Tag: Philstar

by The Philippine Star

If millennials are, fairly or unfairly, typecast as those who expect to be handheld more, and the ones who feel “entitled”, then startup entrepreneurs are the antithesis of that stereotype. Not only are they self-motivated and independent, they are mentally prepared for hard work and sacrifice. They are not overnight successes, and many of them are still struggling to find traction.

One startup founder who has had a couple of pivots already to find profit intimated that if she can turn back the hands of time, she would consider a brick-and-mortar business, which may give her faster returns. But a startup cares for passion first before profit, and did I tell you earlier they have grit, lots of grit? Let’s get back to those pain points and how they solved such.

“How do I know what my employees in the field are really doing?”

If you have a sales force out in the field, or personnel in branches around the country, accept your human reality – you are not omnipresent. Imagine that you can monitor those in the field and in the branches, and their activities as they happen. And imagine that your same people know that their activities from far away are known to management, in real time. Will their performance improve? Will your revenue improve? Absolutely.

Businessmen who use the Tarkie mobile app swear by it. The ability to monitor in real time when field personnel logs in and out of work, when they deviate from their itinerary, or whether supervisors are doing their job at their respective outlets, is a game changer. It increases productivity. It is empowering for any business.

Rio Palabrica-Ilao, founder of MobileOptima Inc., actually had to do a few pivots before finally gaining traction with her digital tracking app. From a time-keeping system, to a tablet-based inventory system, and then finally to an app that tracks employees in the field, captures field expenses, and generates reports. Now that Tarkie is “tracking”, it is beginning to scale up its volume of users. Their challenge is to constantly keep the architecture strong, and the dashboard dynamic, with new innovations. It is also worth pointing out that this startup company is run by a partnership between Rio and her spouse – another interesting dynamic that we don’t have space to take up this Sunday.

“I am a small business, with small funds, and I am at the mercy of my clients as to when I get paid.”

“Cash is king”, or maybe, cash flow is king. For SMEs, who shun borrowing because of its tedious requirements and covenants, cash flow must necessarily come from investments – and from sales. B2B sales are however, almost always not in cash, and receivables don’t get converted to cash that quickly. Not only do big companies and payers have longer payment cycles, some receivables could become long overdue.

Magellan Fetalino not only observed, but felt this pain of SMEs who struggle to make both ends meet, let alone grow the business because the expected cash flow does not happen on time. His solution, factoring. His medium, fintech. Through the platform that his company, Acudeen Technologies, Inc. developed, SMEs are able to sell their receivables online for instant cash. The platform includes a credit rating system for the receivables and the SME to help retail buyers and big financial institutions evaluate the collection risk of receivables or invoices they will buy.

Receivable or invoice financing, and factoring, are maybe highfalutin terms for the common SME, so the first step for Acudeen is to educate SMEs on the product. In over a year, Acudeen has processed over P200 million in receivables. That he processed over P200 million is not what’s interesting. It is that he did not even need to have the money to convert them to cash.

“Can I pay all my bills in a “one stop shop”, in my house clothes?”

This startup’s fast-growing enterprise serves the Filipino masses, both the banked and unbanked, with their most common financial transactions – utilities payment, money transfers, mobile load purchase, even travel ticketing and courier services. But, Allen G. Mascenon did not only serve the masses. He created entrepreneurs, leveraging on the power of franchising for ExpressPay, Inc. and the technology of electronic fund transactions.

Growing more than 200 percent year on year, Expresspay now has over 1,000 outlets nationwide with the ambition to grow his network to 10,000 outlets in the next four years. Expresspay’s bold growth targets will allow it to bring financial inclusion to the country’s 7,100 islands and its barangays that do not have easy access to financial services, or the resources to own smartphones. Expresspay’s success story may just be starting as it is may soon shed off its startup label with its application with the PSE for initial public offering of its shares.

“Can I construct an awesome-looking house with a mid-size budget, four times faster, and 100% more beautiful?”

Dream on, you may say. But Robbie Antonio, founder of Revolution Precrafted, would say “dream no more”. That reality is here, and can even exceed your wildest dreams.

