Manila, Philippines — Trade fairs are a common tool for business owners who want to showcase their products and services to others in their industry. The annual Filipino Franchising Show, organized by the Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc (AFFI), is one such event and among the standouts in this year’s fair is Best Booth winner Binalot Fiesta Foods.
While setting up a booth is fairly easy, the real challenge is in differentiating one’s brand from the other participants. According to Binalot president Rommel Juan, “The visual appeal of your booth is important when you’re joining tradeshows, there has to be something about it that is distinct and interesting.”
Instead of investing in a flashy display, Binalot decided to put up an actual outlet. “It was an instant attention-getter because we had a restaurant in the middle of the trade show floor,” exclaims Juan. “We really wanted to show the guests what they’ll be getting if they franchise so we set up a real Binalot store that sold our products,” he adds.
The booth was a hit, with guests and fellow exhibitors alike lining up to buy Binalot products. “That’s your proof of concept right there,” Juan claims. “What better way to show that our brand is a good investment than by actually showing an outlet in action?”
And showing an outlet “in action” helped serve another purpose. “What’s good about the booth is that we got to show potential franchisees how a store operates,” says Business Development Manager Jo Godinez. “They got to see the back-end operation of a typical store, providing insight and information that no brochure or fancy display can give.”
Like a typical Binalot store, the booth exudes a distinctive local appeal that complements the company’s banana leaf-wrapped Pinoy favorites. And while the fiesta atmosphere probably helped in bagging the Best Booth award, Rommel Juan believes that it’s Binalot’s innovative take on the common trade fair booth that clinched the deal. “Any restaurant can sell what we’re selling, but what sets us apart is the way we sell it. Just like our booth, Binalot is a fresh take on an old concept.”
