Every Sri Lankan should be a brand ambassador for CHOGM
View(s):Every Sri Lankan should be a brand ambassador during the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) because the visitor who comes to this country is going to engage in some platform or some activity connected with the public, noted Neela Marikkar,Chairperson, Grant Erickson at a recent public discussion.
She was speaking at a discussion organized by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region (CIM) on ‘Opportunity to Market Sri Lanka’ during the CHOGM Summit.
The other panelists at this forum were: Kirthi Perera, Chief Enterprises and Wholesale Officer, Sri Lanka Telecom; Hiran Cooray, Chairman, Jetwing Hotels Ltd; Janaki Kuruppu, Chairperson, Sri Lanka Tea Board; Bandula Egodage, Chairman, Sri Lanka Export Development Board and Yohan Lawrence, President, Apparel Exporters Association.
Rohantha Athukorale, Head of National Development for Sri Lanka and Maldives, United Nations moderated the discussion while Neomal Perera, Deputy Minister, External Affairs made the keynote address.
Ms. Marikkar said that branding Sri Lanka carries a big opportunity adding that the ‘Sri Lanka’s warm hospitality is something the visitors (would cherish) and must take away with them”. Mr. Cooray said that their major concern is to make the visitors sleep well with the best comforts under their care and the image they create in the hearts of these visitors would immensely contribute market the country.
He said that marketing the country is not that easy since even though the war is over, the war outside is not over with adverse publicity carried on by the media against country and the best possible counter is to bring people here and show them the country’s real situation.
Nadie Dharmasiri, Chairperson, CIM, Sri Lanka, posed the question as to how much do they know about opportunities and challenges in marketing the country and what initiatives they have taken towards achieving this end. She said that the CHOGM Business Forum could be used to boost trade and investment and it is their responsibility as professional marketers and business leaders to effectively contribute towards the economic growth and development of their nation.
Mr. Lawrence said that they need new markets to develop their apparel industry and CHOGM is an opportune platform to capture new markets.
Mr. Egodage said that the country has already won in the political diplomacy arena and now they are in the process of winning the commercial diplomacy and to win that CHOGM is bringing in delegations from around 70 countries to their doorstep.
Deputy Minister Mr. Perera conceded that the war and its escalation is the folly of the politicians. He commented, “Today we blame everything on politicians. Yes, you are right. Political decisions led to civil war.
Statements made by politicians political parties, leaders and not playing international politics, got to that situation”. He elaborated the brave stance taken by the government enable to host CHOGM in Sri Lanka.
(QP)