EXLINKEVENTS - Event Management Philippines

Belle de Jour Power Planner Supports Telemarketers Summit 2013

2013-05-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

The first Telemarketers Summit held last May 3, 2013 at Crowne Plaza Hotel got a huge support from Belle de Jour Power Planner – a premier power planner women loved to have.

Belle de Jour Power Planner sponsored free power planner to all delegates. This surprise giveaway made all the women delegates happy. Since 80% of the attendees are female, the event became more meaningful because of this special gift.

Belle de Jour Power Planner is all about living life to the fullest. This inspirational power planner has helped a lot of women in giving them meaningful tips in achieving their goals in life.

Belle de Jour Power Planner complements the Telemarketers Summit because both aspire to make individuals reach their maximum potential in their field of expertise.

For more information about Belle de Jour Power Planner visit www.belledejourpowerplanner.com.

Microtel Excites Telemarketers Summit Delegates

2013-05-08T20:45:00.001-07:00

Microtel Hotel, one of the leading chains of hotels in the country recently, made the first Telemarketers Summit held last May 3, 2013 at Crowne Plaza Hotel an exciting event by giving away a lot of free overnight stays in its different properties.

Microtel gave away to lucky winners overnight stay with breakfast in the following hotel branches: Acropolis, Baguio, Batangas, Boracay, Cabanatuan, Cavite, Davao, General Santos, MOA, Palawan
and Tarlac.

Recently, Microtel reaped three (3) Certificates of Excellence for Baguio, Boracay and Puerto Princesa. These three (3) hotels were rated as among the most consistently praised hotels in the world by delighted guests. The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide.

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools.

2 Tips for Choosing the Right Venue for your Business Event | Event Management Lecture Series

2013-04-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

The debate over event organizers on what is the right venue for a conference or exhibition is a very important issue.

Choosing the right venue for your business event spells the difference between success and failure. Success here means generating the right impression for the attendees and clients. Success can also mean profitability because the event organizer chooses the right venue.

On the other hand, choosing the wrong venue can spell failure that can sometimes make or break the event organizer.

So here are my humble recommendations as an 11 year old business event organizer.

1. Choose Hotels for your Conferences

The attendees would love to be in hotels. The learning ambiance is great. As an event organizer, I love to hold conferences in hotels because hotels charge the food of the delegates and not the venue.

However, be mindful of the minimum guaranteed requirement of people imposed by hotels because this is where your project bottom line might turn red.

For example, I have one event organizer who agreed to the hotel’s minimum guaranteed requirement of 500 people at P2, 500.00 foods per delegate. Sadly, only 300 delegates turned-out during the actual day of the event.

The event organizer incurred the lost. So, again be conservative when committing to the hotels when it comes to minimum guaranteed delegates.

2. Choose Convention Centres for your Exhibition and Congress

If you have trade shows or expos then Convention or Exhibition centers are the best venue for you.

The ease of access of the exhibitors and visitors in convention and exhibition centers make it ideal to conduct B2B and B2C transactions. Besides this, the loading capacity of the venue just in case heavy machines will be displayed is never a problem.

However, the charging of the venue usually is per square meter or per square feet. Also, you pay for the ingress and egress, unlike in hotels where ingress and egress is waived.

3. CLRS

Each of the letters in CLRS is important and demands your laser like focus. I grouped them into an acronym that sounds like CLEARS. Why? Because if you focus and take each letters into consideration then your business event is a clear winner (pun intended)! So here it goes:

C is for Client or Delegates. What does your client needs and wants? If you can capture it then the event is already 50% successful. I have an event that was held in Ortigas. It was successful but in the event survey a lot of delegates are requesting that the event be held in Makati in its next run.

If we only knew this data in advance, we could have maximized to the fullest the event’s success.

L is for Location. Is it accessible? Are public transportations readily available? Is the location strategic because of the presence of other important establishments? Are peripheral promotions possible?

I always attend this conference in June. However, during this month typhoons always struck the country. Flooding usually happens nearby the conference venue. Even if the content of the conference is great, images of floods and difficulty in going home are associated to the conference. Thank God the organizer of the conference decided to shift to a better venue that started last year.

R is for Reputation. The venue is run by a team. Is the venue team experts? Can this venue team help you on different event situations that may arise?

In one hotel where we staged our event, we normally depend on the staff of the venue. The staffs in this venue are very dependable. In fact, the staff efficiency contributed in our event’s success. In another venue where we held our event, the staffs are lacking in numbers and are not well trained because of this situation we encountered a lot of difficulties. Not only that, we got customer complaints due to the ill equipped staffs that we worked with in the venue.

S is for Safety and Security. Is the venue you selected gives you peace of mind on the safety and security of the attendees, delegates or visitors?

Although I have no recollection of venues that we used that posed risks to delegates or visitors, for me this is the most critical of all.

Before we think about achieving the vision or the profit of the event we always have to take special considerations on the safety and security of the visitors and delegates.

Accident is the best way to damage your company’s reputation. Most especially if the accident is the result of irresponsible event manager or event organizer.

There you have it. I hope that when you are assigned to be the event organizer or event manager of your corporate event you will remember my tips.

Top 3 Things to Expect in Telemarketers Summit

2013-04-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

Two weeks left before the first Telemarketers Summit takes place. I am excited to listen to the speakers and learn from them on this basic but very critical aspect of a sales and marketing company – telemarketing.

If you still are having second thoughts on attending this conference here are the top three things that you should expect in the Telemarketers Summit:

1. Great Speakers

The speakers are experts of the industry and they are engaging speakers. Therefore expect a very edutaining experience (educational and entertaining). They say that education is best acquired if you are enjoying it. All the speakers are ready to rock your brains and give you a shot of energy on the topics assigned to them.

2. Great Networking

The attendees’ demographics are coming from Sales, Marketing, and HR departments. These varied demographics will allow you to have great opportunity to expand your network in these areas. Who knows you might get the right business partners in your on-going projects.

3. Great Service

Exlinkers pride themselves for providing great service in all the projects it handled. Attending this conference is such a breeze. All you need to do is be there. If you fear getting lost or confused on the actual event that fear is just an illusion. The staffs are trained to answer all your questions and provide all the things that you may need in the conference.

Of course, there are other aspects that Telemarketers Summit that you will greatly enjoy and benefit from but for now these top three will do.

If you notice these top three all begins with the word “Great”, so the time for indecision is over because definitely attending this will be one of the great learning events you will be attending this year.

