TECHNOLOGY companies with solutions to digitize micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are expected to participate in the Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2019 this June.
Lilu Aliño, CBM 2019 chairperson, said big technology companies will attend the Entrepreneurship Summit and Innovation Expo from June 12 to June 14.
“We’re going to have discussions and the call to action when it comes to innovation,” Aliño said.
She said the summit will feature business practices that are already using technology.
“Last year, we introduced the Innovate Cebu: Embracing Innovation, so we featured pioneering innovations. This time, it’s already a call to action on how it is integrated, how technology can be an enabler so that businesses will become more competitive.”
One of the highlights of the summit is the reverse pitching, where business owners are given the platform to give the challenge to tech companies, who will in turn provide available innovative solutions.
“In the past, we’ve always had the technology enablers, the tech guys, presenting to the business community their ideas on how to address challenges in the business. Now, it’s going to be a session where the business owner will present their challenge and problems,” Aliño said.
Paulo Uy, chairman of the information and communications technology and business process management committee, said the summit will tackle the integration of technology in businesses.
“We basically integrated the technology side, so we are now showing how businesses should be working together with innovations. It’s more about taking advantage of the technology because we are now at the stage where there are no businesses that can run without its use,” Uy said.
He said the internet helps brick and mortar businesses in processes like automation, as well as e-commerce to remain competitive in a fast-growing digital market.
“There are processes that can help the business go to a higher level so hopefully, through the Entrepreneurship Summit, we will be able to showcase all the latest trends so our Cebuano businessmen can take advantage of these technologies,” he said.
Aliño said they have invited members of the chamber, representatives from chambers around Visayas and Mindanao, and local entrepreneurs to join the summit.
The CBM is organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry every June.
On Tuesday, April 2, CCCI’s new officers took their oaths of office before Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion.
Concepcion, who was also guest speaker, pushed for the creation of more airports in the country to promote tourism, considered the most inclusive sector.
He noted that in 2018, only 7.1 million foreign tourists visited the country, according to figures from the Deparment of Tourism (DOT). This lags behind neighboring countries such as Thailand, which had 38.4 million foreign tourist arrivals.
He said tourism will thrive if natural resources are taken care of through sustainable practices. (JOB)