Very little is startup anymore about his enterprise, and Robbie is an entrepreneur with a truly big-time mentality, and a great idea to back it up – so great that he was able to now get 61 renowned architects and designers internationally to back him up (via exclusive contracts!). The idea is to build designer houses, made to order, then ship them – done in about 90 days, at a fraction of the cost it would take to have these constructed the traditional way. “Democratizing design”, as Robbie says, and breaking the privilege of the elite few with a business that brings great architecture to people.

Now present in six different countries, and targeting 18 countries his company identified, he has closed deals to supply more than 12,000 units. He is reported to be the country’s first unicorn, which is a startup valued at least US$1 billion. (How proud, I wonder, his father is – Jose Antonio, founder and chairman of Century Properties that developed Trump Tower, among others.)

My two Sundays were devoted to some of the country’s very own startups. They see pain points, they don’t complain. Instead, they find their passion, do something to solve it, and make an enterprise out of it. A truly admirable bunch, aren’t they?

by The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Century Properties Group Inc. managing director Robbie Antonio spoke before the well-attended “Forbes Asia Forum: The Next Tycoons – A Generation Emerges” on June 11 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong.

Antonio participated as a speaker at the forum and joined the panel, ‘Making your mark’. The panel focused on how next generation tycoons traditionally take the reins of their family companies by being responsible stewards of their past generation’s accomplishments. Yet their success is oftentimes measured by their bold and ingenuous strategies to launch into new directions and expand their family businesses through fresh avenues of growth.

As Century’s head for brand collaborations, Antonio  conceived and orchestrated the company’s real estate project tie-ups with global brands including Donald Trump, Armani, yoo inspired by Starck (of John Hitchcox and Philippe Starck), Paris Hilton, Missoni, Daniel Libeskind, Versace, Armani Casa and Forbes Media.

At the forum where Antonio was the lone Filipino speaker among Asia’s top new-generation business leaders, the young entrepreneur addressed questions such as how these leaders can apply the lessons learned from the old guard, develop their own passions and execute their own visions. On the panel, Antonio shared his experiences in growing the company that was founded by his father, Century Properties chairman Jose E.B. Antonio.

Robbie Antonio said that he started getting involved in the family business as early as 12 years old.

“Dinner conversations were about the family business. I was led to construction sites by my father with my three other siblings, who are also very much involved (now) in executing the vision that my father has,” he shared at the forum.

Antonio had his “baptism of fire” when he worked in the highly-competitive real estate business in New York. There, under the Antonio Development, he worked on acquiring an assemblage of property to develop the Centurion, a luxury apartment building on 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.

“New York City is probably the most complex real estate market in the world. We saw a site that we liked in the Plaza district, which was a sought after piece of land. Proving to the seller that it is a financeable deal and trying to outperform these very well entrenched developers was a challenging task,” he said.

Antonio knew he had to differentiate with other major towers even amongst the best location. He secured I.M. Pei, with Pei Partnership Architects, to design the Centurion. Pei’s first ground up condominium project in the world was completed in 2009.

He added, “I had to very entrepreneurial, learn the ropes of a new culture, meet the players, and compete against them.”

“The reason I did that (founding a development company in New York) was two-fold: I wanted to stay in the development business because that’s what I knew.  I also wanted to do something entrepreneurial and really prove to myself that I could do this and try to have my own ideas; inject my own creativity,” he added.

The US financial crisis hit during this time. Antonio said he knew right then, that it was a good time to go back to Manila.

He told the forum audience: “The Philippines is the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia. So I wanted to go back home and lead a professional management team and help my siblings and my father, and try to create an impact in the country.”

Exploring fresh avenues

Partnering with respected names in the real estate, architecture, and design fields is a strategy that the third Antonio scion and Century pursued to gain product differentiation from other established real estate companies. He believes that partnering with the experts will elevate living experiences for Century’s residential projects, and at the same time highlight the ability of Filipinos to execute global ambitions.

“Five years ago, I went to the board and earmarked our major differentiating points, predominantly to bring some important brands to development,” he shared. “I wanted to give that lifestyle that these luxury companies embody and that the end users are eager to have, and bring the West to the Far East.” 

He used his connections in the fashion, luxury, design and real estate world to do just that. One of the earlier partnerships that Century announced in 2010 was with Versace Home, for the amenity interior design of Milano Residences. The following year, Antonio got the nod of style icon and entrepreneur Paris Hilton to  design the Paris Beach Club, the key amenity of Azure Urban Resort Residences.