By the way, the slots are very limited due to the venue. Right now it is about to be filled. The best advice we can give is call now at tel.no. 643.3887.

Locked-in | Events Management Philippines

2013-04-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

After working for months in completing all the elements of your event and striving to make it profitable, the day of reckoning comes.

Right now, we have a conference event: the first Telemarketers Summit that is due to take place two weeks from now. The once peaceful office is again turning to be chaos spelled in big C. Some of the leaders of the team are starting to show lines on their forehead, evidence that the stress is slowly building-up on their emotional make-up.

The plans we written are now under review and meetings are taking place more often than necessary. This indicates that if you want to strive near perfection you cannot leave any stones left unturned. Yes, you cannot leave the event to luck or chance. You have to be, using the word of the great Andew Grove of Intel, “PARANOID” in a positive way because as he firmly believes only the paranoid survives.

The audit of the checklist is becoming a norm rather than a theoretical proposition of insurance of the event. Piece by piece every critical areas of the event are discussed and placed into the magnifying lense. Indeed, God is in the details but Murphy’s Law has its way of making Comedy out of the serious stuff we are doing.

Two weeks before the event, you see all of the plans that used to be ideas taking its physical forms. The I.D. are there, the photo plates of the speakers, the tokens, the car that will fetch the foreign speakers, the hotel rooms, the sounds system, the stage designs and ad infinitum.

This time around it is not about the question if you know about what you are doing; this time around it is a question of finishing the tasks on time and with quality.

In events, you can never be sure where the glitch will take place or come from.

Events are comprised of people; people who you pray act and perform like machines. The truth however they are people and are not machines. In this reality, you can either get the best or the worst out of them.

But in this particular element, an event becomes exciting. You are up on your toes because you expect that the event will give you an emotional rollercoaster ride; an influx of emotions awaits you. The challenge is not to run away from these situations but to manage it.

I always admire the swans in the pond. They glide effortlessly like prima ballerinas. However, beneath the water are feet that hustle - the best picture of grace under pressure.

The colourful kaleidoscope of moments I described means we are now locked-in, game face on to make another event successful in the eyes of the delegates and partners.

Corregidor - A Historical MICE Destination Near the Metro

2013-04-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

Corregidor Island is just one hour and fifteen minutes trip away from Metro Manila Manila using Sun Cruises. It’s nearness to Metro Manila is a huge advantage for Corporate Events, Team Buildings and Specialized Conferences.

Corregidor often called the Rock is rich in history as it was used during Spanish, American and Japanese times as a strategic location for trade and military purposes.

In fact, during the American Era in the country Corregidor was turned into a battleship that can defeat naval fleets bent on entering Manila Bay.

As a MICE Destination Corregidor offers to all the participants focus on the corporate event they are taking part in. It also serves as an incentive travel because of the historical landmarks, forest, and other outdoor activities one can choose to indulge in.

Corregidor’s unique charm refreshes the mind and attaches the soul to important events that make Philippines a proud and brave country. This is the X factor of Corregidor. The small island is an open book that educates any visitor about the history of our country.

Among the highlights of Corregidor as an incentive travel is the experience in the Malinta Tunnel, riding the Tramvia – an American transportation used in the island, visiting the ruins of different barracks, different canons and batteries, the Museum, the Eternal Flame landmark, Japanese Memorial Garden, Japanese Tunnels and a lot more.

Nature also provided the following to Corregidor: great view of sunset and sunrise, great trekking areas, nice running and biking roads, bird watching and the sea shore.

In the afternoon, some fishermen from Cavite and Bataan visit the place to sell their fresh catch. This is one of the idyllic scenes that will make a peaceful indelible mark in your mind.

The Corregidor Hotel, the only hotel in the island boasts 31 rooms. The food is good but if you are feeling the hotel food fatigue you can visit stores below the hotel and they also cook food for you.

In addition, the hotel boasts Spanish and American ambience. It is like riding a time machine. I like my room here. It is a room with a view of the dock and the sea. It is refreshing to wake-up seeing these images when you look at your window.

Again, I highly recommend Corregidor for team buildings (by the way they have packages for this type of activities), strategic planning, sales incentive program, stay-in seminars.

Better yet, you can shoot me a message and let me help you make Corregidor work for your MICE activities.

Telemarketers Event Profile | Conference Philippines

2013-03-21T00:58:00.002-07:00

Telemarketing is a marketing communications tool that is still widely used. Majority of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and large corporations use it to create sales – in fact majority of them still consider it effective.

Why is telemarketing, despite the technological advances, an effective tool? One main reason is that telemarketing can engage. Telemarketing is a form of engagement using voice-to-voice communication.

Therefore, telemarketing is one of the purest forms of conversation with your target market. It is with this exciting realization that the first TELEMARKETING SUMMIT is born.

Key Learning Objectives

1. Know the current best practices in Telemarketing;

2. Learn deeper understanding on Gate Keepers;

3. Learn to manage and control your voice to connect to your clients;

4. Learn and expand your knowledge in measuring your team's telemarketing efforts;

5. Learn and understand the deeper meaning of Telemarketing as a profession and function.

Who Must Attend

Marketing Manager, Sales Manager, Sales and Marketing Staff, Owners, Entrepreneurs, Credit and Collection Officers and Staff, Customer Relations Manager/Officer, Frontline Managers/Officers, CEOs, Academes, Call Center Managers, Association Admins, Executive Secretary

Who Must Sponsor | Partner

I.T. Companies, Telecommunications Companies, Banks, Insurance, CRM Companies, CRM Solutions, Marketing Automation Software, Apps Developer, Data Mining, Business Intelligence, Office Furniture and Supplies

Event Programme

7:00am - 8:00am Registration

8:00am - 9:00am AM Snacks

8:45am - 8:50am Doxology

8:50am - 8:55am National Anthem

8:55am - 9:00am Opening Number

9:00am - 9:05am Welcome Remarks

9:05am - 10:00am Keynote Speaker

10:00am - 11:00am Telemarketing: Secret Tool to Integrated Marketing

Communications Effectivity

11:00am - 12:00nn Lunch

1:00pm - 1:30pm Quicknet

1:30pm - 2:30pm Telemarketing Technology within Your Reach

2:30pm - 3:30pm Bulls Eye! - Merasuring Your Telemarketing Performance

Efforts the Right Way

3:30pm - 4:30pm Coaching a High Peformance Telemarketing Team

4:30pm - 5:30pm The Heart and Mind of Telemarketing

5:30pm Session Ends

*speakers and topics are subject to change with prior notice

Learning Investment

The First Telemarketers Summit

May 3, 2013, Crowne Plaza, Ortigas Center

EARLY BIRD RATE P3,977 + VAT

When paid before January 31, 2013

REGULAR RATE P4,977 + VAT

February 1 - April 4, 2013

WALK IN RATE P 6,977 + VAT

GROUP RATE Save P500.00

Learning Investment Inclusions

AM and PM Snacks
Lunch
Certificate of Participation
ID's
Speaker Materials will be emailed in PDF Form 5 days after the event

Call 643-3887 | 234.1341 for your participation and sponsorship inquiries.

