K-Consumer Goods Meet North American Buyers via Metaverse

KOTRA Hosts Networking Day for Entry into North American Ethical Consumption Market

Rebecca Dreyer, Executive Director of Buy Social USA, is delivering the keynote speech on the metaverse platform Ovis.
[Photo by KOTRA]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] KOTRA announced on the 18th that it will hold a Networking Day event on the theme of 'ethical consumption' on a metaverse (extended virtual world) platform.

This event was prepared to support the entry of domestic consumer goods companies into the North American market as sustainability and ethical consumption have emerged as major trends in the global consumer market after COVID-19.

The Networking Day will be attended by 23 domestic small and medium-sized enterprises and social economy companies producing socially and environmentally beneficial products such as eco-friendly and vegan cosmetics, plant-based alternative meat, upcycling products, and small green energy generators. More than 40 companies from the North American region, including import buyers related to ethical consumption, online and offline distribution networks, and social economy organizations, will participate.

The event will feature a keynote speech by Rebecca Dray, Executive Director of Buy Social USA, a U.S. social enterprise procurement support organization, who will present on ethical consumption trends and cross-border cooperation. She will also introduce know-how for social enterprises to enter the U.S. market. Following this, a networking session will be held where domestic companies and stakeholders from the North American 'impact' (positive social influence through innovative ideas) ecosystem share their values.

The event venue, implemented in the metaverse, will display materials and videos introducing the impact stories of domestic companies, allowing attendees to freely explore and review materials and engage in conversations with domestic company representatives as if at an offline event.

Yoo Jung-yeol, President of KOTRA, said, "As ESG (environment, social, and governance) has emerged as a global key value, consumer interest in ethical consumption has increased. Starting with this North American consultation meeting, we will spare no effort to support Korean quality products that help the environment and society to be more recognized in the global market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.