 More major brands followed. Century signed a licensing deal with the Trump organization for the residential building Trump Tower at Century City. In previous interviews the young Antonio related that he first met with Ivanka Trump, and worked for two years through site validation visits in Manila and business plan discussions before he finally closed the deal with Don Jr., Eric and Donald Trump.

Interior design partnerships were also forged with MissoniHome for Acqua Livingstone Residences, and with the iconic French designer Philippe Starck and British real estate entrepreneur John Hitchcox of yoo inspired by Starck for the Acqua Iguazu residences.

Century’s more recent collaborations are with Armani/Casa and the renowned architect Daniel Libeskind for the 60-storey residential-office building Century Spire; and with Forbes Media LLC, with which Robbie proposed the idea to build the first Forbes-branded building in the world—in Manila. Hence, the Forbes Media Tower at Century City, Makati was announced in late 2013.

Respecting the old guard

While Robbie underlined the importance of introducing new ideas in the forum, he likewise stressed the value of respecting the legacy and wisdom of his father, who started Century Properties in 1986 with just a handful of employees.

“I wake up every day reminding myself that I did not start this company, so I am very respectful of that… I am an employee. But I also want to innovate. I want to pioneer. I want game-changing ideas,” he said.

Antonio believes that it helps to have a very strong family support system.

“We see each other every day. Their presence and mentorship (are) there,” he said, referring to his father and three brothers who also hold key positions in the company.

Antonio believes that acknowledging the wisdom of one’s elders is vital in being in the family business.

“I think no matter how smart you think you are, there is one thing that you can’t expedite—and that is wisdom. So when you are not sure, go ask someone. This could be your father, a mentor or someone who has gone through that experience before. I inherited a company that has gone through four cycles. We have seen the booms and busts. You learn from those scars. If you are bruised, that is how you become a better person and a better manager. Thankfully, we learned a lot from that, and those experiences can be bestowed from one generation to another,” Antonio concluded.

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Related Links:  About Robbie Antonio, Contact

by WILL SOON FLOURISH – Wilson Lee Flores – The Philippine Star

Govern a family as you would cook a small fish

Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements.  â€”Elizabeth II 

This is a condensed version of the speech I gave at the “Baby and Family Expo Philippines 2013,” which opened on Dec. 6 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex, Pasay City. It was the organizer and Philippine STAR reader David Abrenilla, the chief executive officer of Mediacom Solutions Inc., who suggested that my speech discuss “Mastering the Harmony of Family Wealth.”

A few years ago at the Makati residence of billionaire Endika Aboitiz, SGV Group founder Washington SyCip told me that we ethnic Chinese are talented and natural entrepreneurs, but in the past our forebears failed to build enduring family businesses that lasted more than three generations.

SyCip told me that in the Philippines, only the ethnic Spanish Zobel family of Ayala Group and the Aboitiz family of the Aboitiz Group have succeeded. Now, many families are planning or preparing transitions in their business groups, such as the Henry Sy, Gokongwei, Andrew and Mercedes Gotianun, Manny Villar, David Consunji, Joey Antonio and other families. 

According to the Family Firm Institute, a research group based in Boston, only 30 percent of family-owned businesses are still operating by the second generation, only 10 percent lasts to the third generation, and three percent survives to the fourth generation.

In the US, more than 80 percent of all businesses are family-owned, but only 30 percent get successfully passed on to the second generation and statistics show that only 13 percent are successfully transferred to the third generation.

In recent years, I have had the opportunity to assist in resolving two bitter family feuds, each involving business clans with billion-peso assets. I assisted the first family by inviting Davao businessman James Gaisano to be the mediator, and he succeeded after one year.

The second family feud I helped untangle was that of my paternal great-grandfather’s first cousin, which had already lasted for half a century. I stumbled into this family feud because I had been doing research on our family’s two-century entrepreneurial history here in the Philippines.

Here are some of my suggestions to build multi-generational family wealth, based on my research and studies of business families past and present:

•Do not spoil children or heirs. The Waterloo or ultimate failure of not a few “rags-to-riches” entrepreneurs and professionals, even celebrities, was their having insulated their children or heirs from the harsh realities and complexities of life by spoiling them.  Spoiling kids will weaken them.