More Intelligence, Less Emotion | Event Management Philippines

2013-03-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

Creating an event is easy, making it successful is difficult.

A lot of people, most especially those who are outside of the event creation process think that events are easy to create. In a way, this is true if you are inside the industry because you are passionate about it. The passion enables you to ignore the hard work in creating the event.

Let us take one of the process essential in creating an event – the brainstorming process or idea creation. This process is tough. One, if you have five people with different ideas and the goal is to crystallize one universal idea that everybody can agree on the brainstorming process might take time. Worst, it may also take a toll on the emotions of five people not accustom to giving way to others ideas.

But I will stand with my first statement: creating an event is easy.

The reason for this is that the event was created in the mental creation process. The real challenge is the physical creation of the event. The IMPLEMENTATION STAGE- the true test if the idea is correct or achieves the objectives set why it was created.

In the implementation side, say for example you created a conference. Everybody agree that it is a great idea but during the selling for sponsorship and generation of delegates you found out that the response of the target audience is lukewarm what do you do?

Most people will melt because of the pressure of making the conference break for profit. This is where the danger lies.

PRESSURE IS GOOD so long it sparks your INTELLIGENCE. It is bad if it makes you EMOTIONAL.

Let me expound on one dictum I live by as an events manager and that I always advice my peers: MORE INTELLIGENCE, LESS EMOTION = BETTER DECISION. Less Intelligence, more emotion = poor decision.

Going back to making the conference that I cited as an example, the key is to innovate or create pricing strategies, negotiate with hotels on the minimum guarantee, even tinker on adjusting the dates just to give it a chance to be successful.

These are basic solutions. There are still other solutions that one can think of if he wills it to think other alternatives in making the event successful.

These solutions are made possible because we opted to the right and better path that is to use more INTELLIGENCE.

They say one of the hardest acts to do is to THINK. This is the reason why a lot of companies hire consultants or experts in a particular critical management area; these hired experts do the thinking for them.

But everybody can maximize their brain. This is why there is a subject matter called emotional quotient where you are made to understand to control that emotion for overtaking yourself.

However, that is another matter up for discussion. The main point is using more your INTELLIGENCE to harness its power and make your event a success.

My #micecon2013 Experience

2013-03-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

I think sometimes words are not enough to express your experience in an event you are in. This time around I am convinced about this belief. So here I am selecting some of the photos I have in my #micecon2013 experience.

COLOR ME BADD. #micecon2013 delegates are welcomed by these colorful and smiling greeters. I cannot help but take photos with them. A nice welcome means greater things to come.

Dick Tracy meets Gokou. I remember the child in me. The years when cartoons are my world. Seeing these people are like being in my Saturday Fun Machine world. This is a trip down memory lane.

Beauty and the Beat. The Ms. Davao winners are not only beautiful physically, they are beautiful in character. This shot was made possible by another pageant winner acting as the photographer. Let me say this, the beauty of Pinays shine in Davao.

SMILING COOKS AND WAITERS. I always give credit to where the credit is due. This time around the hard working waiters, chefs and other people that you may not notice in the event but they are the people that are in the background like shadows doing wonders to make delegates like me feel SPECIAL.

A SPLASH OF COLORS. This is one of my favorite pictures in my #micecon2013 experience it captures the essence of the event. You see before the event I am like color white - so bland. During and after #micecon2013 I am full of colors - like a butterfly finally stretching my wings.

COME CLOWN WITH ME. #micecon2013 is a success. One Big reason is that #davao is prepared. The software and hardware of Davao are ready and willing to be the MICE center of Mindanao. So with this clown, we both are expressing our amazement. Truly, Life is Here in Davao!

#micecon 2013 is a resounding success

2013-03-11T05:05:00.001-07:00

MICECON 2013 meets and exceeds the expectations of delegates. The MICECON 2013 held last March 6-9,2013 at SMX Lanang, Davao City showed the readiness of the province and Mindanao to host an important event in the tourism and MICE industry.

The development of Davao’s hotels, venues, and its strong safety and security management are keys in making its bid to be one of the country’s MICE hub. Add the strong people skills and innate hospitality of Davaoenos MICECON 2013 will be one of the benchmarks in future MICECON’s.

No less than, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is the keynote speaker of the conference. It is the first time that the President of the Philippines addressed the delegates of MICECON. This signals how important tourism is as one of the key drivers in our economy.

The president signed the Republic Act 10376 as part of the opening rites. RA 10376 grants tax exemptions to international carriers if their countries do the same for those of the Philippines. This new law is expected to significantly increase the number of planes of international airlines that bring tourists to the Philippines and enable the country’s tourism industry to hit its target of 10 million foreign visitor arrivals by 2016.

One of the favourite speakers that inspired the delegates is Matec Villanueva, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Manila. She wowed the crowd by giving insights that connect to the heart of the audience. One of her famous teaching in the event is “Your Brand Ambition must be directly proportional to your budget”.

Another speaker that energized the crowd is Cheryl Cecchetto, Founder and President, Sequoia Productions, USA. Her storytelling and nuggets of wisdom are like magnets that drew the crowd to her.

Two of her famous tips are: Use Humour as a Trick and Realize the Power of Dream.

Other speakers also delivered what was expected of them. So much information and take home actionable knowledge were shared by the speakers.

MICECON is the biggest gathering of local and foreign delegates, including top executives and representatives of resorts, hotels, travel and tour companies, airlines, professional congress organizers, the academe, local and national tourism government offices, and many related MICE industry suppliers.

The delegates were treated by sumptuous meal from sponsoring hotels like Waterfront Hotel, Marco Polo Hotel, Royal Mandaya Hotel, Apo Hotel and Inland Rose Hotel.

Besides this, during the MICE Marketplace, there was a noticeable increase of buyers and sellers that participated in the event.

