So it ends.

An event that has taken our team, the EXLINK Team, six months to put into completion has ended.

I am speaking about FILNEGOSYO EXPO an event surrounded by other colorful events, the World Marketing Conference, Typhoon Frank, Sinking of the the Ship Princess of the Star, Another Oil Price hike, and Manny Pacquiao winning his 4th World Title.

There are other events that unfolded - noteworthy and worth remembering but that I reserve for another blog.

The duration of the event is not the end of the event. It is my opinion that end of the duration of the event is just a beginning.

Questions like did the visitors benefited from the event, are the exhibitors happy about the results of the event, what is the economic impact of the event. These questions are begging to be answered. In the coming weeks it will be answered by our research team.

While they are working on it, another FILNEGOSYO begins this October and before that other EXLINK involved events will unfold.

So we are ending to begin another story.

To all that visited the events and shared their time and expertise THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Our world is being challenge by 3 Fs. The rising cost of FUEL, the scarcity of FOOD and the spiraling value of our Financial Market.

Despite these 3 Fs we still have a hope and a chance to get our of this predicament. Easier said than done but I will still say it, we need to create business. We need to create opportunties. Most of all, we need to work together as a TEAM, a group of individuals who are working for the benefit of other people.

Let us all join hands and buckle down to work. Let's go TEAM PILIPINAS!

The internet is a great tool for our growing business. No doubt about it. No debate about it. But adding additional cost effective tool is not bad but a must.

Having said this, let me invite you to join the PACEOS Lifestyle Bazaar, July 18-20, 2008 at the World Trade Center.

Tradeshows are a great tool in getting targeted and interested clients.

For just P5,000 plus 12% vat, you are given an opportunity to promote your products and services for three days in the World Trade Center.

This is a great deal and a great promotion opportunity. So friends if you are interested please call 640-1280 or 643-3887 or give me a buzz here.

Lastly, PACEOS means Philippine Association of Convention, Exhibition, Organizers and Suppliers. Its the Philippines organization of tradeshows, exhibitions and convention as the name suggest. You may visit the website for more info.

If you want understand what the heck is FILNEGOSYO EXPO the June 26 - July 2, 2008 supplement of the FOREIGN POST explains and analyzes it in a light and easy manner.

The articles of the supplement will grab you in the hands and take you to a walk at the current events and the reason for being of the event.

You will be surprised, and I will let the cat out of the bag, that the event is not all about the MONEY! The event is all about conquering yourself, in the business side of it.

Nuff talk. Hope you will visit the event!

Attention grabbing products are a joy to the eyes and to the soul of the consumers.

Filipinos are the undeclared undisputed King of the videoke even if it originated in Japan. There is a new product on display at FILNEGOSYO EXPO. The product is a videoke cum MTV machine that allows the singer to be recorded inside a scenic background. Ala MTV talaga.So attractive is the product that it is one of the most visited booth in the event.

You should try it. The joy of crooning your fave song and watching yourself installed in a video a naturally high that NEXTSTAR product can give you.

Two thumbs up!

The Network of Entreprising Women (NEW) and Developing Resources for Entrepreneurial Advancement and Mobilization (DREAM) are two entrepreneurial groups to watch.

Yesterday their talks are well attended and full of wisdom and tips that if one will be disciplined to follow the goal to be successful is achievable.

Kudos to the two groups and the inspiring talks you gave. I am hoping, just like what Mr. Carl Balita states that he will be very happy if three among the listeners become a successful entrepreneurs.

FILNEGOSYO EXPO has two days left and there are still learning sessions that are capable of giving you the ooommmmppphhh to start your business or make your business successful NOW!

Seth Godin said that marketing begins before the product and service is made. If I may add, being a professional marketer is synonymous to being a rockstar.

Yesterday at FILNEGOSYO was a blast indeed, sans the body slams and other tribal antics, the talk of Mr. Alex Flores, Phil. Marketing Association President, Mr. George Macasero, Entrepreneurs Society of the Philippines President, and Tim Bennet, If Feel Good, Inc. President.

