Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to attend the first-ever Canva Connect Manila. As a creative, I was super excited to experience this major event in the Philippines. The venue was filled with amazing Filipino creatives from all over, and the energy was electric!

Canva showered us with goodies like thermos tumblers, notebooks, pens, stickers, and tote bags. But the real highlight for me was the free mini seminar on marketing. The host, Cara Paguio, gave a fantastic introduction to marketing and the importance of understanding your audience.

Key takeaways from the seminar:

• Know Your Audience: Understanding your target audience is essential for tailoring your messaging and offerings to their specific needs and desires.
• Master the Marketing Funnel: The marketing funnel is a visual representation of the customer journey. By understanding the different stages, you can focus your marketing efforts effectively.
• Design with Canva: Canva is a powerful tool for creating professional-looking designs. Use it to create visually appealing content that resonates with your audience.
• Measure Your Success: Track key metrics like website traffic, social media engagement, conversion rates, and ROI to understand what's working and what's not.
• Develop a Content Strategy: Create a plan for creating and distributing valuable content that attracts and engages your target audience.

While the event was a huge success, there were a few minor hiccups, particularly with crowd control. The venue was a bit small for the number of attendees, and some people who had pre-registered online were unable to get in. It was a bit disappointing, but I believe Canva will learn from this experience and improve their event planning for the future. After all, it was their first time hosting such a major event.

Overall, Canva Connect Manila was an incredible experience. I met amazing people, learned new skills, and had a blast. I can't wait to see what Canva has in store for us next!