December 14,2009
Organizing events and conferences is a big thing in the Philippines. However, only the experienced, with consistent track record, and visionary perspective usually stays long. Norelyn Babiera, the entrepreneur behind Fiera de Manila Inc. (FMI) is one of the few.
FMI is a 13-year old company niched in IT, computer graphics, digital imaging and printing, direct marketing, Internet and mobile, and advertising.
Norelyn had 12 years of government service doing export promotion and industry development programs for SMEs when she was working in the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an agency under the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). This is where she was trained to organize and manage trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and corporate promotional events.
She became an entrepreneur when she left government service in 1994.
“I founded FMI in 1995 as a full-service company doing trade shows, exhibitions, conventions, conferences, seminars, and special events. It is my ‘baby’. I founded it with much inspiration from Fiera de Milano, a trade fair venue in Milan, Italy where I was sent by Philippine government to study and train on exhibition management Course. All my projects in FMI bear the seeds of my ideas and concepts, and a dynamic, creative, young, and professional team helps me in the execution and implementation of these projects.”
Although some would be-little the efforts of organizing a trade fair or conference, Norelyn took it to heart and did the necessary study and research to assure business stability.
“When I was studying and training in Milan, I was able to imbibe a business discipline which gave me ideas to do my work in government from a business perspective. I did not know that I have latent entrepreneurial skills just needed to be honed. But training in Europe gave me the impetus to pursue these business skill sets and use them in my work.”
As she started the business in 1995, her training, experience in government, and creative mind were her resources. “I think creatively to find my niche and my blue ocean. I started doing projects which have no versions yet in the Philippine local market — a pioneering project of a start-up company. And until now, we are sustaining these projects with much creativity, innovation, and hard work.”
And Norelyn’s strategy worked out. Believe it or not, her business is working sufficiently based on internally-generated funds since its inception in 1995. “We have very good fund management program and we always proceed with proper caution in new projects that we organize every year. We have not sought any government help or funding in our business.”
Like most businesses, FMI was also exposed to the financial crisis in 1997 and the former President Joseph Estrada presidency crisis in 2000-2001. “But we were able to rise above those external events that indirectly affect business climate in the Philippines. We just coast along with these crisis and put more hard work and dedication in our projects given the tight market situation during those years. Thank God, our projects did well and we did not experience hard times in FMI.”
Norelyn aspires to do an international exhibition project here in the Philippines with 50% overseas exhibitors and 50% Philippine-based companies. “It will be both promoting Philippine industries and tourism, besides, all other trickle-down effects in the country’s economy and service sector when we do big events.”
To those who are planning to set-up a business, Norelyn shares her advise. “It is always best to come-up with your business plans (to best identify market niches, competitive advantages, business strategy, start-up capital, and time lines), put more hard work, discipline, creativity, networking, and dedication to your business.
Successful businessmen are created, formed, and trained, not necessarily born.”
You can reach Norelyn Babiera at: Fiera de Manila, Inc., Tel No.: +632-8960639,
Email: fiera@info.com.ph, Website: http://www.fmi.com.ph
