CBM exec expects 200 participants in Thursday’s tourism forum

NAJAR

AT LEAST 200 officials and representatives of companies in the local tourism industry are expected to attend a forum on Thursday to help the tourism sector keep up with technology.

Julie Najar, Marco Polo Plaza general manager and Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2016 tourism committee chairperson, said that local and foreign speakers have been invited to give inputs on how the industry should react to changes in the digital age.

“Because of the fast-growing technology and the availability of social media, we lose out on how to better brand ourselves, how to better reach the public which is basically going social, regardless of age or industry,” she said during the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza on Tuesday.

CBM 2016 adopted “Digital Cebu” as its theme for this year, and so, Najar added, the goal of the tourism forum is only apt.

The CBM is an annual month-long event of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

Najar said the industry players will be taught how to harness the power of technology in public relations, marketing, and branding, among others.

The speakers for the forum include Merril Yu, CEO of Y&S Hotel Investment and Development, who will talk about

“Marketing for Sustained Business Success — Making the Customer Brand Experience a Reality.” Retired Marco Polo Hotels president Eric Waldburger will speak on “The Essence of Hospitality,” and InnoPub Media founder Max Limpag will discuss “Digital Tourism: Apps, Social and Bots: Harnessing Tech for Tourism.”

The CCCI has also set up a tourism job fair today, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Marco Polo Plaza in Cebu City. It is open to students and people who would like to try working for the industry, said Najar.

She said 41 companies including various hotels, restaurants, and airlines have set up booths at the venue’s Grand Ballroom where on-the-spot interviews will take place.

“Hopefully, (there will also be hiring on the spot). If I have a candidate in front of me and he is suitable for the job he is applying for, why don’t I actually sign him in? Hopefully, that is what will happen,” Najar added.