Event Management Philippines Blog

5 Things to Look Forward in #micecon2013

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!

Monday, March 04, 2013
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Exlinkevents sends delegation to #micecon2013 |#eventmanagementphilippines

business events Philippines

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.

Saturday, March 02, 2013
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The 4 D’s of Event Management | Event Management Philippines

event lessons

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!

Thursday, February 28, 2013
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The 3 E’s of Business Event Management | Event Management Philippines

event

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.

Monday, February 25, 2013
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#event management book hot off the press

event planning

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!

Thursday, February 21, 2013
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8 Timeless Event Management Attributes Event Managers Must Have

event lessons

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.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
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5 Things to Look Forward in #micecon2013

Exlinkevents sends delegation to #micecon2013 |#eventmanagementphilippines

The 4 D’s of Event Management | Event Management Philippines

The 3 E’s of Business Event Management | Event Management Philippines

#event management book hot off the press

8 Timeless Event Management Attributes Event Managers Must Have

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