Do you notice that in families and throughout world history, so many of the successful entrepreneurs, professionals and good leaders are those who have undergone crises or struggled with disadvantages?

• Teach kids the value of money. Parents and family elders should early on communicate with children your values about money, why and how to save it, how to make it grow, and how to spend it wisely. Make kids understand that it is not easy to earn money, so money shouldn’t be wasted. 

• Educate and train children and heirs well. Invest in the best education and also hands-on training for children and other heirs. Make kids work first in other corporations as part of their training. Giving your kids a good education is more important to future family wealth than just giving kids money.

• Be fair to everyone. Life is not fair; not all children or grandchildren have equal talents, natural intelligence, drive or interest in the family business, but under the law all should have equal shares of the family wealth.

Whether as kids or adults, children, nephews, and grandchildren should be treated fairly to prevent emotional baggage and animosities that might erupt into future family squabbles. Those who work should be given more, out of fairness, but the reasons should be explained clearly to other relatives. 

• Promote tradition or a culture of meritocracy. Choose the leader and other managers of the family business based on qualifications, abilities and also commitment to the family business, not based on seniority or even gender. When not enough family members are available, hire non-family professionals. Have performance reviews for all, relatives or not.

• Write down or institutionalize rules for the family business. It is ideal to write down and institutionalize the basic rules and core values that will guide your family in terms of the business or wealth management. For example, set a rule on the role of in-laws, which some families favor and others do not.

• Prepare for clear succession early. A lot of family businesses have patriarchs who do not plan for the future and die unexpectedly, thus creating chaos, bitter internal quarrels or results in weak leadership in the next generation. Have estate and succession planning done early on and clearly, even family trusts.

• There should be only one boss and he or she should have authority. This rule of having only one boss is true whether for family businesses or non-family businesses. Based on my research, many patriarchs just appoint a son to be the boss of the family business but didn’t give the chosen heir the adequate additional stocks or shares to back up his authority, so in the long-term future the other kids or kin can gang up on the boss and take him out.

This was the case with my late father, who inherited the mantle of leadership over the family sawmill business from my grandfather, who died young. However, dad only had an equal percentage of shares as his one eldest brother, seven younger half-brothers and half-sisters, plus cousins who three decades later ganged up to oust him after an acrimonious legal battle, which went all the way to the Supreme Court.

• Separate the personal from the business. Whether in finances, vehicles, and resources, make it clear that personal needs or expenses should come from family members’ salaries or incomes and should not be sourced in an unlimited manner from the family business. This is one way to avoid abuses, misunderstandings, waste and dissipation of the family business resources.

• Plan the long-term future of family investments. There should be long-term and strategic planning on how to preserve family wealth, which is different from the continuity of the family business. Top investment bankers and lawyers should be consulted; all options here and abroad should be studied thoroughly.

 

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Related Links: About Robbie Antonio , Contact

by Philstar Global

In 1922, a team of British explorers cracked the secret entrance to King Tutankhamun’s tomb, unearthing, in no particular order: a gold throne, gilt chariots, jars of perfume, overflowing baskets filled with gemstones and jewelry, a fleet of miniature ships (to lead him to the promised land in the afterlife), and numerous relics from childhood.

Todays royals or celebs, as tabloid mags anoint them would probably settle for their walk-in closets, thousand-dollar construction marvels with floor to ceiling racks and temperature-controlled sealed cabinets, as their burial site, with a personal assistant curled humbly at their feet, an iPhone glued solidly to her manicured hands. Instead of hieroglyphs, OOTD images paper the walls. Loubs and Blahniks, their jewels. It bags, their mementos.

Pyramids, after all, are so last millennia.

In The Bling Ring, the Sofia Coppola flick chronicling the felonious pursuits of a group of enterprising teens bent on robbing celebs, the closet of Paris Hilton is the modern day shrine” complete with stripper pole, lights and sofa pillows embossed with her likeness.

We tasked todays tastemakers to choose a closet worth raiding. Who has a closet worth a potential felony record? Read on and find out.

