Agora Masterclass Boardroom Sessions bring marketing’s brightest together

~ Philippine Marketing Association launches “Voices of One”

Founded in 1954, the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) has long been at the forefront of advancing marketing as a profession and a driver of business growth in the Philippines. As the country’s oldest and most respected marketing organization, PMA established the Agora Awards to recognize outstanding marketers, entrepreneurs, educators, and brands that exemplify excellence and innovation. Now in its 45th year, the Agora Awards remains the nation’s highest recognition for marketing achievement, honoring individuals and organizations whose vision, leadership, and impact have shaped industries and elevated Philippine marketing across generations.

Continuing its stewardship of the industry, PMA launched its first-ever Agora Masterclass Boardroom Sessions at Newport World Resorts on July 29, featuring a lineup of Agora Award winners across industries. The pioneer event drew an overflow crowd at the Hilton Hotel boardroom, from junior to C-level marketers, MSME founders, academics, select students, and top researchers.

Created by co-chairs Sy Bryan Lato and Me-ann Cortez, the Agora Masterclass Boardroom Sessions depart from the typical staged panel format. Instead, the sessions adopt a boardroom-style, CEO-moderated conversation — free-flowing and face-to-face with an engaged audience.

According to Lato, “Agora has always pushed the boundaries of marketing and that’s the secret to PMA’s staying power. After attending so many predictable conferences and trade events, we wanted to stand apart by offering a practical, exciting new format.

Building on the smaller, research-based discussions from my 2023 presidency together with Director Meann, Director Kim envisioned a larger scale and invited me to chair the new Agora Masterclass Boardroom Sessions. I knew this was the perfect moment to introduce a dynamic boardroom format featuring active Survey Audience Participation.

Just like our shift to structured online GMMs in March 2020, this masterclass proves PMA remains an industry thought leader. The exciting, enlightening feedback from our attendees proves that pushing the envelope works. We owe this to our organization, our Agora Award winners, and our members, who deserve nothing less than excellence.”

Boardroom Session Highlights

I. Growth in a Careful Consumer Economy

Session 1 explored how businesses can grow sustainably in today’s “careful consumer economy,” where rising costs have made consumers more value-driven. Rather than compete on discounts, panelists urged businesses to protect margins through operational efficiency, resourceful innovation, and high-impact, measurable marketing. Key themes included consumer behavior, support for micro-entrepreneurs, franchising for growth, and using data to prove marketing’s business impact. The session concluded that companies earning customer trust through consistent value, agility, and innovation are best positioned to thrive.

II. AI, Growth, and Customer-Centric Transformation

Session 2 examined how organizations can harness AI for sustainable, customer-centric growth. Panelists framed AI as a strategic capability — not just a productivity tool — that enhances customer experience and decision-making. Research shared during the session showed rapidly rising AI adoption among Filipinos, with consumers expecting faster, more personalized, secure, and accurate service. Speakers distinguished consumer AI from enterprise AI, stressing that real transformation requires strong governance, data privacy, ethical standards, and workforce upskilling — alongside human creativity and critical thinking. The session concluded that organizations pairing advanced AI with skilled people and customer trust will lead the AI-powered economy.

III. Filipino Brands’ Global Ambition and Strategy

Session 3 explored how Filipino brands can compete globally through innovation, strategic expansion, and strong identity. Speakers noted that globalization now extends beyond exports to building local brand presence abroad and acquiring international companies. Success requires clear brand purpose, a differentiated value proposition, and the ability to adapt without losing Filipino identity. While the diaspora offers an ideal entry point, brands must ultimately win mainstream consumers — overcoming barriers like limited capital, infrastructure gaps, and a “local-only” mindset. Panelists urged Filipino entrepreneurs to think globally from the outset, embrace world-class standards, protect intellectual property, and confidently showcase Filipino creativity and culture worldwide.

“Mounting the Agora Masterclass was not easy because our goal was never simply to stage an event. We wanted to give executives and marketers practical insights they could apply to today’s real challenges—from inflation and economic uncertainty to rapid technological change. It is a testament to how PMA and our Agora awardees can come together to share knowledge and develop the next generation of marketing leaders, shared Cortez”

This year’s milestone theme—Voices of One—carries a timely message: excellence often begins with one person, one vision, one idea, but its lasting impact is realized only when industries and communities move forward together.

At a time when businesses navigate economic shifts, digital disruption, and changing market expectations, the Agora Awards reaffirms marketing’s critical role in driving resilience, trust, innovation, and long-term growth — shaping not just campaigns and branding, but culture, consumer confidence, entrepreneurship, and nation-building.

Rallying on, Kimberly Lim, Director for Agora Awards expressed, “The Agora Masterclass began with a simple question: what happens before someone becomes an Agora Awardee? For decades, Agora has recognized exceptional marketers, but we also wanted to create a platform that helps shape the leaders who may one day earn that recognition.

“The Power of One reminds us that progress often begins with something small: one idea, one decision, one person who believes in us, or one opportunity that changes the direction of a journey. Our hope is that every participant left the Masterclass with at least one insight, connection, or conversation that inspires meaningful action.”

Marketing communications today is a far cry from its beginnings seven decades ago. Technology, digital tools, innovation, and shifting socio-cultural dynamics now determine what makes or breaks a brand. For trade leaders like PMA, staying at the forefront is non-negotiable.

Capping off on a high note, Mich Ballesteros, PMA President shared, “Marketing has never simply been about products, campaigns, or advertising. It creates trust, shapes culture, drives innovation, and influences behavior. It opens markets, creates opportunities, strengthens enterprises, and contributes to economic growth.

Today, we demonstrated that the Agora legacy is not only about recognizing achievement — it’s about sharing wisdom and creating conversations, ensuring the lessons of one generation become the foundation the next builds upon. While awards recognize excellence, we know legacies are built when knowledge is passed on. That is the true spirit behind Agora Masterclass: The Voices of One.”