Okasyon highlights event suppliers, organizers

THE 5th Okasyon, a celebrations fair, opened yesterday September 15, at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, featuring Davao City's wedding, debut, and other party organizers, fashion designers, and photographers, among others.

According to SMX Convention Center Davao branch manager Daphne Jezelle Alojado, the threeday event will showcase different event suppliers based in Davao City while different talks from distinguished personalities of the industry will be conducted simultaneous to the expo. Okasyon is the first in-house event of SMX Convention Center Davao since usually clients come to the convention center and conduct their own events.

"Through Okasyon, we also want to show and promote that SMX can also cater to social events, and not only meetings and conferences. They can see how we are able to dress up a venue depending on what occassion it is needed," Alojado said.

As Davao City has become a hub of big events in the southern part of the country, Alojado said they saw the need to conduct a celebrations fair featuring the different events supplier in the city.

"For five years, we belive that we have become the home of big events here in the southern part of the Philippines. To name a few we had Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) events, Miss Universe Tapestry Fashion Show, international concerts like that of Patti Austen, Boyce Avenue and of some local artists like Martin Nievera and Lani Misalucha. Basically, we cater to all kinds of events," she said.

Although the tourist arrivals and the events conducted in the city were temporarily affected by the Mindanao-wide declaration of Martial Law, Alojado said with the consolidated efforts of the city government and the private sector, slowly tourists are coming back to Davao City from the other parts of the country. Now, she said they are expecting around a thousand visitors to visit their three-day expo.

Okasyon 2017 will last until September 17 with talks titled "Entrepreneurial Tips for Budding Events Suppliers" by Cherry Al-ag, "DRESS UP!: Making Your Presence Your Ultimate Present by Emi Englis, and "Make Your Photo Stand Out" a wedding photography master class by Eight Espino VIII.

Featured event suppliers include El Bonita Events, Eight Productions, Salome's Garden, AlterModerne Events, Jacs Divine Events, and Cameo among others.