Going to the fair

It takes a year to mount the annual National Trade Fair. That means that preparations for next year’s NTF will start right after the 2004 NTF (Feb. 18-22 at SM Megatrade Halls 1,2, and 3) closes.

"We teach participants how to become good suppliers, how to create a demand for their products," said Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development executive director Rhodora Leano. "We give priority to first-time exhibitors. This year, around 30% of the 197 exhibitors will have their initial exposure to buyers through the NTF."

BSMED, the Department of Trade and Industry arm that mounts the annual NTF, closely coordinates with other DTI agencies such as the Design Center of the Philippines as well as with other government agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology in mounting the NTF.

"Not anybody can just join the NTF," said Leano. "The entrepreneur must have joined the provincial and then regional trade fairs organized by the DTI. He/she must have been endorsed for participation to the NTF. He/she must have shown willingness to undergo training on marketing, product development, counseling and professional business management under BSMED."

Theme

This year’s NTF focuses on design, innovation, and technology.

"From what we have observed here and abroad, the financing needs of small and medium businesses come only after they have determined what is the current trend and design, how to make use of indigenous materials to produce these designs, and what technology can be used for production," said Leano.

Last year, the NTF had 186 exhibitors generating sales of P71.2 million. This year, BSMED is targeting a higher sales figure, in part because there are more participants (for the first time, the NTF will have participants from all regions of the country, including from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) and in part because many of the foreign buyers who stayed away from Asia last year as a result of the severe acute respiratory syndrome have indicated that they will be coming to Manila this year.

"The NTF’s ultimate objective is to provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers with local and foreign exposure. Before they meet these buyers, we want to ensure that manufacturers can produce products with consistently high quality at competitive prices and that they can meet delivery orders at the pre-agreed time," said BSMED deputy executive director Jerry Clavesillas.

After sales service is provided by the Export Assistance Network or Exponet, another DTI agency that receives and acts on complaints ranging from the inability of a manufacturer to meet its delivery order to bouncing checks issued by a buyer.

Competitive Edge

"Because other countries have pirated our designers and can price their products lower than ours, we encourage our NTF participants to innovate through the use of modern technology and to using materials unique to the Philippines," said Clavesillas.

BSMED also encourages manufacturers to place identifying marks on their products.

"Direct consumers actually read the labels that come with a product. It takes just a little effort to come up with a few words describing the origin of the product and how it was made– if it was a hand-crafted or hand painted–that would enable consumers to identify that these unique designs are ours," said Leano.