Business Administration Students Went on an Excursion to Makassar to Enhance the Knowledge on Traditional Textile Industry
International Business Administration (IBA) went on an excursion to Makassar from 24-26th March for the fourth semester students to sharpen their entrepreneurial mindset and gain entrepreneur experience direct from entrepreneur before running their own business. The trip was welcomed by Kabid Industri Dinas Perdagangan (DISDAG) Makassar, Mr. Ichwan Jacub, S.Sos. The students and lecturers were introduced to the current condition of Makassar’s traditional textile industry.
First day, the groups visited a local SME named Bolata Collection. Bolata is a home industry focusing on Moslem Fashion and Souvenirs. The owner said that product marketing is one of the challenges that they are currently facing. The groups also had a special opportunity to have a discussion with the Mayor’s wife, Mrs. Indira Yusuf Ismail, who is also the head of Dewan Kerajinan Nasional Daerah (DEKRANASDA) Kota Makassar. Mrs. Indira shared that Makassar is currently developing its traditional textile, named Batik Lontara, since it is no longer produced on a large scale and is in danger of becoming a relic of the past. The goverment is intensly promoting and gaining awareness of Batik Lontara by joining national and international exhibitions, as well as making schools and goverment offices to wear Batik Lontara on a selected day. She encouraged the students as young entrepreuners to develop a business with Batik Lontara as a feature on the products.
On the second day, the trip was continued by visits to SMEs and a Q&A session with some entrepreuners in Makassar. The group visited a boutique owned by Mrs. Anna Triana, an entrepreneur who combines making stylish bags with Sutera Lagosi. Then, the group went to a traditional textile shop to hunt for cloth. The students swiftly compared and selected the fabrics they wanted to later use for their products in their business for IBEF (International Business Administration Entrepreneurship Festival) 2017, an annual business event organized by the Business Administration Department at Swiss German University. The students carefully checked the material, design and colors, and the selected the price that suits their budget plan.
The Q&A session began with Mrs. Anna who shared her experience since she started the business 2 years ago. She emphasized that hobby and interest could be a business like what she currently does, which would give pleasure when working on it. The second guest of the Q&A session was Mr. Yuda Perwira, the owner of Losari Silk, which produces Tenun Sutera Sengkang. Sengkang is an area in Makassar that is widely known as a Sutera or Silk producer. He has successfully opened two boutiques and a silk production house in Makassar. He shared the process of producing traditional textile, the aftercare tips, and how to select the best textile. On the last day in Makassar, the students were given free time to explore Makassar.
It was a memorable trip since the students not only gained knowledge, but also had a blast.
