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Manila FAME brings Philippine design to the digital frontier with FAME+

• CITEM holds virtual event to launch new digital platform for the home, fashion and lifestyle industries

Manila FAME, Asia’s premier design and lifestyle sourcing event, has showcased the best of Philippine artistry for the past 35 years. It celebrates brands that have made breakthroughs and built legacies in both the local and international markets. The long-running trade show gathers the country’s top manufacturers, brands and artisans each year to engage with prospective buyers, enthusiasts and supporters of proudly Filipino works and designs.

Migrating the trade show experience from a physical space to the digital frontier is more than just a change of pace or a bold step toward a brave new world. Manila FAME’s new direction is a momentous chapter in the history of local trade promotions, driven by Filipino ingenuity and creativity.

As the driving force behind Manila FAME, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) leads the way for creative enterprises and artisan communities in strengthening their online presence and recalibrating their business strategies for the new normal.

FAME+ officially goes live

On October 22, 2020, CITEM held a virtual event to officially launch FAME+, Manila FAME’s new digital trade community platform that connects Filipino artisans to a wider global audience. The virtual launch was attended by DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, the event’s keynote speaker, and DTI Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman.

“FAME+ is set to complement the export promotion initiatives of CITEM and take it a notch further on the digital sphere,” shared Undersecretary Macatoman as he opened the program. “This platform will give our MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) a brand new way of promoting their stories and craftsmanship that they wouldn’t normally be able to do in a physical trade show.”

Also speaking at the FAME+ launch were Rep. Christopher de Venecia, who gave a speech about the value of the creative industry and how FAME+’s community of creatives is part of this thriving movement to elevate the profile of Filipino creatives; and Venus Navalta, Chief Executive Officer of IPG Mediabrands, who spoke about the importance of exporters adapting to digital.

“CITEM, in partnership with IPG Mediabrands, is proud to have built a homegrown website,” said CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan at the launch. “We look forward to continue building a community that will house the best of Philippine design and creativity in one platform to showcase world-class Filipino artisanship.”

Transforming the Manila FAME experience for the digital sphere

FAME+ (read as “FAME Plus”) represents the digital shift and evolution of Manila FAME as it takes Philippine design further by championing Filipino creativity to a much wider online community. As a borderless digital platform where artisans and entrepreneurs interact with buyers and enthusiasts, FAME+ signifies the inclusion of more designs and brands to be showcased digitally. Moreover, it alludes to the additional opportunities for Filipino creatives and businesses to flourish at a global level.

Reimagining the trade show experience in more innovative ways, FAME+ will be a platform where exhibitors can promote their products and where buyers can conveniently source online their lifestyle needs year round. Manufacturers, brands and artisans can now showcase the best of Philippine design to a wider audience, creating new business opportunities in both new and loyal markets.

Setting its sights on becoming the Philippines’ largest home and grandest showroom for the country’s home, fashion and lifestyle industries, FAME+ seeks to conquer the digital frontier and create a platform that the design world has long been waiting for.

“Manila FAME’s venture to digital is the new direction of Philippine design,” said Suaco-Juan. “If Manila FAME were to grow and attract more buyers and more prestigious trade exhibitions abroad, we need to invest in and strengthen its digital presence. FAME+ is the realization of the government and private sector’s collective effort to become more competitive with the rest of the world.”

Building a digital community for Philippine design

With FAME+ now up and running, CITEM now looks to build its community by onboarding exhibitors, getting buyers to register, and sharing stories and content through its online magazine Touchpoint. FAME+ will also host digital events focusing on information, creativity, and entertainment for its registered members, making sure that using the website will be an engaging experience.

Benefits in joining FAME+ include 24/7 year-round promotion of products in a virtual showroom, a digital storefront for each exhibitor, complimentary digital content production and curation for 100 exhibitors, one-on-one consultations with product development specialists, and access to forecasts and industry insights to keep stakeholders updated on the latest trends.

The website also has messaging and conferencing features to connect exhibitors with buyers and other brands and manufacturers. CITEM will allow exporters to build their online presence and enjoy these benefits at no initial cost until October 2021.

FAME+ fulfills the digitization initiative that CITEM introduced to its stakeholders last year, which banks on innovation and maximizing the internet’s potential for discoverability and networking. In launching the platform, CITEM is also staying in step with the global movement of the exhibition industry to go digital, where trade shows are building websites to complement their onsite shows. Visit www.fameplus.com for more features and information.