Thursday, October 02, 2008 Chamber positive to surpass last year's Date by 25% By Joy Romares-Sevilla
DESPITE the current economic crisis, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII) is very optimistic the Davao Trade Expo (Date) 2008 will surpass last year's performance by 25 percent.
"Our aim this year is to increase our exhibitors' sales by 25 percent. Last year, exhibitors' sales reached to P79 million. We're so optimistic and we hope to surpass last year's performance," Malou Monteverde, Date 2008 events and program co-chair, said Tuesday.
Monteverde added that this year's staging of the Date will be more productive in terms of the number of booths, participants and visitors.
She said Date 2008 is also capitalizing on the rising information and communications technology (ICT) activities in Davao City.
"This event opens up more business matching opportunities between the ICT sector and other participant-sectors such as industry, agriculture, and professional service and ventures," she said.
For 10 years now, she said Date also provides business opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Davao.
DCCCII, on the other hand, challenges Davao's neighboring cities to take Date as an opportunity for them to overturn the negative image that has been created.
Date 2008, set on October 23-25, will feature balanced programming of indoor and outdoor exhibits, trainings and seminars, product presentations, product sampling, business matching, raffle promo, job fair, and other special events. It will be held at the Davao Convention and Trade Center.
