The road to F.A.M.E.

Philippine Design, as a brand of expertly executed design products, is a fairly recent addition to the vocabulary of global design. Until a few decades ago, the world knew nothing of our arts and crafts except for the curious man-in-a-barrel from Baguio or the ubiquitous shell chandelier from some sojourn in a Visayan resort.

Manila F.A.M.E. International, the country’s premier trade event for gifts, houseware, holiday décor and fashion accessories, and recognized as a frontrunner in design in the Asia Pacific region, changed this sorry picture, in a major way.

It was the 80s, a dark period for the Philippine economy. Strict quotas were being imposed on the country’s major exports, bloating the country’s trade deficit to unmanageable levels. Under the leadership of then Secretary Roberto Ongpin, the Department of Trade and Industry saw the pressing need to diversify Philippine exports.

In January 1983, Ongpin established the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (citem) to take on the challenge of putting Philippine exports back in the black. Handpicked to head the new agency was a successful and dynamic entrepreneur named Mina Gabor, whose private sector mindset and creative flair set the tone for the organization’s legendary never-say-die ethic.

The vision for citem was clear. "Tapping the immense potential of Filipino artistry and craftsmanship, as seen through our arts and crafts, was certainly a viable strategy to effect a paradigm shift from being largely a supplier of raw materials to becoming innovators of world-class design products," says Gabor, whose gut-feel has been widely regarded as her greatest business asset.

Shortly after its inception, citem organized the trailblazing Furnishings and Apparel Manufactu-rers Exchange or Manila F.A.M.E. with the aim of bringing together pioneering entrepreneurs in the different crafts, to usher local design products into the international arena.

Back then, however, most local companies were not yet prepared for the stringent standards of the international market, and although the potential has always been there, a lot of work had to come into play for local design products to suit the highly sophisticated markets of Europe, Japan and North America.

So why not bring in world-renowned designers and product specialists, asked Gabor in her usual can-do rhetoric, on how the Best in the World-Product Specialist Program, one of citem’s hallmarks, came about. "Show them the wide array of indigenous materials and the incredible range of craftsmanship at their disposal, and have them work with local companies to develop new and exciting products for Manila F.A.M.E.," she says.

Within months after initiating the manufacturer exchange series, the Apparel Market Week was launched, followed in October by the Manila F.A.M.E. Gifts and Houseware Market Week, what was to become citem’s flagship show. These maiden exhibitions were aimed at creating a marketplace for Philippine-made products that put a premium on innovative design and fine craftsmanship, in an effort to put the Philippines on the design map.

No less than eight noted international design consultants were commissioned to collaborate with local entrepreneurs. There was Nat Bauer for home linens, Jack Larsen and Docey Lewis for handloom and textiles, James Penland for shellcraft, Neils Refsgaard for ceramics, Rafael Sanchez for fashion accessories, and Philip Cutler and Frank Sander for furniture.

The international designers’ collaboration with local manufacturers gave way to exciting new products that were, at once, modern and traditional, blending industrial manufacturing practices with indigenous materials and techniques. It was the birth of a new design aesthetic.

"It took a lot of persuasion and a hefty chunk of the citem budget to convince these experts to come to the Philippines, so we were determined to make full use of their services, matching them up with as many of the participating companies as possible," recounts Gabor.

The results were better than anything citem had hoped for. The aggressive international campaign brought in a respectable number of international buyers who were entranced by the fresh product design and innovative use of indigenous materials. The show, which generated over US$9.4 million in total sales, was a preview of bigger and better things to come.

Just like the products it showcases season after season, the Manila F.A.M.E. we know today is a result of years of constant re-engineering in response to the ever-changing times. Its forerunners were repositioned, merged with other shows, turned over to the private sector (the hugely successful Home Furnishings Market Week), or taken out of the show roster entirely, in an attempt to rationalize operations.

"Most of the changes citem has made over the years were strategic in nature, often in view of international exhibition trends and the changing preferences of our markets," says Ely Pinto-Mansor, the citem veteran who assumed the agency’s leadership when Gabor was summoned to higher office. "There was a need to consolidate our offerings in order to project a solid image for our shows."

Undoubtedly, it was the bi-annual Manila F.A.M.E. Market Week that had consistently reaped success among citem’s many innovations. In 1999, it gathered 1,399 exhibitors, attracted 4,758 foreign and 2,076 local buyers, and turned in a whopping US$235 million in total sales, the highest ever for any citem show. In 2000, Manila F.A.M.E. Market Week, newly accredited by the prestigious Union des Foires Internationales, had to give way to a new image.

The latest incarnation of citem’s flagship show–the Manila F.A.M.E. International–was launched in April 2000 to expand the scope of its services and offerings to visiting buyers and respond to the general trend in the international exhibition circuit.