Attendees where treated to an explosion of knowledge and great public speaking. Sort of like being experiencing Nirvana when your listening to music.

Yup! The seminar area is more than filled to the rafters and the attendees, most especially the students is asking for more.

Indeed, the year ushers for a new breed of rockstars - the Marketing Rockstars!

Google is the king!

Even in FILNEGOSYO EXPO Google packed the seminar area and many were forced to listen standing and around the seminar area just to listen to Ms. Aileen Apollo, Google Country Representative.

This indicates that Google is a company Filipinos most especially the young ones hold dear to their hearts.

Ms. Apollo discussed the many features,tools and values Google provides to its millions of users.

Ms. Apollo is set to have a repeat performance this June 28, Saturday at FILNEGOSYO EXPO. For those who missed the first session you still have a chance to listen and throw your questions to Google.

Happy googling!

I am amazed or furious to some people who just utter BRANDING and do not do the necessary things to protect or enhance the BRAND.

A BRAND is not a logo displayed and promoted and left lifeless in the dark corners of our organization. A BRAND is a breathing specie. Alive and ready to engage anyone, most especially those from which it was created.

Most of all, if we are in the service industry a BRAND is an experience. A CUSTOMER SERVICE that strives to achieve happy and good memories to the heart of the customer.

Jomari Yllana, endorser and franchisee of RAPIDE led other SME entrepreneurs in opening the 6th FILNEGOSYO EXPO, June 20-29,2008.

FILNEGOSYO EXPO is the only tradeshow and exhibition in the country that is being held for 10 days. For details call 640-1280 or visit www.exlinkevents.com

Just want to buzz you guys that FILNEGOSYO EXPO is ongoing and interesting business opportunities are there to be seen and grabbed if... and a big IF you want to enter into a business.

Just in case you forget, FILNEGOSYO EXPO start this Friday, June 20. It is a ten day event of enriching your Entrepreneurial knowledge and giving you a line-up of business opportunities that you can easily start with.

Over 50 seminars will be discussed, six associations to listen to, and 200 exhibitors to watch-out for.

I hope to see you there!

June is not the same June last year.

Last year there are few events taking place in June but now...

A LOT OF EVENTS are taking place in the archipelago. Sort of an EVENT MONTH.

The once sleepy June is a month where a lot of conferences, tradeshows and exhibitions are taking place.

I love this feeling. I love the atmosphere. The sense of being in the zone.

Grabe ang sarap ng ganito. Tired and toxic but happy.

Hope events keep on pouring and, importantly, fire-up the economy of our nation.

Watch out!

Yes! This is how I feel during the general meeting yesterday, May 30 at PICC of the Philippine Association of Conventions,Exhibitions,Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS) which EXLINK is part of.

The speaker from PICC is a great speaker with a deep emotion and belief that our country can regain the lost honor that we have when we started the MICE industry in Asia-Pacific.

Yes, we are, as most other industries, the pioneer of exhibitions in Asia-Pacific and then because of politics has gone to the wayside.

But globalization forces us to team-up as a nation, as one strong team of Philippine MICE.

For those who would like to know more, the Philippine MICE Forum is on August 14-15,2008, at Sofitel. International speakers of the events and exhibitions industries will be there.

See you there!

I am posting the Young Entrepreneur Congress (YEC) Seminar Sked. The event will take place this coming June 23-26, 2008.

The event aims to serve the graduating marketing, business management and entrepreneurship students of different schools in the Metro.

However, during the past schools from the provinces was able to send their students in the event.

The event has four general topics: Leadership, Sales and Marketing, Technology for Business and Finance.

At first glance, these topics might be boring but wait! The speakers are great and the knowledge they will share are a product of their success stories using their tricks of the trade, taking this into account, what you will get from the event is PRICELESS for you as a budding entrepreneur.

Hey for those who are reading this blog, I will be around and just tell the secretariat that you have read this blog and I have instructed them to give something for you, a token of appreciation for giving your time and attention.

