The Situation
The Department of Trade and Industry was preparing to launch a new industrial policy designed to foster innovation among private firms, develop human resources, and strengthen industry-academe collaboration. Before the policy could launch, DTI needed a public event that would start the conversation and build momentum among the stakeholders who would implement it: government officials, entrepreneurs, SMEs, startups, academics, and NGOs.
The USAID Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) program backed the initiative, but the conference had to feel like more than a government briefing. It needed to attract the private sector executives and academic leaders who would determine whether the policy translated into actual innovation on the ground.
The Approach
Phase 1: Headline Speaker Curation for Cross-Sector Credibility
Secured keynote speakers who represented the full innovation ecosystem: DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez for government authority, UC Berkeley Dean of Engineering Dr. Shankar Sastry for international academic credibility, and Ayala Corporation CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala for private sector leadership. The lineup signaled that the conference was a serious policy conversation, not a routine government event.
Phase 2: Multi-Stakeholder Audience Assembly
Extended invitations to a deliberately diverse audience: local and foreign government officials, entrepreneurs, SMEs, startups, professors, students, and NGO activists. The audience mix ensured that every sector with a role in the industrial policy was represented in the room, creating the conditions for cross-sector conversations that a homogeneous audience could not produce.
Phase 3: Two-Day Conference Production at The Peninsula
Produced the two-day conference at The Peninsula Manila, managing end-to-end event logistics, speaker coordination, and on-site programming. The venue and production quality reinforced the event’s positioning as a landmark moment for Philippine innovation policy, not a standard government seminar.
The Results
- 300+ Guests attended the two-day conference at The Peninsula Manila
- Positive surveys Post-event feedback rated conversations interesting and presenters knowledgeable
- Policy launch Conference served as the starting point for DTI’s new innovation industrial policy
Campaign Highlights:
- DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, UC Berkeley’s Dr. Shankar Sastry, and Ayala CEO Zobel de Ayala headlined
- Audience included government officials, entrepreneurs, SMEs, startups, academics, and NGO activists
- USAID STRIDE program provided institutional backing and international development credibility
- Post-event surveys confirmed the event was well-organized with knowledgeable presenters
- Conference positioned as the catalyst for a more conscious national effort toward innovation
The Takeaway
A policy conference earns its credibility from the people on stage, not the organization behind it. DTI’s Inclusive Innovation Conference attracted 300 leaders because the speaker lineup made it clear that attending was a business decision, not a civic obligation.
- Industry: Public Sector, Technology
- Service: PR & Digital Campaigns
- Solution: For Enterprise
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a government policy conference attract private sector leaders?
By putting private sector leaders on stage. When Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of Ayala Corporation keynotes alongside a DTI Secretary, the conference signals that this is a business conversation, not a government briefing. The speaker lineup determines who shows up, and 300 leaders showed up because the program warranted their time.
Why assemble such a diverse audience for an industrial policy event?
Because industrial policy only works when every sector implements it. Government officials set the framework. Entrepreneurs and SMEs apply it. Academics research it. NGOs advocate for its inclusivity. A conference that only invites one sector produces agreement. A conference that invites all of them produces the cross-sector relationships that make the policy work.
What makes a two-day conference format effective for a policy launch?
Two days give the conversations time to deepen. Day one introduces the policy vision and the keynote perspectives. Day two creates space for sector-specific discussions, questions, and relationship building. A single-day event generates awareness. Two days generate the working relationships that sustain momentum after the conference ends.
How do post-event surveys measure a conference’s success?
By confirming that the audience found the content valuable, the presenters credible, and the event well-organized. For a policy conference, positive survey results signal that attendees left feeling informed and motivated to act. That’s the prerequisite for the policy gaining traction in the months that follow.
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