CITEM Wins at DTI SPRInts Awards: A Testament to Agency’s Commitment to Service and Excellence
By Arry Asiddao
August 16, 2023
The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) bagged two awards at the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) System on Performance Rewards and Incentives (SPRInts) Awards 2020, including the coveted Huwarang DTI Employee of the Year. The SPRInts 2020 awarding ceremony was held on August 3, 2023, via Zoom.
CITEM Senior Trade Industry Development Specialist Windy Añonuevo took home the Huwarang DTI Employee of the Year for her work as the Project Manager of Design Philippines in the Paris-based digital trade fair Maison et Objet and More (MOM) in 2020.
Añonuevo delivers her acceptance speech during the SPRInts awarding ceremony.
CITEM’s China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2020 Hybrid Fair Participation Project Team also received the Most Innovative Idea Award for organizing the first Philippine hybrid international participation in 2020. The team is composed of Operations Group for Food and Other Industries Officer-in-Charge Rowena G. Mendoza, Overseas Trade Fairs and Buyers Campaign Team Officer-in-Charge Atty. Eva Marie C. Mariquina, and Project Officer Queenie Cristalle P. Bernardo.
“We are deeply honored by this recognition. CITEM always strives for excellence in everything we do, but more than anything else, it is our unwavering commitment to championing Filipino products and services globally that compels us to continuously innovate,” said CITEM Executive Director Edward L. Fereira, Ph.D.
Other CITEM teams nominated for the Most Innovative Idea Award include the Experience Design Division (EDD), FAME+ digital trade community platform, and the Value Food Innovation Program (VFIP) Project Management Team.
Championing SMEs Globally Amid Adversity
Cognizant of market trends, Añonuevo recognized the need to shift to online promotion in the absence of physical trade shows during the pandemic. Despite mobility limitations, Añonuevo designed an international digital campaign that generated over $7.9 Million in export sales under the Design Philippines banner at Maison et Objet and More (MOM), the digital iteration of Maison et Objet, one of the world's most important trade fairs in design.
The pandemic did not stop the campaign from successfully highlighting locally-made products on the global stage and demonstrating the exceptional creativity and skill of Filipino designers and craftsmen. Through Añonuevo’s efforts, the Philippines was showcased on the cover and in four out of the eight trends of WGSN, a global trend authority. This captured the attention of international lifestyle and design tastemakers, which benefits participating brands to this day.
The project has since generated over 3,700 buyer inquiries from over 100+ countries, with a client satisfaction rate of 94%. By implementing digital strategies when CITEM’s traditional signature events were canceled, Añonuevo exhibited not only adaptability and innovativeness but also her commitment to serving Filipino craftsmen, artisans, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“We’re not only paving the way for the preservation of our crafts and traditions, but we are also empowering and creating sustainable economic opportunities for our SMEs and the communities of artisans that create them,” said Añonuevo in an interview for SPRInts 2020 Magazine.
Embracing The Future of Trade Shows
During the height of the pandemic, the CIIE project team had to come up with new ways to participate in international trade shows and sustain the business of Philippine exporters.
The Philippine participation in the CIIE in 2020 was the first international participation of CITEM in a hybrid format. This hybrid format combined online and offline elements and became the prototype or business model for CITEM's international participations during the pandemic.
In order to continue with the CIIE participation, the project team implemented new approaches with the help of different stakeholders, which gave birth to an institutionalized Inter-agency Technical Working Group.
The team had to work around space restrictions to accommodate 40 companies on the CIIE trade floor. Due to limited space, they developed touchpoints for the exhibition that went beyond a gallery or shelving of product displays.
A QR code was generated for each company, that, when scanned using a handheld device, would redirect to the website housing the digital storefronts of participating companies. These digital storefronts contain a company profile, contact details, and products. To facilitate business meetings between buyers onsite and exhibitors who are in the Philippines, conference pods were also mounted in the pavilion.
CITEM also developed a virtual exhibition hosted on a Chinese-ready server so that Chinese buyers can easily access the site without using a VPN. The project team also harnessed the power of social media by creating social media accounts on popular Chinese social media platforms Weibo and WeChat.
CITEM has since led other hybrid participations in overseas trade fairs such as Gulfood in Dubai, SIAL in Paris, and Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany.
This coming November, CITEM will lead a delegation of 40 exhibitors at the 6th CIIE, which is set to take place in Shanghai, China.
The agency, likewise, created online platforms for its signature events, including FAME+ for Manila FAME and IFEXConnect for IFEX Philippines, as it transitioned to the digital space during the height of the pandemic. Last year, CITEM successfully mounted the physical return of IFEX Philippines, which was also complemented by digital components on IFEXConnect.
CITEM is gearing up for the 71st edition of Manila FAME, which will be returning to the trade show floor for the first time since the pandemic. This year, CITEM is taking Manila FAME to the next level by integrating an "online-offline-online" experience, providing participants with a seamless customer journey between the physical show and its digital platform. The trade show will be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City from October 19 to 21, 2023.