Industry leaders who managed to disrupt the global market with the latest strategies and breakthroughs in the franchising business will share their expertise to potential entrepreneurs and business owners in the biggest 4-in-1 franchise show in Asia.
Organized by the Philippine Franchise Association and copresented by BPI Family Ka-Negosyo and Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) SME Nation, Franchise Asia Philippines 2017 will be celebrated with the theme, “Innovate and Replicate: Asean Rising”. The International Franchise Conference on July 19 and 20 at the SMX Convention Center, Manila, is expected to gather over 1,000 delegates, where more than 50 internationally renowned experts in innovation will talk in the two-day conference.
Gail Johnson, chairman of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (ICFE), Tobias Puehse of Mastercard and Carlo Ople of PLDT will offer the latest global perspective on best practices, innovations, market trends and disruptive strategies on how entrepreneurs can raise the stakes on global competitiveness of the franchise sector and navigate the testing waters of a highly competitive Asean market of 650 million people.
Johnson is active in the International Franchise Association, the world’s oldest and largest franchise organization. He developed the continuing education program to professionalize the franchising sector.
A nurse by profession, Johnson venture into franchising, and is also the founder and chairman of Rainbow Station, an international franchise accredited by the US-based Southern Association of Colleges and Schools—Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, offering early education, school-age recreation and care for mildly ill children.
Johnson will be speaking at the “Innovative Strategies to Raise the Global Competitiveness of Franchising” session of the conference.
In the session “Global Market Trends that should drive your Innovations”, Puehse, MasterCard vice president for Innovation Management for Digital Payments & Labs for Asia/Pacific, will discuss on how businesses can generate unique and innovative ideas through prototyping and business-case development.
Most recently, Puehse was named one of Next Bank’s Top 100 leaders in Asia’s Fintech scene, which recognizes people shaping finance across Asia in 2016 and beyond.
Prior to joining Mastercard, Puehse held key leadership positions in the Innovation Practice at The Nielsen Company where he led the Innovation Practice for Southeast Asia, North Asia and the Pacific, supporting more than 100 clients in reaching their desired innovation outcomes.
PLDT’s Ople, meanwhile, will also share his expertise on “Amazing Technology Breakthroughs”.
Ople is currently the vice president for digital marketing strategy of PLDT, vice president for external affairs of the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines and the Treasurer for the Ad Standards Council of the Philippines with over 14 years of experience in the digital field in the Philippines. As a digital entrepreneur, he founded several web properties, including Unbox.ph, which is recognized as one of the top tech- and-gadget sites in the country.
He started his career as a community manager for Ragnarok and the online-gaming publisher and portal LEVEL UP!, where he later became the Marketing Head for its casual- games division. He then worked at Friendster as a digital-marketing manager in 2009 and joined TV5 as the first new media head to set up the company’s digital division.
Ople was also a partner and managing director for the digital agency of DM9 JaymeSyfu before it was acquired by Dentsu.
Alongside the conference, a three-day International Franchise Expo from July 21 to 23 will showcase over 500 local and foreign franchise brands and suppliers and is expected to draw more than 45,000 visitors. Complementing the expo are Franchise Educational Seminars that will provide insights and basic knowledge on acquiring the right franchise or how to franchise a business.
Franchise enthusiasts and business owners can register at www.franchiseasiaph.com.