North American Joint Networking Night by Dan Napa
On April 4, 2019, the American Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Embassy of Mexico, and the Philippine-Mexico Business Council held the first ever North America Networking Night at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati. The event was the first of its kind in terms of collaboration among these countries’ chambers. It was also a way for them to increase the presence and influence of North American companies and business communities in the Philippines. The participation of Mexico, relatively a newcomer in the Philippines, was the highlight of this event.
Like most networking events I had attended in the past, the evening began with registration as attendees arrived in trickles as early as 6:00 PM. At first, the banquet hall looked spacious, with cocktail tables positioned all over the place. The center table was a buffet spread of signature dishes from the host countries — mini burgers from the U.S.A., nachos and guacamole from Mexico, and poutine with shredded pork from Canada. The drinks were also in line with the theme — choices were Corona beer, a selection of American wines, as well as some Canadian whiskey. There were even tequila samplers here and there, which were used to make some mean cocktails for everyone to enjoy.
As the evening went by, it was clear that the event was going to be packed. The stream of newcomers didn’t let up one bit. At around 7:30 PM, there was a silent commotion at the back of the hall as a commanding presence made its way towards the stage. It turned out that the three ambassadors had just arrived to grace the event. The welcome address and speeches were remarkable as the dignitaries and heads of the chambers shared their thoughts on building relationships and strengthening ties among these countries and their commitment to investing in the Philippines.
After the speeches, raffle prizes were given away to lucky attendees. The night wore on with more mingling and merry-making and, to cap off the evening, everyone enjoyed some treats from Tim Horton’s — Canada’s favorite coffee shop. Overall, it was one of the more enjoyable networking nights I’ve had the privilege of attending and I’m looking forward to next year’s event!
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About the author:
Dan is a Business Management graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University. His interests are shipping, sports, radio, game development, and animation industries. When he’s not working, Dan can be seen spending time on his bike. He loves riding anything with two wheels and often goes on adventures around the city or in the neighboring mountains surrounding Manila. His love for bikes is only surpassed by his love for food; so far, food has been winning.
