On Thursday, 13 September 2007 about 25 members and guests of the NCCJ gathered in the Deshima Lounge of the Royal Netherlands Embassy to hear Beckie Cassidy, JMEC Director, and Onno Jalink, President and Representative of Brita Japan K.K. give a presentation on the activities of their organizations.

Beckie Cassidy introduced how companies can benefit from the Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC) services when entering the Japanese market. JMEC is a business training program designed to strengthen the skills of young business executives while fostering the development of foreign businesses in . The JMEC program is centered on a competition to write the best business plan for client companies. Sponsored by eleven foreign Chambers of Commerce in along with the European Business Council in , the program matches the desire of young executives to learn about doing business in with the needs of foreign companies to prepare detailed business plans for their products and services in the Japanese market. (see – www.jmec.gr.jp)

Onno Jalink, of Brita Japan, gave us a lively overview how his company had entered the Japanese market with mixed success in the early 90’s and highlighted the challenges and pitfalls the company has overcome to succeed in Japan. Brita, a JMEC client and one of the business plan competition winners last year, is a German headquartered company producing and marketing Professional and Household Water Filter Systems and Cartridges.

Onno, at the helm of Brita since 2005, drew upon his experience since 1986 to illustrate the successes the company has realized in this difficult market, while giving the audience an insightful and entertaining overview about business practices and leadership roles in Japan.