Philippine Designers Goes Green at Manila FAME International

Eco-friendly design takes center stage at Asia’s Best Design Destination - Manila Furnishings and Apparel Manufacturers Exchange International (Manila FAME) scheduled on April 15-18, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. As many as 300 world-class designers and manufacturers will present their eco-inspired creations made of indigenous and sustainable materials from the Philippines.

The event is a flagship project of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an attached agency of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry. For 25 years, the show has been instrumental in the promotion and development of the home and fashion lifestyle industries for the export market.

As Asia’s undisputed best design destination, Manila FAME participants and exhibitors pride themselves in being pioneers in using recyclable and eco-friendly materials such as scrap metals, wood shavings, egg shells, and even abandoned insect colonies. These entrepreneurs came up with fresh, original, innovative designs in home pieces and fashion wearable even at a time when recycling was not yet in fashion.

Over the years, a number of “green-fluenced” companies have been joining Manila FAME to showcase product design innovation in gifts and house ware, furniture, fashion, holiday décor, and health and wellness services. These innovative products show that saving the environment is not just a fad.

“We believe that designing an eco-friendly product starts with an understanding of your environment first. We recognize that sustainable and renewable resources are around us,” shared Manila FAME exhibitor Mr. Pete Delantar of Natures Legacy, a manufacturer of artistic and functional home pieces and various outdoor accessories.

Manila FAME is accredited by UFI, a Paris-based organization of leading trade show organizers and recognized by major international associations in the exhibitions industry. A number of exhibitors in the show have been recipients of Germany’s Red Dot Award, Japan’s Good Design Award, UNESCO-AHPADA Seal of Excellence for Handicraft Products in Southeast Asia. They have also been featured in the International Design Yearbook. In its 25-year history, the show has transformed small and medium-sized companies into flourishing industries that provide jobs to our people and drive the economy.

“Manila FAME International is not just your ordinary run-of-the-mill”, said CITEM Deputy Executive Director Thelma Dumpit-Murillo. “When we bring our exporters to join shows overseas, we carry the Philippine flag. We are the face of our country and so there is no space for less than world-class products. It is also a perfect example of the synergistic partnership between government and private sector with government creating the environment conducive for the exchange of goods and services.”

For more information about Manila FAME visit www.manilafame.com