Next year’s MICECON will be held in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.

5 Things to Look Forward in #micecon2013

2013-03-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

Two days to go before Davao becomes the hub where tourism industry players all over the country gather.

I am talking about the upcoming MICECON 2013, March 6-9, 2013, SMX Lanang, Davao City – the third year this event will be held. So far, this is one of the most important events in the tourism industry, in particular to the MICE Industry.

Even if MICE is a commonplace word all over Asia Pacific, in the country only few people know and understand what MICE is all about.

For newbies, here are 5 things that you can look forward to in MICECON 2013:

1. Pre-Conference Activities

This one is a must attend for newbies. This year they are calling the Pre-Conference Activities the Davao Adventure Challenge - it is an activity where intellectual and physical capabilities are a must. Best of all, you learn tourism spots in Davao while playing the game.

2. The Daily Dress Motif

One thing you will be amazed in this event is the daily dress motif that delegates have to wear. This makes the event colourful, and why not this is a tourism event where glitz and glamour is the order of the day.

This MICECON 2013 the following thematic dress are required: 1^st day: Galactic Explosion (Silver, Gold, Bronze fabric), 2^nd day: Convergence (Mosaic or splash of colors), and 3^rd day: Breaking Borders (All White Business Attire).

3. Hotel Tours and Food

Every lunch and special activities are being sponsored by hotels. Delegates get to enjoy the silent competition among sponsoring hotels as they strive to show their best foot forward in courting the MICE players. And yes, delegates are brought to the hotels sponsoring the meals.

4. The Conference Speakers

All speakers are experts and practitioners. The insights you can generate can propel you to start your own ideation on what action to take as a MICE player. Expect a lot of Wow and Aha moments while listening to these speakers.

Every MICECON, this is the best thing that I enjoy as a MICE Delegate. I am very sure you will too.

5. New Friends and Business Partners

All delegates are MICE and Tourism players - I am very sure you will find a lot of companies and individuals that will complement your existing business.

This is why you should be in the event. This is the reason why MICECON or other conferences are important. The face-to-face contact enables you to establish relationships. As M.R. Covey espoused, “you can have business in the speed of trust”.

MICECON is one of those events that act as a conduit to allow you to have synergy with other MICE and tourism players.

Lastly, if you see me there or any Exlinkers taking part in the event, you may approach me or us. We love to explore possibilities. Onwards MICE Philippines!

Exlinkevents sends delegation to #micecon2013 |#eventmanagementphilippines

2013-03-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

Exlinkevents, an accredited Department of Tourism professional congress organizer and Tourism Congress member, will send delegation to the upcoming #miceon 2013.

MICECON 2013 is one of the grandest and important events for the tourism industry in the Philippines. It is a learning event where MICE players gather to discover the latest trends and technologies in the industry.

This year MICECON 2013 will be held this March 6-9,2013 at SMX Lanang, Davao City. The establishment of SMX in Davao gave the city the necessary venue to stage bigger MICE events.

MICECON 2013 highlights the learning session where the following critical areas of MICE will be discussed. The critical success areas are: Tourism and Global Business, Meetings, Association Management, Incentive Travel and Motivation, Leadership and Innovation, Venue Management, Technology, Branding and Crisis Management and Events Planning.

Industry experts from different parts of the world were invited to share their expertise in these learning sessions (I can’t wait to engage the minds of these speakers).

Exlinkevents is a twelve year old MICE company in the Philippines. It has organized and managed numerous exhibitions, conventions, trade missions, seminars, teambuilding and corporate events.

This year Exlinkevents will stage the following events:

· Telemarketers Summit, May 3, 2013, Crowne Plaza Hotel – a conference that aims to showcase new telemarketing technology and develop the telemarketing skills of the sales and marketing team of organizations.

· Data Conference, July 2013, Crowne Plaza Hotel – a conference on helping the organizations make deeper understanding and correct decision in using their Big Data.

· International Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo (IBHWEX) – a Beauty, Health and Wellness Exhibition, September 26-28, 2013 SMX Convention Center. International companies are expected to join the event and 10,000 buyers and visitors are projected to be in the event.

· 2^nd Loyalty Conference, Intercontinental Hotel, October 25, 2013 – this successful and well attended conference about loyalty and rewards program last year will again bring more insights on how to maximize loyalty and rewards program to further gain customer love.

· 10^th MegaBalikbayanOFW Expo, December 10-11, 2013, SMX Convention Center – this advocacy business expo for OFWs, Balikbayans and upcoming entrepreneurs has seen a tremendous increased in exhibitors and visitors. Its movement from Megatrade to SMX is an indication of its growing importance in the OFW and Balikbayan segment of the country.

· 5^th Outstanding Balikbayan and OFW Reputation Award, December 10, 2013, SMX Convention Center – this annual award recognizes model OFW and Balikbayan in the following categories: Work Ethic, Good Deed, Entrepreneurship, Family Builder, Community Builder, and OFW Blogger Advocate.

· OFW Business Summit, December 10-11, 2013, SMX Convention Center – this free learning event, for OFWs and Balikbayans and their families, inform and educate on starting and growing a business and financial investments available in the market.

Besides this, Exlinkevents will handle association events of National Real Estate Association of the Philippines (NREA) and Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) to name some, and corporate events.

For partnerships to Exlinkevents you may call tel.no. 643-3887.

The 4 D’s of #EventManagement

2013-02-27T18:38:00.001-08:00

It is hard to be an event organizer or to be an event manager. The number of details you have to remember, the many suppliers you have to coordinate, the layers of departments and staff you have to command, and many more are like rocks that you carry on your shoulder while walking in a very slim patch of road on the side of a cliff – one wrong move your dead.

Therefore, event managers and event organizers have to be reminded of the following to survive and thrive in this very fluid and competitive industry.

1. Dedication

You have to be dedicated to the craft. I saw a lot of talents fell in the wayside of this industry. They got talent but they lack dedication. This spell doom for their career.

Dedication is also called commitment. If you are committed to something there is no way that you will not triumph. All the time, I will go for people that are committed versus talented people.

Committed people deliver results.

2. Discipline

If you do not have discipline in this industry then you are dead. Discipline allows you to be consistent. A committed person without discipline is nothing. Discipline allows you to perform the tasks in order. Discipline allows you to have the strength to follow rules. On the other hand, if you are an event manager or event organizer, creating a disciplined staff is critical to success.

