60
info@bja.be
www.bja.be

The Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BLCCJ)
Mrs Sophie Bocklandt
Dai 10 Daitetsu Building 5F
23 Arakicho, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160-0007
Japan
tel +81 (3) 6457 8662
fax +81 (3) 6457 8663
info@blccj.or.jp | sophie@blccj.or.jp
www.blccj.or.jp

The Chamber of Commerce of Luxembourg
Ms. Na Shi and Ms. Sabrina Aksil, International Affairs
7, rue Alcide de Gasperi
Luxembourg-Kirchberg
L-2981 Luxembourg
tel +35 (2) 42 39 39 364/374
fax +35 (2) 42 39 39 822
asia@cc.lu
www.cc.lu

 

Examples of a past YES Program
For a debriefing of a past YES Program, please read further:


Sponsors

AGC GLASS EUROPE
BARCO
DAIKIN EUROPE
Deloitte
GROUP S
H. DE BEUKELAER & CO.
HONDA MOTOR EUROPE LOGISTICS NV
LIEDEKERKE
LINKLATERS LLP
MITSUI & CO BENELUX S.A./N.V.
NIPPON GASES
NTT DATA
SUMITOMO BENELUX
TAKEDA BELGIUM
TOKAI OPTECS
TOYOTA MOTOR EUROPE
UMICORE
VIALTO PARTNERS
WILMERHALE (WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP)