[Unpad.ac.id, 9/04/2016] Indonesia Marketing Society (MMI) is an association with mission to promote development of knowledge, implementation of marketing and branding of products and services in the country. Universitas Padjadjaran in this case becomes part of the newly established association on 3 April at Gedung Sate Bandung.
Founder and organizer MMI, Poppy Rufaidah, SE., MBA., PhD said that MMI is formally established to coincide with implementation of New Entrepreneurs program initiated by West Java province. In addition, MMI vision is also supporting promotion of the national tourism sector whose target is 20 million foreign tourists to Indonesia.
“We definitely have to work together to establish a successful national tourism. We as a society want to support the marketing, “Poppy said during the inaugural meeting of MMI in Executive Lounge Unpad, Jalan Dipati Ukur No. 35 Bandung, Friday (9/04) night.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Tourism, Dr. Ir. Arief Yahya, M.Sc., Rector Unpad Prof. Tri Hanggono Achmad, Jonni BS Nugroho (Chairman of Harley Davidson Club Indonesia Bandung), and also officials and representatives from MMI.
Lecturer Faculty of Economics and Business Unpad further explained that association is founded and under the guidance of Arief Yahya, Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform Prof. Yuddy Chrisnandi, West Java Governor Ir. Ahmad Heryawan, and Rector.
The ofther founders became administrators MMI, namely Dr. Dudi Sudrajat (Head of Department KUKM Jabar), Ferry Kristianto (Chairman of The Big Price Cut), Yanuar Ruswita (Director of Pikiran Rakyat), Herman Muchtar (entrepreneur), and Poppy Rufaidah. Until now, MMI has a membership of 250 people.
Meanwhile, Rector said that contribution of Unpad in developing MMI is the implementation of Pentahelix cooperation. “It’s not easy for universities to be able, not only to contribute but also developing themselves, without developing strategic alliances with other sectors,” said Rector.
Marketing sector itself, said Rector, is an aspect required by the university. According to him, it is not easy for university to disseminate knowledge in the absence of marketing. Given the role of higher education as a knowledge hub, the marketing process can provide a lot of input for the improvement of science.
During the meeting, Arief who was an alumnus of Management Science Doctoral Program Unpad presented relevant Indonesian tourism promotion strategy in order to bring in 20 million foreign tourists. *
Reported by Arief Maulana / eh
