Expo 2017 puts Kazakhstan on the world map

Entrance to the Swiss Pavilion - Photo Daniel Tschudy.Although Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world in terms of area, only insiders know the country in Central Asia. These include some Swiss business people and, more recently, tourism experts who know their way around the area between the Caspian Sea in the west and the Altai Mountains in the east. The "small" World Expo, which is taking place in the capital Astana for three months until September 10, 2017, has therefore come at just the right time for them.Trade Point for KazakhstanPavel Ivanov, the innovative head of the 'Trade Point for Kazakhstan' at the Swiss embassy in Astana, has been the focal point from a Swiss perspective for almost twenty years. Ivanov looks after companies and business travelers who want to work with Kazakhstan and acts as a kind of market entry point.Ivanov does not know the exact number of Swiss companies, but there are around 40 of the big ones present: global corporations such as Roche, Novartis and ABB, but also other successful companies that are less in the spotlight.Pavel Ivanov certainly admits that many things are not yet running smoothly in Kazakhstan, especially in the administrative area of issues such as visitor visas and work permits for expatriates. His work is more interesting when he can carry out market analyses or reports on political developments. Data and assessments that are more than just valuable for Swiss export companies.Bühler and GategourmetThe Bühler Group from Uzwil and Gategourmet from Balsberg in Zurich, for example, have established themselves in Astana. The two companies have taken different paths; Bühler was already represented locally in 1993 and opened in 2008, so it knows its market very well. Gategourmet only arrived around a year and a half ago and, despite having already received successful orders, is still gaining initial experience.150-year-old Bühler Group is a global leader in the processing of cereals and chocolate, among other things. They also offer die casting and coating technologies for various industries. In 2016, its 10,500 employees in 140 countries generated sales of CHF 2.5 billion.Expo presence helps customer loyaltyDauren Kassabekov has been managing Bühler's business in Kazakhstan for almost ten years and is proud that the Expo is putting his country on the world map. His company has an excellent reputation in the region and he can now invite important customers directly to the Swiss pavilion. "I can show them Switzerland's culture and way of life and thus bind them even more closely to our country and therefore also to our company. Especially at a time when global competition is increasing, mostly through price, we as a high-price provider have to score points through personal relationships and high quality standards in all areas. The Swiss presence in Astana is fitting and helps our efforts."

The centerpiece of the Expo, the Kazakh national pavilion - photo Daniel Tschudy.Quality and reliabilityGategroup has 130 locations in 35 countries and employs 28,500 people; in 2015, it generated a turnover of around three billion Swiss francs. Even though it is now owned by the Chinese company HNA and the company language is English, they continue to market their "Swissness".Jörg Zaugg, Gategroup Director for Kazakhstan, also stands for quality and reliability and knows how important these values are in Central Asia. Unlike Bühler, Gategourmet has only been on site since the end of 2015, with an order at Astana Airport. "People in the industry already know us, but word of our successful presence in Kazakhstan is now spreading throughout the region and will trigger further opportunities. We will see whether and how a broader market entry into the entire region makes sense."Great dynamismZaugg is fascinated by Kazakhstan and says that he has never experienced such dynamic development in a third world country. And he should know, after all he was stationed in Africa and Pakistan for 18 years, and Air Astana's passenger numbers are also exploding; according to Zaugg, in the first few months of this year there was another increase of 30% compared to the previous year. He thinks the Expo was "well done", even if Gategourmet did not want to be explicitly involved. "We have been asked if we would like to be involved in some capacity, but I still have to focus my energies on the ongoing development of our presence."The desire for direct flight connectionsFor Pavel Ivanov, too, the Expo is ultimately not that important: "This event is primarily a kind of PR instrument against our immediate neighbors. "For Ivanov, there is no question that Switzerland, for example, can generate goodwill thanks to its presence in Astana. But this themed exhibition is not the big door opener: "We can't solve our problems there." On the one hand, there is the strong franc (especially in relation to Chinese, Russian and Iranian suppliers), and on the other, the transport links. Ivanov: "Only when there are direct flight connections between Astana and Zurich will business between Kazakhstan and Switzerland also increase in the SME sector."