PFA moves to boost Phl as franchise development hub

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s pioneer and largest franchise association is out to make this year’s Franchise Expo the best and the biggest in a bid to strengthen the country’s position as Asia’s franchise hub.

Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) chairman emeritus Samie Lim said affirming that role would entail significant improvements in the annual Franchise Expo as an Asian showcase.

“Thus, this year’s Franchise Expo, as part of Franchise Asia Philippines (FAP) 2012, will remain bannered by the theme Asia to the World – the World to Asia, effectively making Manila an important gateway for international franchising,” Lim stressed.

FAP 2012, according to PFA chairman Robert Trota, has evolved from the annual Philippine International Franchise Conference and Expo, and last year’s milestone international event Franchise Asia 2011, where the Philippines, through the PFA, hosted the world’s top franchise leaders and posted a record-breaking international conference and expo that highlighted Southeast Asia’s more than 600-million market, highly-educated, English-speaking and customer-satisfaction-oriented workforce, and a regional economy poised to grow annually by seven percent, with the Philippines alone hosting some 1,300 foreign and local franchise brands with combined 125,000 outlets, and $9.45 billion aggregate sales.

Co-presented by PLDT SME Nation, PLDT Alpha Enterprise and BPI Family Savings Bank, FAP2012 consists of four events -- the International Franchise Conference on July 25 and 26; the three-day International Franchise Expo on July 27-29; Franchise Seminars simultaneous with the Expo; and, the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) Program on July 23 and 24 at the AIM Conference Center Makati.

The Franchise Expo will also offer seminars on Master Franchising 101: International Franchise Opportunity on July 27 for local investors who want to be a master franchisee, an area developer or a partner of a foreign brand; How to Franchise your Business for micro, small or medium enterprise owners who want to expand their businesses through franchising, and How to Invest in the Right Franchise for would-be franchisees, both on July 28 and 29. 

Other details can be obtained from the PFA Secretariat (tel. 6870365 to 67, 09178320731, or e-mail [email protected]). For more information on the Expo, call exhibit management team Global Link MP Events (tel. 750-8588 or e-mail [email protected].).