LEARNING from the 2020 experience, the organizers of the Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2021 have expanded the usual June business activity into a six-month series of events in a hybrid format.
CBM 2021 chairman Mike Cubos announced Tuesday, June 1, 2021, that all CBM activities will be spread from June to December with each month having at least two events.
These events will be done in a blended format while strictly adhering to health and safety protocols.
“I guess this is the way moving forward. As long as the pandemic is here, we need to adjust and adapt,” said Felix Taguiam, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
CBM is CCCI’s annual flagship project. The month-long event has usually been celebrated in June for the past 23 years. It was only last year when the CBM organizers moved the CBM activities to a digital platform due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cubos said they have carefully planned the CBM activities for this year taking into account the lessons they learned during the pandemic. He said while most of the events will be done virtually, they will still invite speakers and audience on the ground while observing safety protocols.
This year’s CBM is anchored on the theme “Rise Forward,” a campaign to boost confidence and buoyancy of the local business community, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises, by providing opportunities that promote and enable digital transformation, innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity towards resilience and global competitiveness.
“As we stand up, collect our wits, move forward to soldier on and rise even higher than before, the CCCI on its 25th year of CBM wants to showcase a path to success that Cebuano entrepreneurs are able to reinvent, innovate, sustain, empower and rise forward even in very challenging times,” said Cubos, who is also CCCI’s Cebu Business Mobilization vice president.
Cubos also announced the availability of a CBM App that will serve as a guide for attendees during CBM events.
“The conference app will serve as their companion. They”ll be able to see the schedules of the event and at the same time connect with fellow participants. We would like to bring back that personal interaction through the app,” said Cubos.
But while in a blended format, organizers assure that this edition of CBM will still be loaded with insightful activities.
The virtual activities will kick off with a Tourism Coffee Table Discussion on June 3 whose inputs will be used in the Tourism Summit slated on June 24. CBM will also hold a Tourism Mini Series on July 30, Sept. 30 and Nov. 19.
Brigitte Mueller, CBM 2021 tourism chairperson, said this year’s CBM tourism thrust will zero in on the local tourism products and destinations of Cebu and encouraging Cebuanos to re-explore Cebu.
Tourism is one of those badly hit sectors during this pandemic.
By July, CBM will hold an Entrepreneurship Summit on July 28 and Entrepreneurship Coffee Table Discussion on June 29 while a series of idea and consultation sessions will run from July 28 to Oct. 15.
CBM will also boost Cebu’s position as a creative hub by holding a Digital Creative Summit on Sept. 16 and a Creative Entertainment Week in October. (KOC)