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Saturday, July 29, 2017

Professional Speakers Unite at Keynote 2017: First Professional Speakers Conference

On July 26, 2017, the Philippine Association of Professional Speakers, Inc. (PAPS) organized the first-ever conference for professional speakers entitled “Keynote 2017”. Around 100 aspiring and existing professional speakers filled the Jesus V. Del Rosario conference hall of the AIM Conference Center in Makati City to witness this milestone in the field of public speaking.

Induction of PAPS Board of Directors with keynote speaker Jonathan Low

The whole-day event started with an inspiring keynote by Jonathan Low, past President of Global Speakers Federation and Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers. In his keynote, Jonathan shared his experience of having a sense of community within the speaking profession in his country, and also shared some valuable insights on how a professional speaker can uphold himself to the highest standard. He also highlighted authenticity as one of the qualities that a professional speaker should possess, in order to become successful in his career. Jonathan also led the induction and oath-taking of the PAPS Board of Directors right after his speech.

Two panel discussions followed shortly after the oath-taking. The first panel discussion was geared towards aspiring professional speakers, on how they can jumpstart their profession. The panel was composed of Karen Agustin-Ostrea, 2002 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and Managing Director of Global Image Management, Inc.; Bryson Bonsol, Laughter Yoga Leader and owner of Be Blest; and Ricky de Vera, a business mentor, consultant, trainor and motivational speaker. The panel was moderated by Pambansang Inspirasyon and PAPS Founding President Lloyd Luna. The panelists shared how they started their career in the public speaking arena, as well as the challenges they had to overcome in order to make a name for themselves as speakers.

The second panel discussion was about benchmarking the profession, where they discussed current industry best practices, as well as how a Filipino motivational speaker can conquer the international stage. The panel was moderated by PAPS Chairman of the Board Carlos “Pido” Aguilar. Among the panelists were Dr. Joyce Dy, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of Lyceum of the Philippines University; NPI Communications Consulting Inc. CEO Archie Inlong, and Lhoree Valerio, a Certified Hospitality Educator at De La Salle College of St. Benilde.

PAPS founding members with keynote speaker Ms Karen Davila

After lunch, the participants were treated to another inspiring keynote by ABS CBN and ANC Host, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Ms. Karen Davila. Karen acknowledged and lauded the participants, recognizing that being a motivational speaker is a noble calling that they should be proud of undertaking. She gave the audience her perspective of the qualities that make a great professional speaker. She emphasized being authentic, having a great story, and keeping an open mind. A quick open forum was conducted where Karen answered questions from the audience.

Two more panel discussions happened in the afternoon session. The first panel was about mentoring for professional speakers, which was moderated by Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Assistant Vice President and PAPS founding member Jesse Rebustillo. The panel was composed of Salt and Light Founder Boris Joaquin; Southeast Asia Speakers and Trainers Bureau Founder Dina Loomis; author, TV host and actor, and motivational speaker Michael Angelo Lobrin; and Voice Director, author, youth advocate and PAPS founding member, Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales.

Pocholo Gonzales talks about mentoring young and aspiring speakers

The last panel discussion was about building the community of professional speakers, where they discussed the value of camaraderie and synergy among speakers, and reaching consensus on the standards and norms of the industry. The panel was composed of Manila Bulletin Head of External Affairs Barbie Atienza; author and founder of Project CourageZone JC Libiran; DLSU educator and Kairos recollection master No-el Salvacion; and PAPS CEO Michelle Lim. The panel was moderated by AIB Training’s Chief Awesome Officer, Al Ian Barcelona.

Keynote 2017 closed with the singing of the PAPS hymn.

Here are the highlights of the event.


Philippine Association of Professional Speakers is a network of existing and aspiring professional speakers whose mission is to uphold the holistic development of professional speakers in the country.
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