Davao Roadshow: e-Services Phils. 2009
by Blogie • 6 November 2008
In a nutshell, the e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition is an annual event that attracts potential buyers from all over the world to interface with Philippine IT companies and IT-enabled services. It’s an all-out showcase of what Filipino technopreneurs can bring to the global marketplace.
For the first time since its inception, the organizers of e-Services Philippines (as it is more commonly known) are on a roadshow all over the country, kicking off with the Davao leg today. We were at the offices of the Department of Trade & Industry - Region XI (which is a long-time, staunch supporter of all Philippine IT initiatives), where we were apprised of the latest developments in the preparations for this event. e-Services Philippines is organized each year by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).
CITEM is an agency of the DTI that’s involved in promoting the country’s exports. To quote: "Its thrust is to promote the Philippines as a reliable source of high-quality products and services through trade fairs, special exhibits, in-store promotions, trade missions, and other promotional activities here and abroad."
The event features plenary sessions, seminars, business-matching opportunities, and an exhibit of IT products and services. Since 2008, it has been held at the SMX Convention Center (beside the Mall of Asia) in Pasay City. It used to be held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Ortigas.
Who can participate and/or exhibit? Why?
It is the annual meeting place in the Asia-Pacific where global thought leaders, decision makers, and centers of excellence in global ICT and business process outsourcing (BPO) converge and COLLABORATE with one another to discuss trends, issues, and emerging business models in the IT business.
It gives you the right platform to CONNECT with CEOs and international companies and organizations from the ICT spectrum including animation, back office operations, contact centers, game development, software development, healthy information management, and engineering and design services.
It is an excellent exhibition venue to meet and do business with global ICT and BPO companies who can CREATE sophisticated ICT solutions, products and services tailor-fit any client’s needs [sic].
Since e-Services Philippines is being packaged as the e-services forum in the Asia-Pacific region, companies who take part in it have a great opportunity to touch base and hopefully close business transactions with IT buyers. According to CITEM, they expect to host foreign trade missions from the US, Europe, Japan; as well as delegations from Wachovia, Accenture, Google, Deutsche Knowledge Services, American Data Exchange Corporation, and many other big-ticket firms.
Davao City has been participating in e-Services Philippines since 2003, with the support of the local government and the initiative of the private sector. Those of us who’ve been part of the effort to institutionalize the city’s participation have long held the conviction that our local IT industry can directly benefit from our continued presence at the conference and exhibits.
Next year, under the leadership of ICT Davao Inc., we hope to make a much bigger splash in the national scene. That is, if we can get more solid support from both the local government and the industry. When the Davao contingent participates in this prestigious event, it must be a concerted effort by the entire local IT industry — IT companies, IT associations, big industries, perhaps the Davao Chamber, and the city government. This way, we can make a huge impact and ensure ourselves a greater chance of attracting business and investment into Davao City.
e-Services Philippines will be held on 9 & 10 February 2009. That gives us a few short months to prepare. CITEM considers Davao one of the "next wave" cities. We believe this as well. Now it’s time to make the rest of the country see what we mean.
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