It introduced three sub-fairs, namely Palengke, A Marketplace for Home Ideas, Tindahan, The Fashion Store, and Paskuhan, A Christmas Village as well as the Partner Region Program special setting. Occupying the halls of the World Trade Center Metro Manila, East Pavilion and the entire exhibition area of the Philippine Trade Training Center, past editions of Manila F.A.M.E. had too many times been compared by international buyers to shows in Paris and Hong Kong, in terms of the quality of product offerings and presentation.

Product design has been a major force behind the success of Manila F.A.M.E. Starting with the pioneering Best in the World-Product Specialist Program, exhibitors were given an international design perspective and the rare opportunity to collaborate with design luminaries Fred Palatinus, Philip Cutler, Paola Navone, Edward Frank, Gerald Tyler and Martin Marley.

The foreign consultants were paired with local designers from the Design Center Philippines to bridge the knowledge gap when the foreign consultants finished their term. Apart from working on product design of exhibitors that sign up for the program, the design consultants were expected to provide the creative hand in putting up the ‘special settings’ for the new products. By the end of Gabor’s term in 1990, over 100 product specialists were going around the country, developing and curating new product lines and improving available technologies.

Emerging Filipino design talents were also tapped, with the signing on of interior designer Budji Layug and subsequently, Joel Enriquez, Tony Gonzales, Tes Pasola and Val Padilla.

The launch of the Merchandise Design Consultancy Program (mdcp) in 1997 paved the way for other local designers PJ Arañador, Carlo Tanseco, Rachy Cuña, Michael Salientes and Tina Bonoan, among others, to collaborate with Manila F.A.M.E. exhibitors. Foreign-based Filipino designers who had made their marks in the design capitals of the world were likewise recruited to the program, including Melissa Camacho, Federico de Vera, Conrado Velasco (US) and Josef Crisanto (France).

The mdcp did not totally do away with foreign designers as German floristmeister Detlef Klatt, the quirky New Yorker Doug Fitch, Cologne-based graphics and textile designer Kim Lipfert and British designers Nick Paterson and Nick Jinkinson have been recently added to citem’s roster of consultants.

For this edition, British jewelry designer Naomi Filmer is collaborating with fashion accessories manufacturers for Tindahan, while the highly acclaimed Filipino design collective Movement 8 has teamed up with Palengke and Paskuhan exhibitors.

Taking the quest for fresh design ideas further, Manila F.A.M.E. turned to the abundant raw materials and largely untapped creative traditions in the provinces through the Market Encounter and, later on, the Partner Region Program (prp). By facilitating the interaction between local artisans and an established design consultant, the programs develop available materials and create innovative products to give the region’s producers their first international exposure.

Past prp consultants include Reimon Gutierrez for armm, Cordillera Autonomous Region and Eastern Visayas and Al Caronan for Bicol. For the current show, Joel Enriquez is working with the local producers of caraga.

Undoubtedly, Manila F.A.M.E. International has revolutionized Philippine design and the industries that produce them. With the firm belief that product innovation and fine craftsmanship are the Philippines’ winning edge, it has created a clearing for local manufacturers in the global marketplace. It expanded the horizons of small players to dream and dare, and explore possibilities for growth.

"The last two decades saw Manila F.A.M.E. rise from a conviction only a few shared," relates Lita Madulid, current citem head. "It was a grand plan with equally grand ambitions. Sheer idealism and desire for change pushed the team to conquer the odds."

With increasing competition in the region’s trade fair circuit, Manila F.A.M.E. remains the show to beat in terms of product innovation and presentation. While all the other shows have gone for sheer quantity and size, Manila F.A.M.E., in true citem fashion, has opted to keep its twice-a-year offering simple, focused, yet memorable.

"Manila F.A.M.E.’s strength is its products," says Madulid. "Future innovations will always be centered around presenting well-selected merchandise in a manner that makes sourcing convenient and pleasurable for our buyers."

Indeed, the ‘show in Manila’ has gone a long way from its humble start. And judging from the consistently good turnout every buying season, Manila F.A.M.E. will see more success stories from its growing pool of exhibitors. After all, the show that has been through 5 Presidents, 7 Trade and Industry Secretaries, People Power, coup d’etats, typhoons, 9-11, the Asian Economic Crisis wars and SARS will be hard to put down.

"Manila F.A.M.E. will always be a work-in-progress," says Madulid "The need to continuously innovate and seek new ways to reach out to a global audience will always be integral to the success of the show. And we are definitely not running out of ideas."

The 38th edition of Manila F.A.M.E. International will be held on Oct. 23-26 in three venues: World Trade Center Metro Manila, Philippine Trade Training Center and the East Pavilion. Exhibits will be open to the public on Oct. 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Entrance fee is P150. Visitors below 16 years old not allowed. For more information, contact the Manila F.A.M.E. International Secretariat at tel. no. 831-2201 ext. 240 or visit www.manilafame.com.