Raquel Romero is one of the country’s top exhibit organizers.  As the general manager of World Expos and Concepts Inc. or simply Worldexco, she puts together hundreds of companies under one roof to promote an industry.

Raquel Romero

One such event is the recent World Corporate Giveaways Expo 2013.  The expo is an annual buyers’ show on business gifts, premiums, promotional ideas and merchandise incentives.  Held for the 26th year, it is considered the country’s longest-running and most successful expo on business gifts.

The expo was started by Romero’s mother Lynn, who was then a public relations manager for a hotel.  “She thought about the expo because every year, it was her problem- where to get giveaways to give their clients,” Romero says.

“At that time, there was no Google, so it was difficult to find a supplier,” she says.  The expo had only 20 booths when it started.  This year, the exhibit held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, had 104 booths that housed 75 companies.  Last year, there were 98 booths.

It showcased advertising specialties, awards, medals and trophies, bags and wallets, balloon décor, caps and headgears, CEO gifts, Christmas giveaways, corporate neckties and uniforms, cups, flasks and mugs, desktop accessories, diaries, organizers and calendars, marketing and promotional materials.

It also put on display food and beverages packages, handcrafted items, houseware, keychains and magnets, leathercraft, luggage, novelty items, paper products, personal electronics, stationery, stoneware, toys, t-shirts, jackets and garments, umbrellas, wines and spirits and writing instruments.

Romero says the expo also featured office solutions and F&B gifts lane.  Office solutions include marketing support services, business solutions, uniforms, office equipment, furniture and supplies while the F&B gifts lane is an annual showcase and sampling of year-round food and beverage gift options.

Aside from being an events manager, Romero is also a public relations practitioner.  She is an alumna of the University of the Philippines, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree, majoring in film in 1995.  “I graduated from St. Scholastica’s College in high school,” she says.

She worked for Worldexco as a special events manager, from 1997 to 2003.  She left the family-owned company to become the events manager for the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Philippines from 2003 to 2006.

In 2006, she returned to Worldexco as general manager.  On the side, she is the director for communications, sponsorship and marketing of Philippine Rugby Football Union, made popular by the Volcanoes national rugby team.

Being an event organizer and top PR practitioner at the same time keeps this 39-year-old bachelorette busy most of the time.  Romero starts her day doing e-mails and checking her schedule.  “Of course, there will be meeting in between,” she says.

Romero says when she is not “working”, her time is usually taken by public relations engagement for the Philippine Volcanoes.  “I am their media relations manager. That is like my CSR,” she says.

She is a fan of photography and rugby.

Romero says Worldexco organizes other fares and events.  “We had one in Cebu.  It is fowl game expo,” she says.  That event featured everything that a fowl raiser needs or a farm owner can sell.

She says the key to attracting the right crowd is to organize events that meet the specific needs of a particular market.  “We prefer to be more specific in organizing fares,” she says.

Romero says Worldexco chooses to be unique in serving the needs of specific market segment.