Often times, things become more chaotic because of lack of discipline.I usually visualize the movie “300” - disciplined Spartan warriors were able to hold and defeat, for a period of time, the invading Persians. Their secret is their discipline.

3. Determination

Determination is the firmness of character. A determined event manager or event organizer is unstoppable. In the midst of the many failures and risks an event or expo has, a determined event manager can overcome all of these.

In fact, risks and failures are breakfast of a determined event manager.

There are a lot of Philippines cases and stories about event manager and event organizer that are determined to win versus a very big challenge. Guess what, the won.

The event manager’s secret? Their determination.

4. Desire

Every event managers and event organizers have mark of wounds that they display as a badge of honour. In this industry filled with unpredictable events, to fail is part of the job. But to bounce back and get better is the exciting part.

What makes every event manager and event organizer stay in this industry? If this industry is full of difficult situations why stay? Why not get a new career?

The answer lies in the word desire. Desire is the fire in the belly. It makes you wake-up and embrace the morning, go to work and perform your function.

Event managers and event organizers with strong desire to their work and events industry are people that have found their passion.

Desire is the strongest among the four D’s listed here. One reason is that is the very deep in the emotional realm.

Event Management and Expo Management are not for the weak of hearts. Event Managers and Event Organizer that have these 4D’s will outperform and outlast the competition – guaranteed!

The 3 E’s of Business #Event Management

2013-02-25T01:39:00.001-08:00

In creating an event it is very critical to go back to the basics. The basics will keep you steady as the event develops and bloom into one of THE EVENTS (if you get my drift).

Here are the three E’s of Event Management. If you keep these in mind definitely you will always create a better if not a great event for your target audience.

1. Experience

What experience will your event provide to the audience or event visitors? This is important because your event will be judged a success or a failure on this metric alone.

If your event is a conference, your event should provide a stimulating learning experience. If your event is an expo, your event should provide a business ambience to foster trade and business matching. If your event is a brand event, your event must provide a clear message of what the brand is all about.

We can talk about Experience endlessly and we must because this is very important. If you ignore this basic E, then brace yourself to suffer the consequence.

2. Entertainment

All events must entertain. Yes you hear me loud and clear. Even the conference and convention must have an entertainment value. You have heard about the conference fatigue, this is very true. The mind can only absorb information for thirty minutes after that it flies elsewhere.

In exhibition, trade buyers can only stay as much in the trade floor but if there are entertainments sprinkled around the show floor, the buyers will remain in the show floor. If you have observed, the most visited exhibit booths are those booths that provide entertainment to the trade buyers.

More so, in corporate events, I do not need to elaborate the importance of entertainment in this type of events. I just want to point one thing, if you want to create lasting relationships – ENTERTAIN!

3. Enterprise

An event is a marketing tool with costs. Therefore, we must always be reminded that the costs must have a return on investment. This is what I mean about enterprise. If all event managers will take this to heart they will be conscious about the costs and adamant that the event objectives must be met at all costs (pun intended).

Event is a great business tool. Even if there is a widespread inclination to go online, hey we are humans, our nature is to socialize face-to-face. We can never run away with this nature.

To end this, let me say go back to the basics of creating an event and do not forget the three E’s because this will guide you on how to shape successfully your events.

For events managers and exhibition organizers reading this piece, it is just a review. One thing that betrays us professional event organizers and managers is our too much familiarity on the basics.

They call that familiarity a blind spot. A blind spot that deprives us of, guess what, checking the basics.

#event management book hot off the press

2013-02-21T04:38:00.000-08:00

I am excited about a book that was two years in the making. It is a book that will hit all the universities in the country. It is a book that is simple but not simplistic. It is a book that will make events planning easier for the uninitiated. It will also be a book that will act as a review for veteran events manager and events organizer.

The book was born out of a discussion to offer resource materials for people and students who find it difficult to have one in our bookstores that are made by Filipinos.

I know the feeling of looking for a book with local authors in a particular subject matter. I scour heaven and earth during those moments to find one but, alas, my effort is like a journey taken by the early merchants in finding the promise land – it is like a quixotic journey.

So I also know the joy or hubris, if you may allow my indulgence, in finding a book that you are looking for. It is like winning lotto! The feeling is so great that you can hardly breathe because of extreme happiness.

The book I am talking about is for M.I.C.E. organizers and planners – a very select group who took upon their shoulders to slug it out with other countries in this very competitive industry. I remember Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Department of Tourism, saying that “our advantage in MICE is not on the physical structures but the excellent service our people provide”. I strongly agree.

Although I am hoping that our excellent service or people can be combined with excellent physical structures so that we can generate a compelling result in the MICE Industry. I want our country to produce a MICE result that will not only put a dent in the world but will cut a large chunk of the cake of this multibillion industry.

I want to be a proud MICE player (do not be mistaken, I am a proud Filipino MICE Player) with a country that has world class MICE products and services. I know that we will be there. Hopefully, I am still part of this industry when we reach that stature.

Anyways, I am getting ahead of myself. Going back the book, it is not only for upcoming MICE players but also for upcoming event managers, event organizer, exhibition managers, exhibition organizers, conference managers and conference organizers.

This is the book that is just a start of the many local books that will be produced on the MICE and Event Management Industry by PRACTITIONERS (this is the key selling point of this book!).

The book is entitled “ The Events Planning Manual” an apt title, produced by the Philippine Association of Convention and Exhibition Suppliers and Organizers (PACEOS) which I am part and a current board of director.

If you want to have a copy, you may contact me. You will only need to invest P295.00 for this easy to read and actionable book. A real bargain this I promise!

8 Timeless Event Management Attributes Event Managers Must Have

2013-02-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

Event Technology will change and improve but there are timeless and unchangeable things in event management that all event managers and event organizers should keep into heart. These timeless gems are:

1. Passion

It is hard to be an event manager, for that matter run an event management company. I should know it. We have been running a twelve year old company. If you do not have a big PASSION for this industry you will not stay long and your company will not stay long. Passion is what will keep you going. Any big problem is nothing because you have the resistance to overcome it because you have a big fire in your heart that is called Passion.

2. Competence

If you do not have competence in this field your clients and potential clients will desert you. Competence is what makes other people calling your phone, asking you to work with them. Competence is what keeps the word of mouth marketing machine from spreading your company from potential clients.

3. Creativity

The event management industry, the exhibition industry and convention industry is all about creativity. Creativity in content, execution, in generating buyers and other things that will make your event FRESH and act like a MAGNET for clients and potential clients. Your idea even if others argue that is similar to their ideas will always be DIFFERENT. You know why, it is because GOD IS IN THE DETAILS. The execution of the idea will always be different if placed to different hands.

