CITEM braces Manila FAME for 5,000 int’l trade visitors

The export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry is bracing the country’s premier international design and lifestyle event for the influx of some 5,000 wholesale buyers and trade visitors from all over the world.

Over 400 exhibitors from the top ranks of the country’s lifestyle export industry have been tapped by the DTI’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) to showcase their products in all of the 17,156 sqm exhibit space of the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, during the Manila FAME’s four-day run on October 15-18.

CITEM executive director Rosvi C. Gaetos said this 62nd edition of Manila FAME could yield spot sales of up to P73 million for domestic consumption and $26.5 million for foreign, thus almost doubling last year’s figures.

“The Manila FAME October 2014 edition posted spot sales of P45.13 million domestic, and $13.38 million export. But with the current growth trends in the global and domestic markets, we expect some fairly huge increases across the board,” Gaetos said.

The previous Manila FAME October edition drew more than 300 exhibitors and over 3,000 foreign and local trade visitors and buyers as against this year’s target of 450 and 5,000.

As the country’s premier trade platform for design-forward lifestyle exports ranging from home to holiday and fashion products and accessories, the bi-annual Manila FAME has evolved into a prestigious international venue for export producers and marketers to promote their products and help make the Philippines rise into a preferred global sourcing destination.

This 62nd Manila FAME will unveil Filipino craftsmen’s artistry and mastery through such special settings and programs as the Artisan Villages, The Manila Gusto Gallery: In Pursuit of Pleasure, Light and Shadow, Red Box, Manila Wear, Neo Textiles Philippines, OTOP Marketplace, and International Hall.

With the UN General Assembly’s proclamation of 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, the Manila FAME October 2015 turns the preceding Light and Shadow edition up a notch by promoting a unique interpretation of light by the country’s growing sector of lamps and lighting manufacturers.

Also to be featured are the fresh design concepts and collections of 14 new design talents collaborating with local manufacturers under the Red Box program, which ensures the continuous development and rise of topnotch lifestyle export designers from generation to generation. These talents were picked from over 140 aspiring home and fashion designers and made to undergo the rigid mentorship of some of the country’s design icons.

“The Philippines’ is brimming with homegrown talents. It is by providing a potent avenue that they can be developed and strengthened,” Gaetos said of the Red Box program.

On the other hand, Manila Wear upped its tropical resort collections at its 8th edition under the creative direction of Josie Natori to further reinforce the brand’s position in the tropical wear market segment.

And to support and promote the country’s textile exports, Neo Textiles Philippines will showcase commercially-viable and globally-competitive products that give value to their roots while making them versatile and modern through innovations.

Upholding such global competitiveness of Philippine products, the One Town, One Product ( OTOP) program of the Bureau of Domestic Trade ( BDT) of the DTI promotes entrepreneurship and job creation in the country’s regions.

“OTOP Marketplace features top producers from the communities in the regions whose products highlight tradition, culture, and craftsmanship while emphasizing sustainability and generating livelihood,” Gaetos said.

Arrayed with those export showcases is the International Hall, which makes Manila FAME a truly global event by gathering under one roof the top exporters from India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Taiwan for business transactions and networking opportunities. These foreign companies carry fashion items, furniture and furnishings, home décor, gifts, and premiums.