He said in an exclusive interview with The Nation that the firm would mainly focus on sports management and organising sports events this year. It plans to organise the Myanmar Amateur Football Festival (MAFF2019) in conjunction with a public forum on the development of Myanmar’s amateur football in Yangon from March 30 to 31.

“We are targeting young people between 15 and 35 years of age to take part in different kinds of sports events, and thereby to be healthy and alert at all times,” he said.

“We will start with some football events in Yangon, and then will expand to other cities. Ultimately, we hope to develop our youth’s sporting spirit with well-disciplined, fair and square competitions.”

The firm aims to set the trend in amateur sports, which have yet to receive enough support from the government and authorised sports organisations. As a first step, the firm will start with football events to arouse the youth’s interest.

“Obviously, football is the most favourite sport in Myanmar like in many other countries around the world. It is the reason why we decided to start with a football festival this year,” he said.

The upcoming event will be Myanmar’s first-ever football festival organised by the private sector. There, different stakeholders in the amateur football sector will discuss ways to improve the industry as a whole, he said.

“Our aim is to gather 200 amateur football clubs and over 30,000 amateur athletes in a single event. It is just the beginning of our long journey. We will continue to organise more sports events later this year,” he said.

“Since the Myanmar national team has not won any major cup since the past few decades, we need to groom new blood to regain our past glory in the next few years. Some amateur players have enthusiasm and skills to win a spot in the national team, if properly trained. It is our ultimate goal.”

Having registered under the Myanmar Investment Law, the firm started its commercial operations in October last year. It now has 15 employees, and enjoys 20 to 30 per cent growth on a monthly basis.

“As an idea-based business, it does not cost a fortune to set up this service company. We are expecting satisfactory return on investment in one and a half years,” he said.

In a bid to make its events a success, the firm has partnered with some sports organisations and companies, and will also expand to other sports as the business grows.

“Our next move is to hold the Women’s Bike, Myanmar’s first-ever bicycle contest for women only, in the first half of this year. We are also looking at opportunities to organise a car race later this year,” he said.

The firm will also develop a mobile application, which provides real time information about football pitches in Myanmar so amateur clubs can effectively arrange matches or do training. Once completed, the digital initiative could help LA Sports with the expansion of its portfolio nationwide.

“We aim to cooperate with a software firm to develop the app. In the meanwhile, we are also eyeing some entertainment events including private parties, birthday and pool parties as well as some EDM [electronic dance music] shows in cooperation with some clubs and local DJs,” he said.

The company is confident that the new business model will bring in a new high in profits, with the plan to expand its business in CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) starting from next year.

RS has moved its business category in the Stock Exchange of Thailand from “media & publishing” to “commerce” with effect from March 29.

“Now the company is entering the second phase and will focus on expanding its multi-platform commerce (MPC) business via TV channels in Thailand, as well as online channels and sales representatives,” said Surachai Chetchotisak, CEO of RS Plc.

“We will also join forces with partners to produce original equipment manufacturer [OEM] and original brand manufacturer [OBM] products, while also pushing big data to reach 1.8 million people. The focus is to build a new retail empire and reaffirm our image as a leading manufacturer and distributor of health and beauty products, accessories and amulets. Our goal is to generate Bt10 billion in annual sales in three years,” he said.

Surachai said Thailand’s commerce and retail business are worth a total of about Bt2.5 trillion, and are expected to grow further after the general election. The new government will boost confidence in the business sector, and consumers will spend more, in line with the growth of the company’s MPC business, which suits the lifestyle of consumers in the 4.0 era.

“The current contribution of MPC business at RS is now about 60 per cent, while media shares about 30 per cent of revenue, and the rest 10 per cent come from music and other businesses,” he said, adding the proportion of MPC is increasing.

“Our auction of the Channel 8 digital TV business was made as TV was considered the main media before it was disrupted by new media, due to the increase in the number of channels. Of course, not all ads are dated. Our advantage is that all the ad space has been utilised to create maximum benefits. We will not leave the ad space vacant but remove those spaces to provide strong support for our new commerce business,” said Surachai.

He added that RS also has a plan to expand its business into neighbouring countries in CLMV next year.

“Our partnership with Thairath TV in 2019 is estimated to bring in some Bt455 million. For vertical growth, RS has plans to partner with OEM and OBM companies to produce own-brand products. These new partnerships will begin to yield results in the third quarter of this year. With our experience, we are ready to become a manufacturer offering high-quality products in high-margin categories. We are confident that RS will expand its empire with stability and become Thailand’s leader in commerce and retail, going beyond where other players have gone. Our goal is to generate Bt10 billion in sales within three years, and we know it’s possible,” said Surachai.

On March 29, RS will fully enter the commerce and retail business, following the company’s significant growth both vertically and horizontally. The company has adjusted its estimated revenue for this year to Bt5 billion, a 30 per cent increase from the previous year. It is expected that its MPC business will generate Bt3 billion, a 41 per cent increase over 2018.

Surachai said that MPC revenue has reached a new high thanks to the expansion of channels reaching more viewers. Currently, its platforms include Channel 8, Call Centre 1781, Thairath TV T Shopping 02-117-3232, Channel 2, Sabaidee TV Channel 141, Ploen TV, and COOL Fahrenheit radio station, which together reach some 20 million people. It also has online platforms: http://www.shop1781.com, LINE@shop1781, and LINE@COOLanything, as well as LifestarBIZ representatives, modern trade retailers, and traditional trade retailers nationwide.

He said that adding diversity to its products and services is crucial. RS will introduce 200 new products and services in collaboration with world-class laboratories to develop new innovations that meet the needs of consumers. It will also join forces with partners to introduce high-quality products.

Today, its offerings include health and beauty products (80 per cent) such as skincare products under the brand Magique, haircare products under Revive brand, and food supplements under the SOM brand, home and lifestyle products (15 per cent), accessories and amulets, and others (5 per cent).