4. Efficiency

You must be efficient. Event Managers and Event Organizers must be like a Swiss watch in terms of efficiency. Yes, there is no excuse. Clients expect us to be efficient. If you are forgetting we called ourselves event organizer and event manager, we have no choice therefore but to be organized and great in management – in other words efficient.

5. Resourcefulness

Even if we plan, Murphy’s Law will always catch up on us event organizers and event managers. The only way to counter this is to be resourceful. I have lots of stories about event organizers and event managers acting spontaneously because of the situation and their decisions proved brilliant in solving a problem. Example, in one of the event stories I am privileged to listened into, the dancers of the event failed to show up and there part in the program is about to start. The event organizer was able to gather available event staff and craft a simple dance number. The audience have no idea that people dancing in the stage are not the supposed dancers – the performance is clean and good and the event staff turned dancers generated a loud applause of appreciation.

6. Values

No matter how good the event manager or organizers if they do not have values that are worth emulating then the event management company or exhibition company they are running are useless. No doubt about it, an event management company that do not have values and built only to make money will be short lived. Values are like compass, it will serve as a direction to the leaders of the event management companies. Values serves as a unique selling point (USP), clients love event management companies that embody values they can identify with.

7. Relationships

In order to make a successful event management company or exhibition company, all members of the organization must value internal professional relationships and client relationships. Again, if we nurture staff and client relationships money will come. If we do not nurture staff and client relationships say goodbye to your event management company or exhibition company. The business of events is all about creating strong relationships with your people and clients.

8. Trust

In event management and exhibition management, competence builds trust. Trust is what we must aspire to generate from our clients. If clients trust us then it is easy doing business with them. Clients will allow us to create events for them if they know we can be trusted. Clients will join or sponsor our exhibition if they know we can be trusted in delivering the results we promised.

We can still add from these eight attributes but for me these are the bedrock where we all can strengthen our event management companies.

Exlinkevents CMO Bags Two Awards

2013-02-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

L-R: Alex Flores, PMA Past President, Michelle Ballesteros, CMO Exlinkevents, Gwen Albarracin, PMA 2012 President

Exlinkevents CMO bags two recognition awards in the recent Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) first monthly meetings held last January 30, 2012 at Tower Club, Paseo De Roxas, Makati City.

Michelle De Ocampo Ballesteros, Chief Marketing Officer, Exlinkevents was recognized for having PERFECT ATTENDANCE and PROFITABLE PROJECT. The Perfect Attendance Award is given to PMA members who have complete attendance in all PMA monthly meetings and activities. On the other hand, Profitable Project is given to members who have contributed net profits to the organization.

Last year, the Asiannovation Exhibition in Glorietta contributed a huge profit to PMA. Mitch Ballesteros and Exlinkevents helped PMA market and manage the particular project.

Exlinkevents under the leadership of Mitch Ballesteros is a consistent PMA member awardee and active in helping PMA forward its goals and objectives as an association.

Exlinkevents also helped in the marketing of Asiannovation Conference last year – an event that is very successful and one of the best conferences in the country.

Other awards given by PMA in the past years to Exlinkevents and Michelle Ballesteros are Haligi Awards, and Presidential Awards.

Michelle Ballesteros is active contributor in PMA’s Monthly General Meetings, Agora Awards, National Marketing Conference and other related activities. She was also a past board of directors of the association.

The Philippine Marketing Association is one of the oldest associations in the country. It is the leading marketing association in the country and contributed so much in the development and progress of the marketing industry.

On the other hand, Exlinkevents is one of the leading professional exhibition and congress organizer in the country (PEO and PCO). It organizes and manages an average of 20 to 30 events a year. Among the bigger exhibition events it organizes are MegaBalikbayan OFW Expo - now on its 10^th year, and International Beauty, Health and Wellness Expo (IBHWEX). As for conferences, last year it staged the first Loyalty and Rewards Conference – a very successful conference for retailers, banks and finance companies.

This year Exlinkevents is staging another ground breaking conferences: the Telemarketers Summit and Data Conference. The Telemarketers Summit is the first conference that aims to improve and increase the productivity of telemarketers of the companies. Data Conference is a conference aim at providing companies the right tools on how to read data and help them in making correct decisions.

Exlinkevents is also an active member of the Tourism Congress, PACEOS, PMAP, MAP, ASAP and PCCI.

These affiliations allow Exlinkevents to be an effective event management company in the Philippines. The affiliations also allow Exlinkevents to partner with other event management companies in the country and, most especially, in international arena.

The Butterfly Effect - ASAP's Intellectual Property Rights Cover

2013-02-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

The ASAP Intellectual Property Right Presentation Cover

Last year, the event sector of the Advertising Suppliers Association of the Philippines agreed to implement this year 2013 the Intellectual Property Rights Cover Page.

This cover page is a milestone. This simple but meaningful cover page informs the clients that all materials presented by ASAP members are their properties and may not, except with our expressed written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other physical form or in other forms of electronic retrieval systems.

The Philippines Intellectual Property Code is one of the best laws in Asia. In fact, in one of the forums I have attended it was revealed that some countries use our law as benchmarks in crafting and improving their own Intellectual Property Code.

Since ASAP members are one of the best producers of creative concepts, its members are also the first to experience violation of their intellectual property rights.

In order to minimize and improve this situation, the Intellectual Property Rights Cover Page will be a standard staple in all presentations of ASAP members.

The Intellectual Property Rights Cover is hoped to act as one of the powerful means to educate and inform clients of the intellectual property rights of their partner suppliers. It is hoped that by including this cover page in presentations to all bidding materials of ASAP members violations committed by clients knowingly and unknowingly on this particular critical area will be lessened, or at best eliminated.

The Philippines is a nation of creative people. All over the world we are recognized and tapped for our creativity. This gift must be protected and respected; most especially, inside our country and in our industry.

There are two theories that come along with this action of ASAP in implementing the Intellectual Property Rights Cover Page. One is the “Broken Windows Theory” – this theory is popular in New York under Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

During Mayor Giuliani’s term they found out that by repairing and preventing people in the ghetto in breaking the glass of windows in their community, they were able to eliminate crimes in that particular area. In addition, when the safety and security condition of that particular ghetto (a place where the highest number of crimes was recorded) improved, the nearby areas safety and security condition also improved.

