RE-LAUNCHING OF OTOP LIFESTYLE STORE (My First Display of Flower Bouquets at Ayala Mall)

Last May 31, we attended the OTOP (One Town, One Product) Lifestyle Store launched at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City. We were invited by Miss Agnes, one of the exhibitors, to have our flower bouquets displayed at the store.

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OTOP Lifestyle Store sells souvenir items and food products that are produced on Negros Island. It was originally named the OTOP Provincial Trade Fair with 36 exhibitors in 2021 and had grown into 106 exhibitors, or "OTOPreneurs," in its third year.

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From Sagay City, we traveled at 10 o'clock in the morning as we had to travel 2 hours to our destination, Bacolod City. When we arrived at the store, the store designer, together with Miss Agnes, looked for a good space where the flower bouquets would be easily seen by the passersby. After determining the ideal location, they found the right spot and arranged the flowers near the second door.

Originally, the designer had requested a display rack for my flower bouquet but we were running out of time. So in the meantime, we borrowed a wood display rack that was already at the store.

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He have to place the big flower bouquets at the front of the glass walls, making it look attractive because of its vibrant colors. He arranged it on its sides to avoid falling. Though I wasn't content with the arrangement, since placing the big bouquets on their sides might fold the side wrappers and affect the appearance of the flower bouquets, still have no choice. But I guess that would be for the meantime. I hoped we could settle on the right display rack for the flower bouquets next time.

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Inside the store, we also arranged the single tulips, roses, and sunflowers and placed some price tags one by one. I also have some crochet earrings but I forgot to take a photo of them. It was also displayed only on a platter, and I was thinking of having an earring or keychain display rack to emphasize their beauty.

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With me was another exhibitor named Apol. Her products are fashion accessories made from shells and some native materials.

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The program had started at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, which included the appreciation of OTOPreneurs and staff (giving of certificates), a small fashion show, showcasing the products or items produced by the Negrense entrepreneurs. The second part of the program was blessing the store by a priest, cutting ribbons, and enjoying the food.

Overall, I was happy and honored to be invited and have the chance to display my flowers at the said store. It was an amazing experience with the other exhibitors or OTOPreneurs. I was inspired to make more beautiful flower bouquets in different color themes and be able to bring more crochet items on my next visit.