CCAP gab, expo acquire a global dimension

MANILA, Philippines - The International Contact Center Conference & Expo, organized by the Contact Center of the Philippines (CCAP), sets its sights on the global horizon by creating an avenue that will share best practices and case studies from other countries as well as the Philippines, with guest speakers flying in from different continents to share their insights and experiences from a more global perspective.

The International Contact Center Conference & Expo will be held on Sept. 28-29 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. 

CCAP president Benedict Hernandez will give a report on the state of the industry, while Anthony Bartolo, vice president for integrated office and contact center communications of Avaya, will talk about global technology trends.

Globalization and the factors that continue to make a call center competitive are the running themes of the conference.

This is the sixth conference and expo to be organized by CCAP. This year’s event promises to be larger and more exciting as it draws more delegates from all over the world.

Many of the speakers are foreign delegates from North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific and even Africa.  

Asked about the decision to go international, Hernandez says, “The Philippines is the preferred and the largest contact center destination. It’s fitting that we hold an international event here because we’re in a position to share world-class best practices.”

The International Contact Center Conference & Expo will also mix speakers from diverse backgrounds and various sectors — operations, marketing, human resource management, training, academe, technology, research, real estate, and consultancy — ensuring a rich learning experience.

The plenary sessions will highlight special panel discussions, including a Global CEO Forum, which will discuss issues in the global outsourcing market; an Analyst Panel Discussion, which will share international trends; and an SME Panel Discussion, which will tackle how smaller players can build homegrown global BPO brands.

The conference’s break-out sessions will cover four tracks: Operations, for operations heads, call center managers, site directors, workforce managers, QA managers, and supervisors; People Management, for HR directors, recruitment managers, and training officers; Solutions, for CIOs, IT managers, network managers, systems administrators, and data center managers; and Career Development, for front-line supervisors and team leaders.

The exposition, the other major component of the International Contact Center Conference, will showcase the industry’s latest solutions from the leading vendors, suppliers, and service providers, such as call center systems, software applications, telecommunications infrastructure, office space and equipment, recruitment and training, and peripheral services.

The two-day event also opens up possibilities for international networking for operators and vendors. The exposition is an avenue by which exhibitors and sponsors can target international, or at least regional, markets.

There is also a two-day job fair with dozens of call centers looking for new hires. They will accept and process job applications and conduct on-the-spot interviews.

In addition, call centers and training companies will conduct free workshops and career orientation seminars for jobseekers.

It is the official job fair for the call center industry, represented by the some of the biggest call centers in the country, including the 65 CCAP member call centers.

Hernandez says the conference is expected to raise the industry to a whole new level. “We want to showcase Philippine depth and range in contact center capabilities. At the same time, we want to build the country as the prime destination for global conferences and promote the Philippines as a world-class business-leisure destination,” he says.

“We have to give the international market a compelling reason to come here to learn. And being the number one player in outsourced contact center services with a solid track record and a rich knowledge base is a very good reason,” he adds.