This leads me to my second theory the “Butterfly Effect” which means that a butterfly that flaps its wings can alter the direction of the wind and, even, cause a major storm in another part of the world.

The second theory is akin to a ripple effect. The ASAP Intellectual Property Rights Cover Page if whole heartedly practiced by the members can create a healthy condition for our concepts, ideas and other things related to the creative process; and be given importance and respected by our clients.

We can even be the best case study on how Intellectual Property Rights are valued, but this is getting ahead of myself and the challenges our sector and ASAP members face in realizing this critical goal.

Philippine Tourism Congress – The Tourism Industry is Exciting!

2013-02-04T05:54:00.001-08:00

FULL PACK - Tourism Congress Members and Stakeholders attend the event

Last January 31, 2013 the Philippine Tourism Congress was held gathering all members of the industry. This is the second time the tourism congress was held. Compared last year where it is beset by problems on how to maximize this tool, the Tourism Congress this year is full of positive reports.

In addition, the Tourism Congress is a forum where members, as far as Mindanao region, were able to voice their concerns.

The event’s theme “Philippine Tourism Towards Global Competitiveness and Sustainability” is very evident in the roster of speakers and the updates presented to the congress.

The Tourism Congress was attended by Hon. Ramon Jimenez, Sec. of the Department of Tourism, Under Secretary Daniel Corpuz, Tourism Planning and Promotions, Under Secretary Ma. Victoria Jasmin, Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation, Hon. Domingo Ramon Enerio III, COO, Tourism Promotions Board, Hon. Lorenzo Formoso, COO, Duty Free Philippines, Hon. Mark Lapid, COO, TIEZA.

All official gave positive reports that energize the congress. One of the positive news these officials shared is the breaching of 4 Million visitors that was achieved last year. Also, another thing to rejoice is the approved infrastructure projects that will definitely impact the progress of the industry.

I also wanted to give special mention to the emphasis place by Hon. Enerio about the emphasis on MICE Development and Promotion. However, I wish that besides promoting the country as a MICE destination, the government should have mentioned programs and incentives for MICE Players – I hope my ear is just weak but I did not hear anything on this aspect.

Important topics that were discussed in the event are: Philippine Tourism Towards Global Competitiveness by Mr. Grant Govertsen, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Union Gaming Research; Hospitality and Service Excellence for Global Competitiveness by Mr. Sean Mahoney, ADB Consultant on Skills Development Program for the Philippine Tourism Industry; Sustainable Tourism: Striking a Balance Between the Visitor – Experience, Natural Asset Protection and Direct Community Benefit.

The Davao delegation invitation for delegates to attend the MICECON 2013 is also a fresh sight in the event. The invitation is simple yet creative. Kudos, Davao and right now I know MICECON 2013 is successful because of the very hardworking and responsible Davao team.

The event is also allowed me to reconnect to old acquaintances and partners. Everybody is in a jovial mood. All the people I talked with are messengers of good news. No doubt, the Tourism Industry is on the upswing.

Right now, the country is the Darling of ASEAN. The economic indicators and the thumbs up we are receiving from financial analysts support this fact. But the challenge is to make this growth meaningful to our countrymen and sustainable – this is a challenge all players must join hands to realize.

However, for now what happened and what was accomplished will suffice.

Again, congratulations to a very meaningful tourism congress and let us all go back to buckle down to work.

We are Looking for Additional People in Our Jump shots

2013-01-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Work should be fun and challenging.

These two things give us the reason to go to work every day with passion and energy.

In Exlinkevents we strive to do that. We strive to make it FUN. This is the reason why we have two GREAT ORGANIZATIONAL OUTINGS A YEAR. Every place we go we strive to know it. We always believe that the people that go to a particular place are changed, and sometimes forever changed.

We also strive to make it CHALLENGING. Ask one of the Exlinkers and they will tell you the challenges they face in staging an event to make it successful. No doubt, for us the event is an ART.. It is like a blank canvass during the conceptualization stage and colors appear during the implementation stage – making it an ART, we are all proud of saying we have a small part in making it an ART.

So we now go to the most important reason we are discussing about the FUN and CHALLENGE, this year Exlinkevents further challenge its internal capacity by creating bigger events. When we say bigger we mean BIGGER! Now because of this we need additional people in sales and marketing.

In particular, we need people who have EXPERIENCE in sales and marketing. This is to shorten the learning curve of knowing the industry. This also speeds up the contribution of these lucky people to the vision that we set this year.

The vision is simple: Create Business Events that will make an Impact to the Learning and Economic Development of the Country.

The FUN and CHALLENGE is the gravy of what we do and who we are.

Who we are defines what we do. This is very important. Exlinkers work not only for personal economic reasons but for improving our society, our country. In what we do, we create progress.

You see, we do business events like tradeshows that facilitate business transactions. We also create and manage conventions that act as vehicle for knowledge transfer and dissemination.

Every time we do what we do best, in our hearts and mind we know that we are making a better society, a better country. This knowledge is enough for us to KEEP MOVING FORWARD AND FLYING HIGHER.

Now if you have the experience, send your resume to info@exlinkevents.com. If you do not have the experience but believes in our Vision we will give you a shot to be part of our family.

Yes, we need additional people to expand the panorama of the organization. Lastly, to make the group jump shots that we take yearly, in our out of town sorties, BETTER and BIGGER.

Using Telemarketing for Relationship Marketing

2013-01-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

The buzzword right now is Relationship Marketing. However, even in the past one way to gain clients and maintain customers is by strengthening the relationships between the seller and the buyer.

But the current tough business environment made relationship marketing even more meaningful and compelling. It is a must for all companies who wanted to survive the brutal competitive environment.

Relationship Marketing makes doing business easier. Relationship marketing uses the common sense that people will care for you if you show first that you care for them.

Relationship Marketing develops trust and with a trust transformed like a strong Narra Tree, there is no doubt that continuous business is ensured.

One way of developing a strong relationship with your clients is by using the phone. Yes, by maximizing the affordable tool that is telemarketing.

You can use telemarketing by:

1.Greeting Clients During their Birthdays

2. Greeting Clients A Good Day

3. Calling Clients Just To Know How They are Doing

These are simple things but are very important things for a human being (all your clients are human beings, if you are forgetting about this fact).

This fact gives telemarketing a new meaning. For majority, telemarketing is about pushing sales. Yes it is but it is not only that. We now can see that telemarketing is one of the best ways to do Relationship Marketing.

