I discovered the FAME+ brand at Ambiente Fair in Frankfurt and I loved the products they presented in their booth. FAME was established in 1983 with the trade show Manila FAME. As mentioned on their website, FAME+ is the ultimate digital sourcing and storytelling platform for Philippine quality home, fashion, and lifestyle products. I talked with Dr. Edward L. Fereira Ph.D to learn more about FAME+.
Could you tell me what are your flagship products?
FAME+ collectively champions micro, small, and medium enterprises from the Philippines. Since it does not function as a commerce platform, we do not have any flagship products. We rotatingly and equally promote our exhibitors through fameplus.com by enhancing their digital presence, for them to be discoverable and accessible by trade buyers all over the world 24/7. It currently houses more than 200 exhibitors from the home, fashion, and lifestyle sectors. FAME+, together with its signature event Manila FAME, is managed by the Center for International Trade Expositions & Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
What are the values of FAME+?
FAME+ enables Philippine brands and manufacturers to generate leads and reach global buyers through content creation, learning opportunities, and business-to-business (B2B) meeting opportunities anytime of the year. The platform also aims to gather exhibitors, buyers, and stakeholders in one community in the digital space.
Photo credit: FAME+
How do you feel about traditional crafts in a more and more digitalized society?
Traditional crafts would always have a place even in a highly digitalized society. For one, digital tools are now being used in the design and production process. They help speed up or enhance how products are being made. As for digital media technologies, these serve as platforms to amplify the stories behind how products are being made, who made them, and the places and inspirations that brought forth the idea.
Photo credit: FAME+
Could you please tell us more about your long and sustainable collaboration with local artisans and designers?
FAME was established in 1983 with the trade show Manila FAME. It then evolved into a comprehensive program supporting local artisanal communities in the Philippines under the home, fashion, and lifestyle sectors. FAME also offers them various programs to prepare them for international markets. To name a few:
- Product Development Program where we connect brands and manufacturers with design specialists to ensure that we consistently put out fresh products for different markets.
- Content Production Assistance which provides the participating brands a strong global impression through in-house content production such as photos, videos, and text for their digital storefront.
- Capacity-building Activities that increase their knowledge through webinars, learning opportunities from industry experts, and social media insights.
- Business-matching Services where we arrange online B2B meetings with local and foreign trade buyers who are interested in discovering premium Filipino brands.
Buyer Interaction
Photo credit: FAME+
Buyer Interaction
Photo credit: FAME+
Natural materials reign in Filipino home and lifestyle, how did you manage to add metals in the FAME+ collections?
Filipino artisans are known for their material manipulation and metals have always been a part of Philippine designs as natural materials are. Brass, silver, and even gold are used as components, if not the main element, in many designs. The use of metals lends form and durability when designing home and lifestyle products. But what makes the use of metals by Philippine artisans unique is their skillful manipulation, resulting in designs and features that are one of a kind.
If you would like to learn more about these MSMEs, feel free to browse through their Digital Storefront at fameplus.com.
We discovered your brand at the Ambiente international fair. How did you find the fair experience? How do you prepare for an international fair?
Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany was the last trade fair FAME participated in before the lockdown; and, more recently, its first international trade show after 3 years. It has been refreshing to physically connect and interact again. We have observed that trade buyers still prefer seeing the products firsthand and interacting with companies instead of seeing the pieces online.
In terms of preparation, we conduct a product development program where we are continuously on the lookout for new materials, production techniques, and designs that have the potential to capture the global market. For instance, in the last edition of Ambiente, Louriza Furniture Center, one of our exhibitors, was given the Ambiente Ethical Style award. It’s a program by the trade organizers that allows exhibitors who offer ecologically produced and socially responsible products to carry a corresponding label on their stands at the trade show for easy recognition of buyers and visitors. Our exhibitor, Louriza Furniture Center, is known for upcycling materials and wastes such as scrap wood to make furniture.
Trade Show
Photo credit: FAME+
How did the pandemic change the market for FAME+ products from your point of view?
There are varying points that influenced the consumer behavior for home, fashion, and lifestyle products. Since the pandemic has shifted the way we do business, and the majority now subscribe to an online or hybrid set-up, more individuals are creating remote offices at home. Relatedly, they want to integrate pieces that bring joy, which invite more room for both creativity and productivity within their workspace. These buyers might lean towards pieces that marry form and function. Lastly, the climate change movement has also affected people’s preferences and consumer habits. They opt for sustainable or green products, and seek more information from the brands on how the products are made, where they source the materials used, and even take a look at the brands’ values.
From your point of view, how can we decorate our homes with FAME+ products? What products should we buy to start our own FAME+ collection?
Pieces from Manila FAME exhibitors vary in materials, shapes, forms, and character. Each product evokes different feelings and brings various impressions to indoor and outdoor settings. A few examples would be shell lamps that radiate warmth and comfort. Colorful abaca rugs that embody vigor and energy. Coffee tables that bring a rustic, native touch to the modern room. Handmade chairs that signify fluidity, and blends in with different styles and textures. And clutch bags that tell a story of wonder through an interplay of weaving colors and textures together. All of the pieces have stories and identity–and what’s best is that the exhibitors allow a range of customization to accommodate buyers that differ in taste and need.
Ito Kish
Photo credit: FAME+
What does the future hold for FAME+?
Manila FAME is set to make its physical return during its 40th anniversary edition this October 19 to 21, 2023 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City, Philippines. This year’s theme underscores the limitless potential of what the global trade show has to offer. Here are some exciting features trade buyers and enthusiasts wouldn’t want to miss:
- Exhibition Halls that showcase diverse product offerings which uphold eco-sustainable production and innovative design principles.
- Design Commune, which is a curated showcase of newly developed products from CITEM’s product development program.
- Bamboo and Coconut Special Setting of recently developed items that use coconut and bamboo as primary materials.
- Artisans Village, a selection of artfully crafted pieces from
- Philippine communities to the world. The Artisans Village is a culmination of regional product development, need-based capability building, and a promotions program.
- Networking Hubs that offer a comfortable and stylish ambience where exhibitors, buyers and guests can rest, work, and collaborate.
In the future, FAME will continue to promote Filipino ingenuity and creativity to the global market by empowering local businesses and creating opportunities for their growth. This includes efforts beyond the Manila FAME trade show and the FAME+ website. CITEM organizes learning opportunities, gives access to business solutions providers, holds B2B meetings that connect brands and manufacturers with potential clients, and promotes local brands during overseas trade fairs.
Photo from Artisans Village, photo credit FAME+
You may visit https://www.youtube.com/@ManilaFAMEofficial, FAME+’s official YouTube channel
Photo credit for all the photos: fameplus.com
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