The expo, dubbed "Franchise Asia 2001", aims to further expand the global franchising industry to the region’s unsaturated market of 3.8 billion people, with the Philippines as the entry point.
That 3.8-billion market is by far the largest in the world, whose some 15,000 franchise companies generate a total of $1.4-trillion sales and 12 million jobs.
The Philippines alone boasts of an 80-million market, 64 percent of which are 29 years old and below. This highly-active market is being served by only 500 franchises, around 60 percent are foreign.
Eyeing a piece of the action in this huge Asian market are franchisors from the United States, Canada and Australia, which will set up international pavilions at the expo.
Within the expo hall will be held various other events like seminars, workshops, product launches, marketing competitions, franchise excellence awards, and "national days" highlighting a particular country each time.
The other participating countries are United Kingdom, France, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.
The exhibitors are both foreign and local franchises, which include Bayo, Bioessence Facial & Skin Care, Kublai Khan’s Eat All U Can, Mister Donut, Padi’s Point, Rice Mix Food Corner, Pilipinas Shell, Mida’s Autoservice Center, Metropole Laundry, and Orbitz Pearl Shake, among others.
"Locally, over 70 companies have reserved for over 100 booths, 42 percent of which are food franchises and 58 percent non-food. All these will comprise over 300 franchise concepts in Asia’s biggest franchise event," said expo overall chair Bing Limjoco.
But whether in Southeast Asia, Europe or the United States, companies engaged in franchising generate profitable business with greater success than non-franchises, according to Samie Lim, chairman of the Asia-Pacific Franchise Confederation, whose members are the franchise associations of Indonesia, Brunei, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Other details can be obtained from exhibit manager Worldexco (tel. 8918635/38, fax 8340608, email wdx@info.com.ph, website www.worldexco.com).
In the Philippines, franchising emerges as the only business sector experiencing phenomenal growth over the years, from only 50 franchises in the early 90s to more than 500 at present.