So see you there!

My hats off to the Salt and Light and Inspire Consultancy for creating an event such as the John Maxwell Conference this coming June 10 at Edsa Shangrila.

The last time I heard the main venue already is overflowing so they have to get a new room to accomodate those last minute participants. And I am talking about the Edsa Shang venue.

Anyway, what I like to give focus is the simultaneous livecast in other 9 different venues all over the Philippines of this great event.

The power of technology to give a particular event an effect as big as this magnitude is radically awesome.

So what's next for an event to accomplish is mind boggling.

Technology and the Filipino Creativity...endless possibilities.

The Philippine Marketing Association President Mr. Alex Flores will speak in the upcoming FIL-NEGOSYO Expo, June 20-29, 2008, Megatrade, SM Megamall.

He will talk on "Micro Business Best Practices to Ensure Your Way to the Top", June 28,2008.

Together with Mr. Flores are other top and successful resource speakers that will give FREE BUSINESS SEMINARS to the public on how to make their business successful.

For a complete line-up of the program, email: info_exlink@yahoo.com or call 643-3887.

I was in a meeting yesterday, we met with one of the pillars of the tradeshow and exhibition industry. We are negotiating for the booth price. The meeting was held in his office.

When the meeting started it was clear that the price will be the dealmaker.

As we gave our reasons why the price should be lowered, our counterpart did one of the best and smooth way to handle our request. He concentrated on the value of their services versus the competition. He enumerated the benefits that we will be getting out of tapping their services.

He compared his company and services to a Honda car while the nearest competitor that is bidding our account a Kia car. He explained it in a very smooth and convincing way.

In the end, he won our account.

Most of the times, as sales and marketing professional who are pressured to convince our clients, we are stalled when they focus on the price. We encounter difficulties in persuading them not to focus on the price per se but on the totality of our services.

But as to what I experienced yesterday, we must never give-up but persevere to explain and show the values of our services, the more when what we say is true.

Because an excellent service or product really has a higher price compared to a mediocre one, which in the end can give bigger benefits to our clients.

So next time, remember the Honda and Kia story of value and price.

Recently, I encountered a marketing student applying as an OJT in our company. She came from a pedigree school. I asked her if she knows anything about tradeshows and exhibition, she answered me with a question mark look. After that she said, ano po yun.It was not discussed in our class.

Most of the time, the same experience happens whenever I asked a marketing student or any student about tradeshows and exhibition. It seems events is a promotion tool left for marketing and business enthusiast to discover.

Sayang naman!

Tradeshows and exhibition offers the following benefits and advantages that a company can have:

1. Brand Recognition - no matter how small you are. Pwede kang mapansin sa tradeshows

2. Generate Quality Leads - tradeshows and exhibition speeds up the selling process by providing quality leads.

3. Thought Leadership - I remember Mr. Josiah Go's statement in one of his seminar which I attended, if you want to be considered an expert in your industry offer your services for free. In a tradeshow you can do that, speak in front of a group of visitors and watch most of them become an instant fan or follower, provided you have substance in you topics.

These are the major advantages and benefits of exhibition as promotion tool. If you want to make the most out of each event, consider measuring your participtation in these three salient points.

Hi to all good-looking people out there!

I would like to ask a favor. You see FIL-NEGOSYO EXPO's main highlight is a FREE CONFERENCE that presents different speakers in the Industry.

We have a New Media for Marketing Series and it's almost complete but one. We want to have a representative from Friendster Philippines to speak on Social Networking (my apologies to Multiply people).

So now, I am asking any kind hearted being reading this. Guys, may I have the Friendster Philippine address and contact numbers. Even their email address will do.

Thank you people! I promise to reserve the front row seats to you during the event.

Guys! This Saturday, February 23, 2008,8am -5pm . There is an event about Marketing Strategies in UP Diliman Bahay ng Alumni.

The speakers are great. One of them is Ms. Emily Abrera of McCann Ericson.

