'Franchise 2010' shatters records

MANILA, Philippines - Stirred by the local franchising sector’s bullish growth despite the global economic slowdown, Franchise 2010 affirmed its standing as the Philippines’ premier franchise show following a new attendance record of more than 30,000 visitors generating an estimated P.5 billion worth of businesses, posting a 20 percent upsurge from last year’s figure of P413 million.

Acknowledged as the biggest franchise show in Southeast Asia, Franchise 2010, also known as the 18th Philippine International Franchise Conference and Expo (PIFCE), smashed by over 20 percent the recorded number of expo attendees registered last year. The show’s exhibit booths also grew by 16 percent from 300 in 2009 to this year’s 349.

Organized by the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), the county’s biggest and the premier franchise association, the four-in-one event of Franchise 2010 composed of the conference, the expo, franchise seminars and the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program, attracted participants from all over the country, as well as foreign delegates from the United States, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Bannered under the theme “Getting Ready for the World,” the 18th PIFCE’s staging was a precursor to next year’s Franchise Asia 2011, the much-awaited gathering of the international franchise community in Manila which the Philippines, through PFA, will host in September 2011. PIFCE 2010 was jointly co-presented by PLDT Business Solutions and PLDT SME Nation.

Calling Franchise 2010 a qualified success, PFA president Yvette Pardo-Orbeta said, “With the year-on-year success of the PIFCE, not to mention the growth of the local franchise sector when economies around the world were in turmoil, we can be proud of the fact that, indeed, we have established ourselves as one of the leading players in the international franchise community. The numbers serve as further proof that we continue to be the franchising gateway in Asia.”

For his part, Robert Trota, PFA chairman, added, “The Philippine franchising sector responded well to the economic crisis that hit the world. While major foreign markets reeled from the crisis, Philippine franchises continued to expand both locally and internationally.With growth path for Filipino franchises more imminent than ever, we at PFA are confident that indeed we are ready to conquer the world.”