Ryan Gosling closet! Not because he is super hot and I wanna smell and feel him from his clothes; because I love wearing menswear. And he’s got that perfect style I like. Hoping to take home some of his stuff after the closet raid as my souvenir

Jessica Yang, model

I’d love to raid the closet of Gwen Stefani. She’s the ultimate cool chick in my book. She has two personas: rocker babe and now high fashion sophisticate

Michelline Syjuco,

artist

Angelina Jolie because she melds glamorous classic and rock ˜n roll.

—Rocio Olbes, designer

Nick Wooster. I consider him a fashion icon. I would love to see his shoe collection and what other unique styling elements he has hidden in his closet.

Roy Macam, photographer

“I would like to raid the closet of the Olsen twins because two is better than one. From the fur, the vintage gowns, the beat-up Birkins and their to-die-for estate jewelry collection, I want it all!

Janina Dizon, jewelry designer

I’d love to raid Vince Uy’s closet! I saw his walk-in closet the other week and I wanted to steal everything! His shoe collection is amazing!

BJ Pascual, photographer

Erin Wasson’s. I wanna count how many boots and hats she owns. I actually also wanna raid her home… Ha-ha!

Valerie delos Santos, model

Tilda Swinton’s and Stella Tennant’s. These two are my ultimate style icons. Androgynous, minimal forever.

Jo Ann Bitagcol, photographer

I wanna raid Eugene Tong’s closet, he’s the style director of Details magazine. Because I can relate to his personal style, mixing street wear and high-end pieces. Also maybe Pat’s, my partner in Proudrace, so I can get all my clothes back.

Rik Rasos, Proudrace designer

Chris Evans closet is one I would like to raid because I love him. I want to smell his scent on the clothes. I want to take a lot of his shirts home because I am pretty sure it will fit me. I would probably wear his boxers every night. I can style his button-down shirts to make it look more feminine when I wear them to work. Eventually, when he starts looking for his things and finds me wearing them, we just might end up walking down the aisle. I am very confident this will happen.

Candy Dizon, jewelry designer

If I were his size Tom Ford. He is perfection

Sidney Yap, stylist

I would love to raid the closet of Iris Apfel in the 60s. I have a high tolerance for mothball smell.

Joyce Makitalo, designer

I would like to raid Park Soo Joo’s closet. Because she has this unique style of dressing: playful, weird but still genuine. I want to steal all her clothes! I hope it fits me. Ha-ha!

Chat Almarvez, Ford model

Nigo/Tomoaki Nagao, founder and former creative director, BAPE. First, I will go to his closet, then on the way out, I will head on to his Warhol artworks and vintage tin can toys!

Ryan Vergara, photographer/Everywhere We Shoot

The Vogue closet. Just because it’s bound to have the newest, hottest and latest in the fashion world.

—Pauline Juan, Preview EIC

I have many but my topmost is Anna dello Russo’s wild collection of luxury from her hats, jewelry to shoes. I can live in her closet and be happy doing inventory.

—Lucille Dizon, jewelry designer

Lauren Santo Domingo. Love the way she dresses. It’ a good balance between edgy, cool and easy.

TC Alvarez, designer

I would love to raid the closet of Daphne Guinness. She’s not just a fashion icon, she is a curator.

—Meryll Yan, Mega publisher

I would love to raid the closet of Queen Raina of Jordan. I think she is so beautiful and her style is impeccable. Each time I see a photograph of her, I am intrigued and inspired.

Rajo Laurel, designer

Victoria Beckham! I love her style and I love her husband even more! Ha-ha!

Jessica Tan Gan, designer

Whose closet would I raid? If only to see what he has stashed from his travels, I would very much love to break down the wall of Eman Pineda’s closet. Or maybe Robbie Antonio’s, his collection of shoes, watches, portraits and all.

Dennis Lustico, designer

Alonso Mateo;s closet. That kid has amassed so many clothes, shoes and sunnies, it’s mind-boggling. The clincher? He’s only five years old!

Agoo Bengzon, Preview beauty editor

Anna Wintour. I want to see all the types of clothes she owned, the shoes and accessories. Her style is totally her own, is relevant then and especially now.

Ruby Gan, retailer

Definitely Tony Stark’s closet! Who wouldn’t want to have several versions of the Iron-Man armor? That would rock!

Val Weigmann, model

I really want to raid the shoe cabinet of Janina Dizon. I love her clothes too but my midsection is not at all suitable for peek-a-boos. I admire her taste and style sensibilities.

