A Journey of INACRAFT
FROM SMART VILLAGE TO GLOBAL MARKET Inacraft is one of the pioneering craft trade shows in Indonesia. Prepared in 1998 and then cancelled due to the tragedy of the riots followed by the economic crisis, finally in the following year 1999, ASEPHI (Asosiasi Eksportir & Produsen Handicraft Indonesia, an organization founded on 5 April 1975) as the initiator/conceptor of INACRAFT succeeded in carrying out the first craft trade fair in the country that was delayed. The first trade fair was attended by ASEPHI members mainly from SMEs craft production centers in Java (East Java, West Java, Solo, Pekalongan, Yogya) and Bali as well as 102 maklun traders in Jakarta. This first exhibition was assisted by PT Samudra Dyan Praga as EO. From planned to use JCC as venue, INACRAFT '99 was finally held at the Bidakara Building in Pancoran, South Jakarta, with the timing of the exhibition in April, close to the schedule of international buyers in the Southeast Asia region, in order to ensure that the exhibition could be organized in a timely manner. The first Inacraft suffered a loss of approximately 100-200 million rupiah (a considerable amount at the time) so Samudra resigned as EO (but remained a regular contractor). Then in 2000 ASEPHI began collaborating with PT Mediatama Binakreasi in the implementation of the exhibition and inviting more UKM, Artisan/crafters, craft businesses and exporters as well as expanding and developing ASEPHI organisation which then became the main motor of participation as loyal exhibitors of INACRAFT who follow the INACRAFT promotion from generation to generation. When it comes to INACRAFT, there are many perspectives to interpret the story of over two decades of this national craft exhibition. INACRAFT has been held 23 times in the period 1999-2023 except during the pandemic (2020 & 2021). From a business perspective, an event like Inacraft, which uses the entire area of the Convention Centre Hall covering an area of + 25,0000 m2, can be said to be "successful". Success for organizer (ASEPHI & MBK) and success for participants so that exhibitors always look forward to the next Inacraft schedule with enthusiasm. This exhibition during this period has been visited by more than 3.5 million visitors and followed by an average of 1200 exhibitors each year consisting of 70% from ASEPHI members and the rest are non-members, general including craftsmen / SMEs fostered by the government / agencies / state-owned enterprises and participants from abroad. The value of retail transactions that INACRAFT has recorded reached Rp. 1.3 Triliun.
