CITEM Teams Up with DCP, EMB to Boost PH Participation in the World's Major Consumer Goods Trade Fair

    PASAY, PHILIPPINES, February 03, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) sustains its creative collaboration with the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP) and Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) to strengthen the Philippines participation in Ambiente, to be held from February 10-14, 2017, at Messe Frankfurt in Germany.

Ambiente is considered as the leading consumer goods trade fair in the world, with an average of 137,000 visiting trade buyers from 143 countries, and more than 4,000 exhibitors from 95 countries. It is the primary venue where trends for the international consumer-goods industry over the coming year are defined, and the go-to sourcing destination of buyers from the international contract market, particularly hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa) sectors.

"With a diverse range of buyers from all over the globe coming together in one enormous sourcing event, Ambiente opens up countless doors of trade opportunities for Philippine exporters," CITEM Executive Director Rosvi C. Gaetos said.

The Philippine collective under CITEM re-established its presence in Ambiente last year, yielding total export sales of 2.5 Million USD. For the upcoming Ambiente 2017 edition, 14 Philippine home exporters under the LifestylePhilippines brand shall be concentrated at the fair's Living Hall, targeting total export sales of 3 Million USD. Living is one of the three main hall organizations of Ambiente in which international exhibitors showcase their home products ranging from accessories, interior designs, indoor and outdoor decorations, and avant-garde furnishings.

For the LifestylePhilippines Pavilion in Ambiente, CITEM has been working closely with DCP and Product Specialist Eric Paras since September to develop contemporary product collections that will respond to the demands of the market and reflect the unique strengths of the participating Philippine exporters.

"The story is more about the companies, their beginnings, strengths, and specializations," Paras shared. "I wanted to capitalize on handmade components of our products but not in a vernacular perspective. The direction is sophistication in crafts and the goal is to marry function and commercial appeal in order to generate business for our exporters," he added.

CITEM has likewise partnered with EMB to bring three companies under the Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters Plus (RIPPLES PLUS) program to Frankfurt, Germany, marking its first international trade show participation under the home sector. RIPPLES PLUS is a jointly-implemented program of the Department of Trade and Industry's Regional Operations Group (DTI-ROG), Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), and EMB that aims to enhance export capacity and competitiveness of Philippine companies by giving capacity-building trainings and product development, and providing insightful market information and trends.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, as part of his Trabaho at Negosyo agenda, recently gave his directive to create a more dynamic DTI, calling on the Industry Promotions Group (IPG), where CITEM, DCP, and EMB belong, to strengthen its services to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

"The Philippine participation in Ambiente establishes the creative collaboration that CITEM wants to maintain with DTI agencies and, hopefully, start with other government offices, to achieve the vision of Secretary Lopez in helping MSMEs attain global competitiveness," Gaetos said.

The LifestylePhilippines participation in Ambiente 2017 is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in association with Philippine Trade and Investment Center Berlin (PTIC-Berlin), the commercial section of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin. CITEM is the owner and organizer of Manila FAME, the Philippines' premier design and lifestyle sourcing event, and IFEX Philippines, the biggest and most respected export-oriented food show in the country.

For more information, visit http://www.citem.com.ph/ambiente/

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is the export promotion arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). CITEM is committed to developing, nurturing, and promoting globally-competitive small and medium enterprises (SMEs), exporters, designers, and manufacturers by implementing an Integrated Approach to Export Marketing in partnership with other government and private entities.

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