PRA begins mentorship program at 28th NRCE

MANILA, Philippines — More than 25 of the country’s top retail and marketing experts will converge at the 28th National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE) to help mentor local retailers as they get ready for robust growth amid new market conditions and forces brought about by the pandemic.

The two-day NRCE, regarded as the biggest and most important retail industry event in the country, is happening on-site on Aug. 11 and 12 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. NRCE organizer Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) has chosen the theme “Retail: Ready, Re/set/ GROW!” to reflect the current market conditions and the need for all industry players to retool and grow with the help of each other.

NRCE 2022 overall chairman and Rustan Commercial Corp. president Donnie Tantoco said part of this is the need for more extensive learning sessions among retailers and their allied industries.

“This is why this year’s edition of the event features an ‘NRCE Retail Mentorship Program,’ where industry leaders will be able to provide an exclusive two-way learning setup, and wherein the mentor and mentee will have a healthy exchange of ideas as well as sharing of relevant experiences that will aid both careers and businesses,” Tantoco said. “The times are now changing, so the industry needs new knowledge and strategies as well.”

Tantoco, with the help of the rest of the NRCE Conference chair – Sam Gregory Lim, vice president of Blims Lifestyle Group and Bryan Liu, vice president for strategy and operations of Penshoppe Group with the PRA board of directors, chose the experts that will present at the NRCE to ensure that the event could provide fresh and valuable insights for the attendees.

The NRCE, the longest-running retail industry event in the Philippines, has been the go-to event for like-minded businessmen in the country to uncover valuable trends, developments, and innovations in the retail arena.

PRA president Rosemarie Bosch Ong, also the SEVP and COO of Wilcon Depot Inc., will be leading the new retail mentorship program with Steven Cua of Pag-asa, Louella Scott of Vogue Concepts, and Joy Polloso of Shangri-la Plaza. A host of competent retailers will also be featured for the rest of the first day including Chay Mondejar-Saputil, eCommerce and Retail Vertical Lead of Meta Philippines who will be talking about the metaverse as a blueprint for business. Meta has been taking strides to usher in “a future where people have more ways to play and connect in the metaverse,” and this is evident in their projects to support Philippine businesses.

Gary de Ocampo, president and managing director of Kantar Philippines, will be talking about consumer trends in retail. Kantar is a leading data, insights and consulting company that has been responsible for providing strategies for brand growth globally. Sean Darilay, principal and talent solutions business leader of Mercer Philippines, will be discussing global talent trends for 2022 and beyond. Mercer is another leading global company that provides human resources, talent management, and workforce solutions for various businesses.

Margot Torres, managing director of McDonald’s Philippines, will be delivering a talk on leveraging brand trust for customer loyalty. McDonald’s Philippines is the master franchise of the multinational fast-food chain McDonald’s in the country. Since its establishment in 1981, the franchise has remained steadfast in serving the Filipino community throughout the changing times. Other local industry leaders participating in the mentorship program include JT Solis, co-founder and CEO of Mayani; Ivan Lanuza, CEO of iRipple; Jay Alvero, COO of Potato Corner, and many others.

Across both days, other speakers will also share their knowledge and experiences through session talks with a wide variety of topics ranging from current global talent trends, social commerce in retail, and the reinvention of businesses in what we may consider as the new normal.