Depok-As many as 14 MSMEs were present at the peak of the Vokasi Humas Festival (Vokhumfest) 2023 which was held recently (31/5) in the parking lot of building C UI Vocational, Depok Campus. Vokhumfest is a community service program that has been carried out by lecturers and students of the Public Relations study program since 2010. The event which has been held for 12 consecutive years has won the 2021 International Council for Small Business (ICSB) Presidential Award for its real contribution to the advancement of MSMEs.
Vokhumfest 2023 activities include fostering MSMEs digital promotion strategies and holding MSMEs exhibitions. Each student synergizes to create a digital promotion strategy for MSMEs for four months from February to May 2023. Apart from that, they also prepared a bazaar for MSMEs. By being present directly to the middle of MSMEs actors, students can play an active role in contributing various ideas and innovations. Starting from the initial research process, preparing program proposals, implementation, strategies to maximize MSMEs branding, to the program evaluation process. This activity is also the implementation of a number of courses, namely Cyber Public Relations; Public Relations Visual Production; Multimedia Public Relations Manuscript Writing; Public Relations & Multimedia Negotiations; Conventional & Contemporary Research; Management of Special Events and Protocols.
(Photo: Opening speech by the Director of the Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D)
Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D., Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, welcomed the initiation and implementation of the Vokhumfest activities to foster MSMEs. According to him, this activity is a real form of a learning system that is able to be present to provide solutions to cases or problems in the community. “This activity is also a form of UI Vocational support for the development of MSMEs in Greater Jakarta through learning and practicum. We focus on practices that benefit industry and society. Vokhumfest comes by integrating the three pillars of higher education at once,” said Padang.
Met at the Vokhumfest 2023 bazaar, Romi Sulaningsih, as one of the MSMEs owners participating in the activity, said, “As the owner of Frozen Food Mama Mahdiya, I have been greatly helped by the Vokhumfest program. So that we can learn to improve branding and promotion of our products and services. This is due to the lack of ability of MSMEs owners, especially me, in branding and promotion.”
The peak series of Vokhumfest 2023 activities, including talk shows with MSMEs owners who have successfully built their businesses. Also, there were bazaar activities and musical performances from the student music group BC Band, The Bandits, Kamikasi, and the main guest star, Arash Buana.