Patrice Ramos Diaz, designer

I’d like to raid Celine Lopez’s closet and steal only one piece of clothing: her Madame Gres gown!

Maureen Disini, designer

I’d like to raid my sister Liz’s closet. Not just so I can have some of my clothes back but because she has a lot of oversized pieces (and bags) that I can use and never, ever return. Plus it makes me feel happy thinking m still thin enough to be able to fit into her pieces

Vince Uy, Preview creative director

by Philstar Global

Right smack center of the rainy season, the ball season is also upon us. But if you’re thinking of the stiff, upper-lipped, full-on powdered faces doing a rigid on, then think again. Things have changed quite a lot in this scene that after a whole night of event hopping, you realize that, indeed, “you had a ball!”

The folks at Lifestyle Asia, now in their 26th year, jumpstarted the season when they welcomed the Queen Mother of Bhutan, Her Majesty Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck  (try saying that five times) who was such a regal royal that everybody wanted to come over and meet her. And so they did. The whole town was abuzz and went all out just to show the Queen how we welcome our guests.

Perfect match, if you ask me. Bhutan is known for measuring the country’s output by its Gross National Happiness, something that sounds very… us. And so, the Lifestyle Asia Ball proceeded with the usual fanfare  glitzy lounges for Globe Platinum and Tattoo, flashy cars, champagne, the works. But knowing the people behind the glossy, namely editor in chief Anna Sobrepeña, publisher Cheryl Tiu, even senior editor Cristina Gomez and the rest of the LA team, it was definitely more than that. Yes, the luxe part they got down pat, but remember, in any ball (and this goes for all people who throw parties) one must never forget the fun part  that’s what makes it unforgettable.

And so I arrived straight from taping for my show right on time when everyone was dancing. A flash mob, it turned out! I was having late dinner with this month’s cover girl Tessa Prieto-Valdes and then I saw people jumping off their seats and hopping onto the dance floor! That was a YouTube worthy moment. I stayed polite and didn’t need up Instagramming every moment. I reserved the highlights of the event to come out in this space.

For the fourth straight year, Mega did it again! Each year, when the calendar hits the 12th of June, Mega magazine, that glossy fashion mag that truly makes Pinoys proud, turns things a few (actually, many) notches higher. The Mega Pinoy Pride Ball this year was one for the books, as it has been making history by paying tribute to global Pinoys who make the wheels of change turn faster for all of us so we may become version 2.0 versions of ourselves.

I’ve also had the honor of hosting all four years straight of this groundbreaking event. I was extra emotional this year, seeing how far this momentous milestone has gone, thanks to the visionary efforts of Mega founder, president, and CEO Sari Yap and her amazing team of creative thinkers and gung-ho doers. They went beyond the magazine, took to television, invaded cyberspace just to reach out to you, modest Filipino reader, televiewer, blog reader, fashion lover. New media, new ways of looking at things, a new Mega, catered for you.

The Mega Pride Ball started on a high note, literally. Regine Velasquez ascended onto the stage, singing Narito Ako. And then came a fashion parade of the best of the Mega YDC All Star finalists, each flaunting the best of Filipino design talent. Each suite displayed the best of Filipino talent, from Elmo Magalona and Kean Cipriano to Jed Madela  each one dishing out vocal calisthenics like no other, accompanied by a full orchestra.

In between all this, the global Filipinos were  awarded. A rousing chorale rendition of Paraiso ushered in the awardees, and one could see from the diversity of their achievements that, indeed, the Filipino has arrived. I was holding back my tears, it was deeply moving. But I didn’t want to host with Issa Litton and G. Tongi with super tears in my eyes. It was a happy, no, joyous occasion. Everybody in free-form Filipino attire, on Philippine Independence Day.

All balls are not created equal, this one was one for the books. Kudos to the OneMega Group!

by The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – As luxury real estate consumers standards become higher, developers and investors are likewise doing their best to stand out. One sure fire way to do this, says Century Properties managing director Robbie Antonio, is to innovate through differentiation.

In a roundtable discussion at the recent Wall Street Journal executive conference, “Unleashing Innovation”, Antonio said that differentiation is effective simply because buyers who are paying top-money expect no less than premium products.

“Differentiated products are not only eye-catching, they also offer lifestyles that are notches higher than what the market has been accustomed to”, Antonio said.

