In keeping with the times, the much-loved National Trade Fair has moved to the digital realm with the staging of the first-ever Virtual National Trade Fair, to be held from 27 January to 2 February 2021 through its website: virtualnationaltradefair.dti.gov.ph.

Over the years, the national domestic trade fairs organized by the Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion have gained a loyal following of Metro Manila consumers who flock to this event to stock up on their favorite products from the regions. Simultaneously, the event was a venue for institutional buyers from department stores to negotiate and place bulk orders for new merchandise.

Now, as the national trade fair goes digital, it has become more accessible to a larger market beyond Metro Manila, and even beyond the Philippines.

Here’s how you can attend the Virtual National Trade Fair:

  1. On your browser, go to the site: virtualnationaltradefair.dti.gov.ph
  2. Click on the Register button.
  3. This will take you to a page which contains details about the event. At the bottom of the page, click the Continue button.
  4. On the Registration Form, be sure to check the box agreeing to the Data Privacy, then fill in all the requested information. Once done, click Submit.
  5. Check your inbox for the confirmation email, saying that you have successfully pre-registered for the event.
  6. Wait for the follow-up email containing your unique access link at a date closer to the event.
  7. On the day of the event, simply click on the unique access link sent to your email to enter the Virtual National Trade Fair!

Once you enter the website, you will see a lobby and tabs for the Exhibition Hall, Conference Hall, Featured Products, List of Participants/Visitor Guide. Clicking on the Exhibition Hall will take you to the virtual booths of the exhibitors where you can browse their products and even communicate with them through the Networking Widget. During designated fair hours, a live representative will be online for chat and video calls.

For each virtual booth, you will also be able to access background information about the company, downloadable files, and contact information. You can also browse product brochures and catalogs.

To attend the scheduled learning sessions, you can click on the Conference Hall and join an ongoing webinar.

From 27 January to 2 February 2021, the Virtual National Trade Fair will be accessible online 24/7. On the first four days of the fair from 27 January to 30 January, exhibitors will man their booths virtually during show hours from 10AM to 6PM. At that time, visitors can do real-time chats, meetings, and video calls. Beyond show hours and in the following days from January 31 to February 2, visitors can continue to visit the booths anytime and leave a message for the exhibitor.

The Virtual National Trade Fair is open to the public, and admission is free. Simply visit virtualnationaltradefair.dti.gov.ph and fill in your registration details. Be informed about the latest updates by following @virtualnatltradefair on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information about the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, please follow their social media accounts @BDTP on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter. You may also email bdtp@dti.gov.ph.♦

Date Released: 25 January 2021