THE Filipino bayanihan spirit soars to new heights as it brings the Philippine fiesta tradition to the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, for the 20th iteration of the Fiesta in America. The fair will run on August 11 and 12 as an avenue to assist Filipino businesses in penetrating the mainstream consumer market in the United States, while showcasing the best of Philippine culture.
Said to be the largest of its kind, the event is estimated to draw a foot traffic of more than 5,000 Filipinos and multicultural consumers from New York, New Jersey and five other peripheral states.
“Nostalgic immigrants and non-Filipinos intrigued by what the Philippines can offer pack the trade pavilion to load up on products not available in US stores,” noted Fiesta in America CEO Fernando Mendez at 77 Limbaga on Wednesday. He continued, “Many are on the lookout for hot spots in less-touristy towns and provinces in our country. Motivated by the dollar’s strength, they scope out real estate to invest in or for retirement, as well as medical, dental and eye-care services whose rates are a fraction compared to US health-care services.” According to Mendez, the event is strategically curated to augment Filipino visibility in the market by providing them an opportunity to enhance their corporate image and conduct their direct consumer market research.
A number of Filipino industries like Philippine Airlines, the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board, as well as real estate, telecommunications and retail sectors take part as exhibitors in the two-day fair.
This product showcase will be in conjunction with a series of business, investment and self-improvement seminars from 1 to 6 pm on August 11, and from 10 am to 6 pm on August 12. Guests can also enjoy a wide variety of Filipino dishes at the trade’s food court, while children get the opportunity to learn Philippine folklore, crafts-making and folk dances.
Meanwhile, an entertainment and cultural show featuring performances of onscreen partners Janella Salvador and Elmo Magalona, singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid and 1960s American pop and rock act Gary Lewis and the Playboys will round off the trade section’s activities.
The FIA initiative was the brainchild of Mendez together with his late wife, Mila. “A couple of years ago, we’ve created a magazine that published reports on the Philippines. That was when we realized that it’s too hard to reach too many people at once so what we did was we traveled all over the world and searched for that one factor that Filipinos want: they want to have fun, like in a fiesta. So every year we hold this exposition. Exhibitors pay a small amount and they get to present their products to a larger-scale community,” said Mendez.
He also noted the budding potential of the Filipino-American purchasing power, which is rising at the rate of over $52 billion annually. A median household income of $81,929 puts Filipinos near the top among all American consumers, especially in New York and New Jersey.
Furthermore, the average size of Filipino households is greater than the average household size in the US. This means the former consume more products and services than the typical US household.
Drawing from these statistics, Mendez asserted that the Philippine market segment has affluent potential in US soil.