Franchise Asia Expo opens Friday

The much-awaited Franchise Asia 2011 International Expo opens Friday (Sept. 23) at the SMX Convention Center, with Vice President Jejomar Binay and Ambassadors Harry K. Thomas Jr. of the United States and Dato’ Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad of Malaysia leading a host of dignitaries and international industry leaders in the kick-off ceremonies.

Binay will spearhead the business community in the ribbon-cutting rites and the tour of the exhibits while Thomas and Saad will lead the foreign dignitaries in installing their national flags in their respective pavilions.

Joining them in these ceremonies are Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) chairman Robert Trota, president Yvette Pardo-Orbeta and vice president for government relations Ernesto TanMantiong, Philippine Export Confederation president Serge Ortiz-Luis, Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Francis Chua, Franchise Asia Expo chair Franklin Go and co-chair Kenneth Yang, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. senior vice president Eric Alberto, BPI-Family Savings Bank president and chief executive officer Jose Teodoro Limcaoco, Philippine National Bank president and CEO Carlos Pedrosa, World Franchise Council chairman Samie Lim, Franchise Asia 2011 chair Bing Sibal-Limjoco, International Franchise Association chairman Jack Earle and senior vice president Jeff Welch, European Union head of trade and economic delegation Andrea Fennesz, Asia Pacific Sales & Marketing Support general manager Shahid Ahmed, and HP Philippines country general manager Albert Mateo Jr.

The ceremonies culminate in a keynote speech by Binay and the declaration of the formal opening of the Franchise Asia 2011 Expo by Go.

The expo opens up to a vast spectacle of investment opportunities spanning more than 500 brands that cater to the 650 million consumer market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the region comprising 10 of Asia’s emerging economies, including the Philippines.

Many of them are international brands entering the ASEAN market through the Philippines, further reinforcing the country’s position as the ‘‘Franchise Capital of Asia.’’

“The Philippines’ hosting of Franchise Asia 2011 highlights the country as an investment and tourism destination, showcasing ‘Asia to the world, and the world to Asia’,” Limjoco said of the event’s theme.

The event offers three-days of non-stop one-stop shopping for franchise investment opportunities in retail, food and service businesses covering all fields from homegrown to international, and from established and successful brands to new and promising franchise concepts.

The expo occupies the entire 10,000 square meters of exhibit space that all of the four halls of the SMX can provide to accommodate the over 500 booths of varied investment options and the thousands of visitors, including those eligible for special admission rates for registering online at www.franchiseasia2011.com.ph.

“The exhibits, with more than 500 brands, constitute the biggest ever showcase of international brands featured in the country pavilions of North American, European and Asian countries,” Limjoco said.

Showcased in this International Zone are such world-famous brands as Smoothie King, Buffalo Wild Wing, LA-Z-BOY, Funivac, Sweet Chills, Math Monkey, World Traveller, Bratwurst Cafe & Grill, The Manhattan Fish Market, Kindergolf, Apple Plus School, and Animaland, among others.

To complement the International Zone are special sections on the best of the brands, emerging concepts, incubation and winning business ideas from the academe, and business opportunities from suppliers and allied services.

Source - mb.com.ph