From Exhibition to Reseller Partnerships: PriceCal's Journey in the Philippines
Expanding into a new market takes more than introducing a product. Businesses also need to connect with local audiences, build relationships with potential customers, and create opportunities for meaningful engagement.
For PriceCal, a Singapore-based provider of print commerce solutions, its participation in PackPrintPlas Philippines was an opportunity to introduce its offerings to the Philippine market, reconnect with a reseller, and develop new business relationships.
Through its exhibition, PR, and marketing project with PriceCal, Curt & Co provided end-to-end support for the exhibition and networking programme, helping coordinate activities designed to bring PriceCal closer to potential customers and business partners.
The programme combined exhibition participation, a dedicated networking event, and product training with a local reseller, creating multiple opportunities for PriceCal to engage with its target audience.
Building Market Presence Through Exhibition Support
Industry exhibitions offer businesses an opportunity to introduce their solutions directly to potential customers. However, making the most of these opportunities requires more than simply having a presence at the event. Businesses need to communicate their value clearly and help visitors understand how their products work.
Curt & Co supported PriceCal throughout its participation in PackPrintPlas Philippines, helping facilitate product introductions and engagement with exhibition visitors.
During the exhibition, PriceCal introduced its Print Commerce System, alongside its books and NFC devices. The team sold seven books and 15 NFC devices during the event, with sales recorded throughout the exhibition.
Local communication also played an important role in engaging potential buyers. While product explanations were initially delivered in English, the team found that visitors responded better when the information was presented in Tagalog. With local-language support, potential customers could receive a more accessible explanation of PriceCal's offerings.
This experience highlighted the importance of adapting customer engagement to the local market. Clear communication can help businesses explain their solutions more effectively and create stronger connections with potential buyers.
Strengthening Business Relationships in the Local Market
Beyond product sales, the exhibition also created an opportunity for PriceCal to strengthen an existing business relationship.
One of the key objectives for Welson Ang, PriceCal's Director, was to bring Gakken Philippines Inc. back as a reseller. This objective was achieved on the first day of the exhibition.
Re-establishing the relationship was an important outcome for PriceCal, demonstrating the value of direct engagement with local business partners.
For companies developing their presence in an overseas market, maintaining and rebuilding relationships can be just as important as reaching new customers. Established local partners can play a role in introducing solutions to their networks and supporting ongoing product engagement.
As part of its broader support for PriceCal, Curt & Co helped facilitate the activities surrounding the exhibition and subsequent partner engagement, contributing to a programme that addressed both immediate customer interactions and longer-term relationship development.
Creating Opportunities Through Business Networking
An exhibition provides opportunities to meet visitors, but dedicated networking activities can create additional space for businesses to explain their offerings and engage with potential customers.
To extend PriceCal's market engagement beyond the exhibition floor, Curt & Co coordinated a networking event designed to introduce PriceCal to potential customers and business contacts.
Reaching invited attendees presented a challenge, as some outreach messages were flagged as spam on WhatsApp and Viber. The team adapted its outreach efforts to help reconnect with invitees and encourage attendance.
The event ultimately welcomed 12 participants. Some attendees also brought colleagues or business partners, extending the opportunity for PriceCal to connect with people beyond its initial invitation list.
During the session, Welson presented PriceCal's offering and explained how its solutions work. The presentation generated further interest, resulting in the sale of another four books.
Combined with the exhibition sales, PriceCal sold a total of 11 books and 19 NFC devices across the two activities.
The networking event demonstrated how targeted outreach and face-to-face engagement can complement exhibition participation. By creating another setting for product introductions and conversations, the programme gave PriceCal additional opportunities to engage with its target audience.
Extending Engagement Through Partner Training
PriceCal's engagement with Gakken continued after the exhibition and networking programme through a hybrid training session.
Curt & Co supported the wider programme, which brought together 34 participants. Fifteen people attended in person, while another 19 joined through Google Meet from several Gakken branches across the Philippines.
The session provided an opportunity to share product knowledge with Gakken's team across different locations. This extended PriceCal's engagement with its reseller beyond the initial reconnection, supporting further product understanding and interaction with the partner network.
For businesses working with local resellers, product introductions are only one part of developing a business relationship. Ongoing engagement and training can also help partners become more familiar with the solutions they represent.
By supporting activities across the exhibition, networking event, and training session, Curt & Co helped coordinate a programme that extended beyond a single event.
Supporting Business Development Beyond Event Execution
PriceCal's programme in the Philippines brought together several elements of market engagement: exhibition participation, product introductions, networking, business outreach, and partner training.
The results included 11 books sold, 19 NFC devices sold, 12 networking event attendees, and the return of Gakken Philippines Inc. as a reseller. The subsequent hybrid training session also engaged 34 participants across in-person and online attendance.
These outcomes reflect the commercial activity and relationship-building opportunities achieved during the programme. While long-term business performance will depend on continued engagement and follow-through, the activities gave PriceCal opportunities to present its solutions, connect with potential customers, and strengthen its relationship with a local business partner.
For Curt & Co, this project reflects its approach to supporting clients in overseas markets: coordinating practical, on-the-ground activities that bring businesses closer to their target audiences and support their wider commercial objectives.
Entering a new market requires more than visibility. It requires meaningful engagement, local connections, and coordinated support that helps businesses pursue opportunities beyond the initial introduction.
Through its work with PriceCal, Curt & Co supported these efforts in the Philippines, helping connect exhibition participation with networking and partner engagement as part of a broader PR, marketing, and business development programme.
About Us
Curt & Co Pte Ltd is a consulting company started amongst a group of business owners who were looking for a consulting company themselves for advice !
Our offices and our focus markets are in Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. With clients ranging from 1 man operating SMEs to listed companies, we are proud to have helped our clients across different industries gain market entry into the South East Asian region.
Contact us at marcus@curtconsult.com if you want to talk!
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