Depok, June 5th, 2023. As many as 14 MSMEs were present at the main event of the 2023 Vocational Public Relations Festival (Vokhumfest) which was held recently (Wednesday, 31/5) in the parking lot of building C Vocational UI, Depok Campus. Vokhumfest is one of the community service programs 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 progress of MSMEs.
Vokhumfest 2023 activities included fostering MSME digital promotion strategies and holding MSME exhibitions. Each student synergized to create a digital promotion strategy for MSMEs for four months, from February to May 2023. In addition, they had also prepared a bazaar for MSMEs. By being present directly among MSME actors, students could 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 was also the implementation of a number of courses, namely Cyber Public Relations; Visual Production for Public Relations; Multimedia Manuscript Writing for Public Relations; Public Relations & Multimedia Negotiations; Conventional & Contemporary Research; Management of Special Events and Protocols.
Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D., Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, welcomed the initiation and implementation of Vokhumfest activities to foster MSMEs. According to him, this activity is a real form of a learning system that is able to provide solutions for cases or problems in the community. “This activity is also a form of UI Vocational support for the development of MSMEs in Jabodetabek through learning and practicum. We focus on practices that benefit industry and society. Vokhumfest comes by integrating the Three Principles of Higher Education at once,” said Padang.
At the Vokhumfest 2023 bazaar, Romi Sulaningsih, as one of the MSME owners participating in the activity, said, “I, as the owner of Frozen Food Mama Mahdiya, have been greatly helped by the Vokhumfest program. We can learn to improve branding and promotion of our products and services, which was previously lacking among MSMEs owners.”
The series of activities for Vokhumfest 2023 main event included talk shows with MSME owners who have successfully built their businesses. In addition, there were bazaar activities and musical performances from the BC Band student music group, The Bandits, Kamikasi, and the main guest star, Arash Buana.
