Youth leaders, students, yuppies urged to join first-ever Cebu Youthfest 2006

All youngsters from different colleges and universities as well as young professionals are encouraged to join the first-ever CEBU YOUTHFEST 2006 set on February 2 to 3 at the SM City Cebu Conference Hall.

The activity is aimed at changing the way how the young people see tourism as an industry. With the theme: "Empowering Speech Independence and Shaping a Youth Tourism Advocacy", this event merges tourism fora with extemporaneous and essay writing contests.

At the end of the activity, event chairman Rudynah Entera said that the participants are expected to learn that tourism isn't just about travels, luxurious hotel stays and fine dining; that tourism goes beyond just extending hospitality to both domestic and foreign visitors; that tourism is a high-rate industry largely affecting the standards of living and levels of economic progress; and that tourism creates jobs, increases business investments, and enhances inter-cultural exchanges.

Shaping a tourism advocacy among the youth

Presented by the Rotary Club of Cebu Business District and Episodes Pro in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education, this event aims to develop a tourism advocacy among the youth while creating a linkage between the tourism industry and the academe-allowing high school and college students as well as young professionals to acquire knowledge through speech competitions and interactive tourism fora. Besides fostering comradeship, this event seeks to provide a venue where the young generation can exercise and celebrate freedom of expression while developing their competence in written and oral English through extemporaneous and essay writing tilts-with ideas revolving around the context of "tourism as everybody's business".

Cebu Youthfest 2006 Executive Coordinator Butch Oporto said, "This event shall make a difference in the way young people think of tourism. Merely fun and travel, that's how they think of it, but they have to realize it's more than just it. They have to know it is way beyond just luxury and pleasurable travels. By joining this event, they will earn significant pointers as to what certain impact tourism has given to our business and community."

The event is supported by Cebu Pacific Air (the official carrier), SM City Cebu, International Academy of Film and Television, Nissin Corporation, MB Dick Barba Printers, Freedom Handicrafts, A. Salonga Music Studio, Dunkin Donuts and Pepsi. Special thanks to Standing Ovations, Rissa Lumontad, Leslie Saynes, Mars Benitez and Yolanda Wong.

Event Highlights

The event will highlight I LOVE CEBU exhibit displaying photos of Cebu destinations, faces and products that will be launched on Feb. 2 at 10:00 am, followed by the Opening Ceremonies at 10:30 am. After the opening ceremonies, the first tourism forum on "Brand Destination Marketing" and "Shaping a Youth Tourism Advocacy" will be held, with Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB) Founding Chairman Patrick Gregorio as speaker.

Lectures on "Public Speaking" and "Make It Happen: Finding the Youth's Potentials and Taking Off", by professional lecturer and motivation speaker E.J. Mcknight, the president of Standing Ovations, are slated in the afternoon.

A tourism forum with Eddie Nuque, the Managing Partner of Incentivation Asia Consulting, Inc. and Vice Chairman of LakbayNet highlights the second day of the activity. Nuque will speak on the "Culture of Tourism and its Growing Impact in Education, Business and Society". His talk will be followed by an Interactive Forum where the delegates are given the chance to speak and interact with the lecturers.

An extemporaneous speaking and essay writing contest will also be held followed by tourism updates from SKAL International and other participating groups.

The organizing committee is composed of: Secretariat head Marcie Abesamis, marketing director Michell Lampinez-Oroc, I Love Cebu exhibit manager Ral Lim, Project Coordinators Alvin Cloyd Dakis and Merell Tabelon.

Registration fees are at P500 for students and P800 for young professionals, inclusive of meals, delegate's kit, certificates and other freebies. To register, please call 2562864 or 09262481496. Look for Merell, Butch or Marcie. You may also email to cebuyouthfest@gmail.com