CITEM offers internationational trade fair exposure for Katha winners

MANILA, Philippines - The Katha Awards is a statement of prestige in the competitive world of exports and design industry. It upholds a benchmark of excellence in product design and development by recognizing the ingenuity of local designers and commitment to innovation of Manila FAME exhibitors. Its main objective is to consistently challenge designers, and further stimulate their creativity to come up with product innovations that will be significant to consumers.

“Katha awards is a validation of the hard work that we put into designing an object. Being judged, nominated and awarded by other designers in the field is the biggest compliment,” says Vito Selma, owner and designer of the Louis Lamp chair that won in the March 2015 Katha Awards.

This year, the Katha Awards offers a bigger incentive to the winning product designs. On top of the Katha Awards trophy and plaque, and a six-month feature showing in HallONE, awardees for the October 2015 edition of the Katha Awards will receive a travel exposure to international trade fairs and exhibitions.

The exposure in trade fairs abroad allows the winning SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to expand their design landscape.

“They are given the opportunity to observe the latest trends and how foreign design companies interpret such creative and market trends on their product development,” explains executive director  Rosvi C. Gaetos of Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the exports promotions agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. The travel exposure also provides the winning SMEs firsthand information on the market landscape abroad. “Awardees also get the chance to be immersed in the international market and gain insight on new strategies and tactics of the trade. It is an advantage for the winning SMEs that they can interact with buyers in their home market since it helps them understand better the consumer behavior on an international scale.”

Carissa Evangelista of Beatriz Accessories, who won the Katha Award for their Victoria clutch bag in the March 2015 edition, echoes the awards’ objective. “Having this award also holds us to keeping a higher standard in producing products under our label,” she says.

The Katha Awards deliberation and awarding will be held on Oct. 15, the first day of the 62nd Manila FAME at SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

For information, visit www.manilafame.com.