PhilSME eyes franchising expo in November
THE PHILIPPINE SME Business Network (PhilSME) plans to hold another exposition on franchising in November after attracting 12,000 visitors to its 16th Philippine SME Business Expo and Conference this month, according to its top official.
“This is more about business solutions with the major component of franchising opportunities and solutions,” Trixie E. Abrenilla, chief executive officer and managing director at the PhilSME, told BusinessWorld.
The 16th Philippine SME Business Expo and Conference brought fresh elements with a lineup of powerhouse speakers and the introduction of the Malaysian Pavilion, she told a news briefing on May 9.
“The conference lineup, especially for day one, these are the top businesspeople in their industries,” she said. She added that more than 10 Malaysian firms joined this year’s expo.
“They came here to collaborate with Filipino companies and offer their own SMEs (small, medium enterprises) so they can also grow,” she said.
The two-day expo on May 9-10 featured well-known business figures like Chinkee Tan, Cristalle Belo-Pitt and RJ Ledesma, who shared tips on how SMEs could grow.
More than 120 exhibitors, mostly SMEs, had the opportunity to network with other businesses and potential partners.
The initiative supports MSMEs, which account for more than 99% of businesses in the country and contribute 40% of economic output, PhilSME said in a separate statement.
“We created PhilSME to guide SMEs toward practical, real-world business solutions, and this year, we witnessed powerful exchanges and partnerships take shape right on our expo floor,” Ms. Abrenilla said.
She said the event attracted about 12,000 visitors, surpassing their 10,000 target. — Edg Adrian A. Eva