One of the organizers is Junior Marketing Association.

The good thing about this event is it will only cost you P850.00 per pax. By the way, there are four speakers. I suggest you don't miss this event.

Happy Marketing!

It is sad when your country is hit by a controversy that can stall its bright future. As to the controversy, I think it should be resolved and the guilty party punished.

But for the entrepreneurs and the organizations that run this country, I say we must buckle-up and move-on. We cannot be paralyzed by this turmoil. We cannot be discouraged. We have a bigger responsibility that is to ensure that our country reach its progressive destination.

We need leaders with conscience and integrity. We do not need leaders that we must moderate the greed.We need leaders that care and love this country by action. I believe these leaders can be found in the business industry and entrepreneurs who do business to service and bless others.

Onward and let's make this country ASIA and the rest of the world will look for and emulate very soon.

Time to buy discounted air fare ticket for your planned vacation sortee!

The Phil. Travel Tour Expo is on-going until tomorrow at SMX Mall of Asia. Travel Tour packages only available in this tradeshow are great buys!

So hurry and visit this great event!

February is about to end. How's your promotion strategies? I hope it is working or 90% of it is working. If not, then it's time for revisions. As you make your revisions, it is time to consider the budget allocation and the tools you are using. Stike-off those that are ineffective.

Still to early to revise? How about tweaking it a bit. As they say, a drop of pebble can cause a major wave. While you are tweaking consider the following tradeshows and exhibition schedules
that you might want to join. You should join! Try one of the events and if it produces the desired results then its time to make all systems go.

Here are the must join tradeshows and exhibitions:

a. FILNEGOSYO EXPO - June 20-29, 2008, Megatrade, SM Megamall
b. FILNEGOSYO EXPO - October 14-19, 2008, Megatrade, SM Megamall
c. Asian Business Expo - November 28-30, SMX, Mall of Asia
d. Megabalikbayan Expo - December 10-14, Megatrade, SM Megamall

Tradeshows are becoming a precious tool. Never forget to include it in your promotion plan.
For this year is the year of ENGAGEMENT. ENGAGE your clients and target market. Tradeshow is one ofthe best tool to help you realize this objective.

Last night, the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) held their induction of new officers at the Manila Polo Club.

The event featured Mr. Sammie Lim, President, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), as one of the keynote speakers.

His talk moved me as it ended by emphasizing that every business in the country must have a Philippine Agenda. An agenda that must be alongside the business objectives all businessmen wanted to achieve.

This statement coming from one of business icons in our country only meant that any business must contribute for the betterment of our society. As businessmen, we cannot neglect or turn our back to the pressing matter of pushing this country to a level of development where all of us Filipinos are living a life of comfort and respect - a life where our country will be worthy to be called first world.

Today's globalization forces us to deal and make business with other countries. Indeed, It is a small world now. It is only fitting that whenever we make business with other countries we must always keep on the top of our minds our PHILIPPINE AGENDA.

I hope we see each other soon where our Philippines is considered a first world country - that will be cloud 9!

This year big and small companies will be gunning to give the best brand experience and engagement to their consumers. Many marketing tools will be summoned to accomplish the mission of creating a lasting relationship with their target market.

Having said this, tradeshows and exhibitions will play a major role in achieving these bonding target with the consumers.

Therefore, it is better to prepare now your tradeshow and exhibition requirements and objectives. For being early and prepared is half the battle won.

We at EXLINK Corp. have four major events in store for you this year, We have FILNEGOSYO EXPO June, FILNEGOSYO October, MEGA BALIKBAYAN AND CHRISTMAS EXPO December,all in SM Megamall, and lastly, ASIAN BUSINESS EXPO November, an International event to be held at SMX Mall of Asia.

These events are all business events. If you are an SME or a business start-up be sure to join or visit these events. It is a must if you are passionate in growing your business.

But of course, the best seat are reserved for those who will join the events. Visiting gives you the feel, while Participating gives you the benefits the Tradeshows and Exhibitions offer.