The Situation

With APEC 2015 putting inclusive growth at the center of the Asia-Pacific conversation, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) saw an opening to position the Philippines as a serious player in the regional startup ecosystem. The country had emerging tech founders, but no flagship platform that brought them face to face with international investors, incubators, and policymakers in a single room.

The DTI needed more than a one-off event. It needed a conference that could become an annual institution: a matchmaking venue where startups working on social impact innovation could pitch directly to the capital and mentorship networks that would help them scale. The first edition had to land hard enough to justify a second.

The Approach

Phase 1: International Speaker Curation

Flew in nine world-renowned leaders from the global tech startup ecosystem to anchor the plenary sessions. Their presence gave SlingshotMNL immediate credibility with investors and media, signaling that this was a conference worth paying attention to from its first edition.

Phase 2: Startup & Investor Matchmaking Design

Curated a vetted roster of Filipino startups for interactive exhibits and pitching sessions, alongside local and international investors, venture capitalists, incubators, and accelerators. The programming was designed to create direct connections between founders and capital, not just panel discussions about the ecosystem.

Phase 3: Media Positioning for Local & FOCAP Coverage

Positioned local and international (Friends of the Chair of APEC, or FOCAP) media before and during the conference. Story angles were built to resonate with three distinct audiences: investors looking for deal flow, entrepreneurs looking for inspiration, and policymakers tracking inclusive growth commitments.

Phase 4: Full Conference Operations

Managed the end-to-end conference at the Philippine International Convention Center: plenary sessions, panel talks, exhibits, workshops, and networking socials. The event had to function as both a media moment and a working venue where real startup-investor relationships could begin.

The Results

• 800+ Participants from startups, investor community, and government
• 9 International tech startup leaders flown in for plenary sessions
• Anvil Award Won for event excellence by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines

Campaign Highlights:

• Coverage secured across all major broadsheets, broadcast news, and online channels
• Local and international FOCAP media participation extended the conference’s reach beyond the Philippine market
• Vetted Filipino startups pitched directly to local and international VCs, incubators, and accelerators
• Conference format included plenary sessions, panels, exhibits, workshops, and networking socials
• SlingshotMNL established as a recurring annual platform for the Philippine startup ecosystem
• Event directly supported APEC 2015’s inclusive growth agenda with tangible startup-investor connections

The Takeaway

A conference earns the right to become annual by delivering value in the room, not just on stage. SlingshotMNL worked because it gave startups pitching access, investors deal flow, and policymakers a concrete activation of their inclusive growth agenda. Eight hundred people showed up because each of them had a specific reason to be there.

• Industry: Technology, Public Sector
• Service: PR & Digital Campaigns
• Solution: For Enterprise

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you build a flagship conference from scratch in a single edition?

Start with the speaker lineup. Nine international names gave SlingshotMNL credibility before anyone walked through the door. A vetted startup roster and real investor participation turned the conference into a working venue, not just a panel event. The first edition has to deliver enough value that a second one becomes inevitable.

Why organize a startup conference as part of a government trade agenda?

Governments set policy frameworks, but startups need direct access to capital and mentorship. A conference bridges that gap by putting founders in the same room as investors and policymakers. For DTI, SlingshotMNL turned an APEC talking point about inclusive growth into a concrete activation.

What role does media play in a startup conference?

Media coverage signals legitimacy to investors and future participants who weren’t in the room. Coverage across broadsheets, broadcast, and online channels told the market that the Philippine startup ecosystem had arrived. FOCAP media extended that signal internationally.

How do you attract 800 attendees to a first-edition event?

By designing the event around what each audience segment needs. Startups came for pitching access. Investors came for deal flow. Policymakers came for APEC alignment. When the value proposition is specific to each group, attendance follows.