The Philippines Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), together with Smart Communication, through the PLDT-Smart SME Nation initiative held the third annual TechIsland business convention at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila last Friday, April 22.
First launched back in 2014, TechIsland aims to aid business owners, particularly those in the micro, small, and medium (MSME) segments, on how they could further improve the way they manage their business and also help them tap in to their target market through the wealth of services/solutions that PLDT and Smart has to offer.
Although the first two TechIsland conferences were already a huge success, PLDT and Smart wanted the TechIsland 3.0 to be an even bigger and more engaging event than the previous two. As such, the two service providers came up with new idea to reach more local entrepreneurs and create more informative sessions that will educate their audience the benefits of going digital.
From 1,000 entrepreneurs last year, the MVP-owned telco saw the attendees count doubled for the TechIsland 3.0 which is largely credited to the changes that they’ve made on the invitation process and building up the hype prior to the actual date of the conference.
“Online is where the action is, and we’re giving micro, small, and medium (MSME) entrepreneurs the tools to thrive and survive in the digital arena.”
– Mitch Locsin, Vice President and PLDT-Smart SME Nation Head
Inviting notable speakers to share their first-hand experience and expertise to business owners have always been an integral part of TechIsland, and this year is no different. In addition to common faces like Eric Alberto, PLDT EVP, Head of EICB and ePLDT CEO; and Winston Damarillo, PLDT Chief Strategy Officer who were both present on last year’s TechIsland, other esteemed individuals were also present during the annual business convention such as Merlee Jayme (Chairman & CEO of DENTSU Jayme Sayfu), Laurence Cua (Uber Philippines Country Manager), and Alfredo Tan (Facebook Philippines Interim Country Director and Group Director of Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook Canada).
Needless to say, the TechIsland 3.0 was a huge success and was surely an eventful day for local business owners who took home with them new found knowledge that would give them an edge in the competitive business scene.
