With the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion is introducing innovations to help Filipino MSMEs recover and thrive in the new normal. This year, the 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair will combine the excitement of the traditional, physical event with the advantages and flexibility of a digital, online event.
In addition to the usual food fair held at a Metro Manila mall, the virtual components of the 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair allow the participation of exhibitors and visitors who could not be physically present due to travel restrictions and health protocols. Also, while the physical fair is slated to run for only 10 days from September 16 to 27, 2021, the online events are spaced across several months, thus providing the participating MSMEs with sustained market exposure for the whole year.
MSME Webinar Series
To help MSMEs prepare for the 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair and equip them with skills to hurdle new challenges in growing their business, the Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion and the Philippine Trade Training Center organized a free webinar series covering the following topics:
• Digital Payment Workshop for MSMEs
• Penetrating Domestic Market thru Online Platform
• Facebook Business Page Development
• Click and Close: Social Media Navigation for Successful Negotiation
• Online Visual Merchandising
• Negotiating with Buyer (Covering Customer Service, Business Pitching)
The webinar series was held via Zoom and Facebook Live last May 5 to 7, 2021, and reached 24,200 views on social media.
Online National Food Fairs and Digital Promotions
SHOPEE.PH. Held last May 10 to 16, the Online National Food Fair on the Shopee PH platform showcased 3,500 products from 278 MSME Stores and the Go Lokal Official Store. Featured products included sweets, snacks, staples, breakfast food, superfood/healthy food, beverages, seasonings, and baking ingredients, among others. Having been onboarded to the online shopping platform, all Shopee Stores of the MSMEs remain accessible as permanent online stores. Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.
MAYANI.PH. Another online venue for the Online National Food Fair is Mayani, a farm-to-table e-commerce platform focused mainly on agricultural products. Held periodically since June 2021, buyers can enjoy up to 30% markdowns on featured food and artisan products when shopping on www.mayani.ph/NFF. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and upland crops from the Cordillera Administrative Region were marketed and sold online for the benefit of farmer cooperatives and indigenous people’s organizations under the DTI-led Integrated Natural Resources Environmental Management Project – Livelihood Enhancement Support 2.
LAZADA. Scheduled for August 8 to 12 as part of the Lazada Love Local 8.8 Sale, this Online National Food Fair will include 74 participating MSMEs from 13 regions nationwide. Featured products will consist of processed food and beverages, cooked food, halal products and cuisine, Filipino snacks, food packaging materials, condiments, and other cooking ingredients, among others. MSME sellers who qualify will be onboarded to the Lazada platform for free. To promote the event, Lazada will Livestream cooking demonstrations by Chef Oliver John Gomez, an alumnus of the Center for Culinary Arts who combines his culinary expertise with a passion for organic agriculture production. LazLive will also feature a mukbang session showcasing food products from the MSME Stores on Lazada. Mark your calendars and don't miss out, by clicking on https://www.lazada.com.ph/88-shop-local/.
NFF DIGITAL STORE. Also set to launch within the year is the NFF Digital Store hosted on UnionBank GlobalLinker, an e-commerce platform that allows MSMEs to connect to local and global B2B and B2C partners, suppliers, and customers. The integrated NFF Digital Store will give participating MSMEs access to functionalities and networks to help grow and manage their business. The NFF Digital Store will be another venue for food entrepreneurs to have a permanent presence online, thus expanding their market reach even beyond local borders and despite restricted movement. One hundred MSMEs are set to be among the initial exhibitors in the NFF Digital Store.
Physical National Food Fair
Tentatively scheduled for September 16 to 27, the 2021 National Food Fair will be held at the Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The exhibitor booths will be spread out across the Carousel Court, the Event Hall, and the Civic Drive Hallway of the mall.
A wide range of food products will be available during the event, including processed food and beverages, fresh produce and organic products, fresh and dried seafood, cooked food, halal products, and cuisine, condiments and other cooking ingredients, dairy products, health and wellness products, food supplements, traditional cooking tools/equipment, food packaging materials and allied products, baskets and bayongs, labeling and food processing equipment, and even label and packaging design services.
The 2021 Hybrid National Food Fair is organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP) and with support from the Regional Operations Group (ROG).
For more information about the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, please follow their social media accounts @BDTP on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You may also email bdtp@dti.gov.ph.
About Arabelle Jimenez.
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