What to look forward to in DigiCon 2018

MANILA, Philippines – DigiCon is back and this year, it’s expected to be the biggest one yet.

If the first two editions of DigiCon were all about defining and figuring out how to navigate the digital sphere, this year, the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), the organizing committee behind DigiCon, will zero in on the consumer.

(READ: 8 things to expect at DigiCon 2017)

“Everything that we do in digital is all about the consumer or the customer or the people that we serve. Regardless of however you call them… digital is basically there for us to deliver a certain experience to them.

“For 2018, the committee decided that we will be talking about the digital experience. We would like to tie up what we learned in 2016 [and] 2017 and put that into a package that actually talks about the consumer, the customer. Because at the end of the day, they are the ones who are invaluable to us,” Dennis Perez, IMMAP Vice President, said during the press launch for DigiCon 2018 held on August 24, 2018.

Here are the four biggest things that you can look forward to in this year’s DigiCon, which carries the tagline, “Experience Extraordinary”:

UX, CX, and BX

This year, there will be three tracks that attendees can immerse themselves into: UX, or User Experience; CX, or Customer Experience; and BX, or Brand Experience.

Perez explained that in UX, attendees can expect to hear from speakers talking about “design, technology, [and] digital interactions.”

“If you are into programming, coding, or designing a new app, this is the track that will speak to you,” he added.

In CX, topics such as e-commerce, fulfillment, customer analytics, [and] loyalty will be tackled to keep up with the ever-evolving ways of doing things and buying today.

Lastly, BX is crafted with the advertisers, who are the majority of DigiCon attendees, in mind to help them make the best customer experience possible.

“At the end of the day, we would like to tie everything together in order for them to be able to bring an experience to the people that they serve. So here, we would be talking about creatives, branding, communication, how to properly use Instagram [and] Youtube…” Perez said.

“The most kickass” speaker lineup, diverse activities

“We are very happy to announce that we have what I would say the most kickass lineup of speakers since DigiCon started two years ago,” Perez announced.

This year, Bozoma St. John heads DigiCon’s international roster of speakers. One of the most prominent women in tech, St. John’s work has been crucial in the successes of Apple Music and Uber. Today, she serves as the CMO for entertainment conglomerate Endeavor.

Other prominent speakers coming from different industries include Asher Rapkin of Facebook, Shaifali Nathan of Google, Hosi Simon of VICE Media, Samuel Burke of CNN, TP Pura of Sephora, Chris Tran of RIOT Games, Michael Patent of Culture Group, Tuomas Peltoniemi of TBWA, Sanchit Sanga of Mindshare, Malcolm Koh of Zendesk, Ted Kilian of Fjord, Prashant Kumar of Entropia, Andrew Yeoh of IKEA, Avis Easteal of Luxasia, Peachy Pacquing of The Just League, Ben Poole of Reprise, Carlo Ople of PLDT, Anubhav Nayyar of Viber, Greta Corke of Honestbee, Arvinder Gujral of Twitter, Wendy Hogan of Oracle, KK Kumar of Waze, Pablo Gomez of Kantar, and Myke Santos of Lego.

A total of 65 speakers are expected to share their expertise throughout the 3-day event.

Diverse activities

Aside from the talks, there will also be more experiential activities that delegates can participate in such as workshops, interactive trade exhibits, and debates.

The Start-Up Match-Up, a speed-dating-like activity with around 20 startups and 20 potential clients participating, will be making a comeback, too.

And for the first time ever, the Speakeasy will be mounted to facilitate networking between DigiCon delegates. According to Perez, it will be one room “dedicated to networking… with nothing but drinks and maybe a fishbowl of cards.”

IMMAP Youthcon

For the first time in DigiCon’s three-year history, it will be bringing in the youth to attend what is dubbed the IMMAP Youthcon. The speakers would be the same ones as the main conference, but it’s going to be a separate track that will cater solely to students.

“We are choosing and scouting for the best students in the Philippines as of the moment. There will be around 300 students across the Philippines who will be doing IMMAP Youthcon,” Perez shared.

DigiCon 2018 will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on October 3-5, 2018. For more information, visit www.digicon.immap.com.ph. –   Rappler.com