After its Manila debut last year, YouTube FanFest is back in the country!
Both local and international creators joined forces on May 27 to put on a great show for their Filipino fans. The line up for the FanFest included: Aj Rafael, Alex Wassabi, Connor Franta, Gab Valenciano, Tanner Patrick, The Filharmonic, Tiffany Alvord, Tyler Ward, Wengie, Abra, Bogart the Explorer (PaperbugTV), Lloyd Cafe Cadena, and Mikey Bustos.
Aside from the Fanfest’s main event, which is the YouTube FanFest Live Show from 7pm to 9pm at the World Trade Center in Pasay, there were also other activities that happened during the day. Said activities included the Press Conference exclusive for the media held from 10am to 12pm at the Nobu Hotel, City of Dreams, the YouTube FanFest fair held from 10am to 5pm and the Meet and Greets held from 2pm to 5pm, both of which took place at the World Trade Center.
Press Conference
The YouTube FanFest Press Conference was held at the Nobu Hotel’s Grand Ballroom located inside the City of Dreams in Pasay. The said PressCon featured representatives from Globe Telecom, Nescafé, Philippine Airlines and Mazda Philippines, who were the sponsors for the event in Manila. The representatives talked about the reasons why they chose to support YouTube FanFest Manila.
They said that it was due to the way that a huge number of the Filipino population are so enthusiastic about YouTube and its creators to the point that they even made #BringYoutubersToManila trend with Reese Limbaga pioneering it. Another reason why the sponsors chose to support YouTube FanFest Manila this year is the massive success of last year’s FanFest.
After the sponsors, Ajay Vidyasagar, YouTube’s Director of Content for Southeast Asia and India, gave out a few words about how the Philippines is very special to YouTube due to its huge popularity in the country. He said that the FanFest represents the success of the social media platform in the country, noting the incredible increase in the amount of YouTube’s usage in 2015.
Then, the most awaited moment arrived!
The creators featured in this year’s YouTube FanFest were introduced one by one.
Bogart the Explorer (PaperbugTV) aka the Explorer from Down Under (…Davao City) was up first.
Next up was the “Super Selfie King” himself, Gab Valenciano.
Then came the LA-based a cappella group with voices straight from heaven, The Filharmonic who gave a special performance exclusive to the press.
https://twitter.com/GTacadena/status/736038561032503297
Next up was Filipino rapper, battle MC and songwriter, Abra.
And then we had Canadian-born Filipino singer/song writer/performer, comedian, actor, video maker, and online personality, Mikey Bustos, also known as the “Ambassador of Filipinos on the Internet”.
Next was “The Face that Launched a Thousand Memes”, Lloyd Cafe Cadena.
Next on the line up was another wonderful singer/songwriter but this time from Riverside, CA, Aj Rafael.
And then we had singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Dallas, Tanner Patrick.
Next was the ever-so-adorable, down-to-earth, lifestyle influencer focused on bridging the cultural gap in beauty and lifestyle, Wengie.
Up next was a trailblazing singer, songwriter and producer with a stage presence that is intimate, showy and stylishly unique, Tyler Ward who, like The Filharmonic, also gave out a special performance for the press. This time, he sang a song he wrote about the Philippines.
https://twitter.com/GTacadena/status/736041296654000133
Then we have the gorgeous Tiffany Alvord, a Californian singer-songwriter.
Next in line was one of the biggest Filipino American content creators on YouTube, Alex Wassabi.
And last but definitely not the least, someone who has evolved from being a YouTube personality to a global trendsetter, author and entrepreneur, Connor Franta.
At the PressCon, the creators talked about branding, the right time to start a YouTube career, being responsible creators and the like.
“I believe that YouTube has a platform of real estate. For example, if you get into the market now, it’s only gonna grow. So if you just start now, it’s okay, there’s enough room for everybody. But 10 years from now, it might be actually truly over-saturated, so it’s just a matter of timing,” Tyler Ward said, referring to starting a YouTube career.
“We got in early, so we got fortunate,” Tyler continued, motioning to fellow musician Tiffany Alvord beside him. “So I’d just say stay consistent, be yourself, and don’t worry about the numbers. You’ll be alright.”
The other creators also said that it pays off to not only work hard but to also be inspired and original.
“If you’re passionate about something, put it out there, and if people like it, they’re gonna come back and keep watching,” said Tanner Patrick. “So share whatever you wanna share, I’m sure they’re gonna love it.”
After the press conference, the creators headed to the World Trade Center for a special Meet & Greet session with their fans before the live show in the evening
In our opinion, the PressCon was a very special moment due to the limited number of people inside the venue and also because it gave the creators the chance to answer important questions, not just as individuals but also as a group.
Watch out for the second part of CelebMix’s YouTube FanFest Manila 2016 coverage!