Selling at the Summit

Do you want to listen to the world’s leaders, men and women, in a fun gathering in Paris? That is a sample of what I look forward to every time the Global Summit time comes around. So far, I have attended the summits in Hanoi, Istanbul, Athens and last year in Kuala Lumpur.

The GSW was founded 25 years ago by a dynamic woman who was born in the Philippines and grew up in America. She is Irene Natividad, who has blazed trails and has opened stock exchanges, rang the bells in many countries as part of her advocacy to make more women participate in decision-making.

I first met Irene in Hanoi back in 2008, when she asked me to speak in a panel on believe it or not—Business Failures. I accepted the invitation and I had a good time meeting women leaders and kindred souls, all wanting to connect and network.

Then, Irene and I would meet in other women events like the Apec Women and Economy Summit in San Francisco in 2011 where Former State Secretary Hillary Clinton announced the now famous San Francisco Declaration.

But the summit is not all business. It is about fun and travel as well. Irene makes it a point to take us to interesting dinner venues and the post event tours like our tour in Rhodes (Rodos) island in Greece was memorable.

The Philippines is ably represented in the GSW International Planning Committee by Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert and another dynamic lady Tes Mateo, who is our connection to Davos, Washington and many more important networks.

So is it just about networking? No, it is not  because all the panels are interesting, and plenary speakers are chosen from high ranking executives of global companies who give us first dibs on classified information. Now, what else is in store for delegates? Well, Irene makes it a point  to have table hosts at every breakfast occasion so we sit with other nationalities, and gives us the chance to promote our country and our business to others. In exchange, we learn about other countries. The summit has record attendance of 1,000 women (including a few good men) from 50 odd countries.

Like the Olympics, countries vie for the hosting years in advance. The host country gets a lot of exposure to all the summit attendees and their officials, too. Now, what is the secret of Irene that every country dreams of being a host?

I will venture a guess—women which comprise 95 percent of attendees will shop, play and eat in the host country. Women will spend, tour, and talk about the host country many months and years after the event. I still talk about our summits in Athens, even if I have been there before. I still talk about Hanoi with fond memories. Near or far from the Philippines, the summit is an event I look forward to attend every year.

So every country’s minister, top officials, business leaders who are in attendance get together to vie for hosting the next one. China has brought over 70 people to a summit. Malaysia even brings their First lady because the government does support and I heard gives a subsidy as long as the women can network and find new business or new opportunities, linkages and joint venture. It is indeed a new way of what I would call “Guerilla Marketing”. By taking 40-50 delegates to the summit, you surround these international crowd with images of the Filipina as a leader. It is really an ingenious way to paint a good picture of the Filipina.

So, do we task the government agencies to spend their GAD budgets to send a couple of their gender focal point people to this Summit? Is it the DOT who should take the lead? Is it the Department of Trade and Industry and maybe through the Board of Investments?

If we must sell our country, we must first do a soft sell through our women leaders. We can forge business alliances, joint ventures and investments if we are out there and they know we exist.

I hope the government heeds our call to send their topnotch women executives to gather at this important event. Just 2-3 days will spell the difference between the Philippines being an unknown destination to a place of choice for foreign investments. And women leaders can sell softly, because this is an inborn trait of women.

I call on NGAs and private companies to send their best women to this “Davos of Women.” The investment will be well worth it. Log on to www.globewomen.org or get in touch with WomenBizPH at www.womenbiz.ph or contact the author at puj@echostore.ph for registration details. WomenBizPH or Women’s Business Council of the Philippines is GSW’s international partner organization.

See you all in Paris! June 5-7, 2014 at Marriott Rive Gauche. Special hotel rates apply.