Attended by some 200 executives comprised of various industry leaders, entrepreneurs as well as personalities in the business of innovation from around the world, the Wall Street Journal conference encouraged participants to “debate on the most cutting-edge ideas in business and technology today in the hope of inspiring “practical advice and strategies to drive innovation in large companies, small businesses and society.

Speakers included top business executives such as Eduardo Saverin, Facebook co-founder and Investor, John G. Rice, vice chairman of General Electric Company, Owen Mahoney, CFO and CAO of Nexon, James E. Rogers, chairman, president and CEO of Duke Energy, Vineet Nayar, vice chairman and CEO of HCL Technologies, Ya-Qin Zhang, chairman of Microsoft Asia-Pacific R&D Group and Corporate vice president, Microsoft, as well as academics such as Tarun Khanna, Professor at the Harvard Business School, and Director, The South Asia Initiative at Harvard University and Pericles Lewis, Founding President and Professor of Humanities at Yale-NUS College.

Antonio represented the only Philippine company in the forum which scaled a full range of topics from the history of the human imagination, conquering foreign markets through local innovation, less expensive medical innovations, and the recruitment of great creative talent in various industries.

The Century Properties International Collaborations head provided the highlights of luxury Philippine real estate with focus on the differentiation strategy that his company has taken on in recent years and which will continue to do so with more brand collaborations already underway.

Branded successes

Century Properties has a string of successes with its differentiated real estate products, most of which are collaborations with upmarket brands such as the New York-based Trump Organization, Italian design powerhouses Versace Home and MissoniHome, international icon and real estate heiress Paris Hilton and most recently, the most acclaimed international design company based in Europe, yoo Inspired by Starck.

Each of these brands has seeped into local real estate and home design culture with their design offerings of Century Properties projects such as the Trump Tower at Century City, the Milano Residences, the Azure Urban Resort Residences and the Acqua Private Residences Livingstone and Iguazu towers. The entry of the brands have since upped the ante in the local industry and sparked a change in the game.

As unprecedented and landmark partnerships, they have allowed the company to create real estate products that feature never-before introduced and ultra-modern living choices.

Our partner brands have their own distinct aesthetic or design ethos that provide them with directions in designing lifestyle experiences Antonio, who is also Century Properties head of International Collaborations, said.  

Common among such projects are personalized, leisure and wellness-oriented, sustainable and intelligent features.

Century Properties brings personalized living experiences through designs and amenities custom-fitted to a community who share similar lifestyles.

Azure is for families who have embraced laidback living offered by a resort-oriented environment while Acqua is for highly mobile families and individuals with an inclination towards high- design and green living.  

In all of its luxury towers, leisure facilities are a common sight. Spas, built-in pools, modern children play places and themed green-properties have all proven to be a hit.

The Milano Residences has Loggia units, which have their own pools overlooking the metropolis, giving unit owners a rare leisure experience. Meanwhile, Trump Tower has its own luxurious set of spa facilities such as a spa, spa lounge and pool that also overlooks the city. 

Abundant green spaces and pocket parks across its projects promote holistic well-being for their residents, as evident in the Acqua Private Residences. yoo inspired by Starck for instance, has created designs that promote a consciousness of nature or the environment.  

Introducing the “hyperamenatized” living experience

Century Properties has also differentiated its products through its hyperamenitized living spaces or projects with large-scale and modern amenities.

At the Gramercy Residences, a multi-level sky park that features an infinity pool, a lap pool, a kiddie pool, a sky garden, a gym, a spa, a mini movie theater, a restaurant and more have been provided. The Knightsbridge, Acqua and Azure developments likewise all have a mix of some of these amenities all aimed at offering leisure to their residents.

Century Properties has also infused modern technology into its developments buyers are beginning to clamor for smarter products. Beginning with The Gramercy Residences, Century partnered with PLDT to make it the most modern residential infrastructure in the country with its powerful interconnectivity capabilities, whether through internet connection, cable TV or telephony services.

These modern conveniences are also expected to be rolled this out in Century™ other luxury developments.

With the successes of its projects, Century Properties has proven that differentiation might as well be another name for luxury.

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Source: https://www.century-properties.com/real-estate-innovation-through-differentiation-2/