A Telemarketer Saves A Client’s Day

There is one story that I love about Telemarketing. It begins like this, a telemarketer called a client that has not yet done any business to his company. During this time the client is undergoing an emotional situation. The client had a very ugly fight with her husband.

At first, the client is very mad for the call she received with the telemarketer. Sensing that this is not the best time to sell, the telemarketer sincerely asks the client how she is feeling today. This question led the client to open up with the telemarketer.

The great thing with the telemarketer is the he is a good listener. He listened intently and emphatically to the client. The client feeling his sincerity opened up. The telemarketer did not advice anything, he just listens and, from time to time, answered and asked questions. The client became comfortable with the telemarketer because of this gesture.

After the emotional outpouring to the telemarketer the client felt good. Anyone who has made an emotional release will feel good. The client say thank you to the telemarketer for giving her time to listen to her. The telemarketer just says “no problem” he felt the need to do it and said goodbye.

After a week, the client called the telemarketer and did business with him. She gave the telemarketer a big sale. The telemarketer earned the Sales Achiever of the month in his company because of this account. End of story.

The lesson now is that Relationship takes time with the client. Telemarketing is a powerful tool, we just have to know how to use it most especially in our quest to do Relationship Marketing.

3 Rules in Telemarketing Conversation

2013-01-20T20:21:00.001-08:00

There are rules to make your job as telemarketers easier. Here are 3 Rules to remember to make it more fun and, yes, easier!

1. Know Who Your Calling

If you know who you are calling, like if he is a manager, you will understand that a telephone conversation with him/her must be precise and will not waste his time. In addition, if he allows an extended conversation you can dwell on his interests – people love talking about their interests. Allowing him to extend the conversation in his areas of interest allows you to establish an initial trust with the person.

2. Schedule the Call

People hate telemarketers that gate crash. Since we have emails and mobile phones, we can use this tool to schedule a telemarketing conversation that he will feel comfortable talking and answering you in the phone.

If telemarketers do this the term cold calling is gone since there is an initial awareness by the one receiving the call that the telemarketer will call and, best of all, he is expecting it.

3. Inform the client how long will the conversation last

Time is of the essence to everybody, most especially those that are holding supervisory and managerial positions. If you the telemarketer promised that the conversation will last for 5 minutes make sure it ends five minutes or else you lose your credibility. But if you feel that the client is willing to extend then ask permission, if he obliges then you have the opportunity to further convince him about what you are offering.

These simple rules are all about being prepared and being respectful. Simple it may seem but this helps the telemarketing profession a respected profession most especially in the Philippines.

Happy 5 Years Exlinkevents Anniversary Fox! | Exlinkevents People

2013-01-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

He is quiet. He just seat in his corner cubicle and opens his work computer. After this simple ritual, he clicks the adobe Photoshop icon and a new world is created, a new universe traversed.

He has been wielding his magic in Exlinkevents for five years by creating logos and other graphic design requirements of the organization and clients.

Yes, he is quiet like graphic artists are. But make no mistakes about him, his scarce shared observations and comments are deep and sometimes mental. It is a sort of out of this world experience that gives you a wide grin or sometimes asphyxiation for laughing too much.

He only talks a lot when he is drunk and it happens during company outings.

He is quiet but his silence is the calmness that allowed Exlinkevents to have wonderful logos and designs, for five years that has been the case and will continue to be a commonplace to this chaotic world that he seems not to mind.

So Fox I raise a toast to this long overdue piece.

Thank you very much Fox for spending your five years in Exlinkevents productively. We hope to have you for many more years to come.

And please remind me, we will have to change the red wine you are holding into Mardi Gras Vodka the only key to make you express your PURE LOVE ( if you know what I mean).

3 Reasons to have a Telemarketers Summit

2013-01-11T06:51:00.001-08:00

People are asking me if there is a need to have a Telemarketers Summit in this time and age of computer and automation. My answer is why not?

Why not do a Telemarketers Summit when one of the highest contributors to our economy is Telemarketing or known in another name as Outbound Call Center.

In our present landscape where 96% of the companies are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who do not have access to high end communication technology (not yet but I hope the time comes it will be affordable), telemarketing is used by these enterprises.

Ergo, the need for Telemarketers Summit – a learning event where SMEs and large companies can further hone the skills of their telemarketers.

I think these are the three compelling reasons why Telemarketers Summit must take place and grow:

1. An Effective B2B Tool

Telemarketing used correctly is an effective Business to Business tool. It allows the owner of a company to talk to the right people – the decision makers that can do business with his company.

2. An Effective Lead Generator

Telemarketers provided with the right database can create leads that can do business with the company telemarketers are serving or working with. The best examples here are hotels and banks where I received a lot of calls from telemarketers – I ended up giving business to the companies they represented.

3. An Effective Relationship Marketing Tool

Business is about relationships. Telemarketing is a conversation between seller and potential buyer. Telemarketing used by a competent telemarketer can establish relationships with customers. The best thing about it is that the relationship can last a longer period of time.

Now having revealed these reasons even I can’t help attending and listening to the speakers of the Telemarketers Summit.

I am so excited that I feel my heart is ringing.

MICECON 2013

2013-01-03T16:48:00.001-08:00

After the cobwebs of the old year have gone, it is time to get down to one of the first important events this year – MICECON 2013, SMX Convention Centre, Lanang, Davao City.

MICECON 2013 is an event where tourism industry players gather to discuss the newest trends. It is also an event where old relationships are strengthened and new partnerships formed.

Some of the topics are: Imagining the Future of Travel, The Future of Meetings Asia Pacific, Why Meetings Matter, Global Competitiveness and the Challenge of Philippine Tourism, Keeping Associations Healthy, Wealthy and Wise, Rise of Asian Brands, Brand Strategy on a Tight Budget.

There are other interesting topics on the event. However, what is great about MICECON 2013 are the speakers – majority are international speakers and respected on their fields of expertise.

I remember the first MICECON 2010 in Subic – it is magical, fun and full of learnings. I said to myself this event will pump-up the industry and it does! Right now, tourism industry is healthy and growing. In fact, it is one of the sunshine industry.

The Department of Tourism and its arm the Tourism Promotions Board is doing a superb job on this.

Besides the learning sessions, I can’t wait to see the entertainments and games prepared by the organizers – this gives the event an extra ooompphhh.

However, MICE as a tourism industry needs proper support and strategies - MICECON 2013 will drumbeat the need to take a closer look on this very important industry.

I can’t wait for MICECON 2013.