Franchise Asia Philippines (FAPhl), the biggest franchise event in Asia and emerging as one of the world’s biggest franchise shows, will be held from March 26 to 31 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.
On its 27th edition, the event features a 14,330 sqm exhibit area for more than 700 homegrown and global brands in the food, retail and service industries, and a food park showcasing trendsetting culinary concepts.
The FAPhl is organized by the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), “a voluntary and self-regulating governing body for the Philippine franchising sector with members ranging from small to large, both homegrown and international. Its members are considered the country’s leading franchise brands, many of which are already expanding globally with the support of PFA.”
“From the moment PFA was founded, we have implemented a two-pronged approach of endorsing franchising as a strategy for growth for micro and small businesses, and in encouraging ordinary Filipinos to take the path of entrepreneurship via franchising,” said PFA President Richard Sanz. “And since the Philippine franchise industry is now more than two decades, many of the country’s franchise players—whether franchisors or franchisees—are already preparing the next generation to take the helm. In other words, franchising has not only shown itself to be a catalyst in growing businesses but also a creator of legacies.”
The international conference on March 27 and 28 will have the theme “Growing Businesses, Building Legacies” to underscore the role of franchising not only in creating businesses but also in ensuring their longevity. The international expo’s theme, from March 29 to 31, is “Be the Boss” to highlight the role of franchising in realizing the entrepreneurial dreams of many Filipinos.
Overall cochairman Chris Lim said: “We are also happy to announce that our expo this year will showcase country pavilions from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. This is proof positive that the Philippines has indeed become the Franchise Hub of Asia.”
Event overall Chairman Sherill Quintana also noted that the show has become bigger: “This is in response to the growing interest in franchising among Filipinos. The international franchise conference of Franchise Asia Philippines 2019 will feature 70 subject-matter experts who will present or facilitate in six plenary sessions, 14 breakout sessions and 30 roundtable discussions.”
One of the six plenary super session topic is “Lights, Camera, Business: A Journey of Celebrity Entrepreneurs,” with a panel of experts composed of athlete-actor Enchong Dee, a franchisee of Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar; model/businesswoman Rissa Mananquil-Trillo, cofounder and chief brand officer of Happy Skin; and It Girl/entrepreneur Bea Soriano-Dee, operations director of Sunnies Studios and Sunnies Face.
This session will provide valuable insights from the experiences of celebrities not merely as the endorsers of brands but as the ones handling their own businesses. “I did not expect that I will be alongside these successful businessmen and women. I saw this yesterday and I instantly got nervous,” Enchong shared on his Instagram when he saw a poster of the event splashed on this newspaper, “though Promise to share as much as I can. See you if ever you wanna learn a thing or 2 about the franchise culture in the Philippines.”
Bea, meanwhile, keeps her Instagram bubbly and ebullient, mostly of her and her family wearing Sunnies shades.
“The participation of celebrities in Franchise Asia Philippines has been a tradition as we strengthen our efforts to promote entrepreneurship via franchising. This is also our way of luring more celebrities to franchising,” explained Fred Moreno, the event marketing and promotions chairman who is also CEO of Xcess Salon and son of the late German “Kuya Germs” Moreno. “When I accepted the position of chairman, that is what I wanted to do: utilize my showbiz connection. I’m contacting celebrities to help in the promotions and do interviews.”
Rissa, a recent graduate at the Asian Institute of Management with an Executive MBA degree, wrote on her Instagram: “Transforming passion into business always needs more than just heart. But it’s heart that separates those who persevere to make it from those who give up. As Ben Horowitz said, ‘In my experience as CEO, I found that the most important decisions tested my courage far more than my intelligence.’”
The former president of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines also posted a salute “to all the passionate and courageous women in and out of the home” for March Women’s Month: “I’ve been privileged to be surrounded by so many amazing women growing up, so I never thought that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish something because I was ‘just a woman.’ There is so much women can do. We can really be more than what is expected of us, and our roles definitely go beyond the home. If anything, what being a woman in business has taught me is that we need to be supportive of fellow women leaders and entrepreneurs, because women can be very harsh on themselves. We can be our own biggest critics. But it’s important to keep pressing on. The more women leaders there are in different industries, the more the younger generation of women can see that there is no limit to what they can do.”