Online edition of Daily News

Lasantha Wickremesooriya, Chairman CIM Sri Lanka receives the award from John Greenhough, Chairman, Professional Body Board, CIM, UK, at a reception held following the CIM International Chairmen’s Conference.

The first-ever professional qualification in apparel marketing, the CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Apparel Marketing which was launched recently by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association won international recognition at the recently held CIM International Chairmen's Conference, when it secured the coveted Regional Achievement Award 2002 for the Best Initiative achieved within the year.

The program is geared towards imparting the much needed marketing expertise to industry professionals to compete successfully in the trade once the Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA) ceases to exist in 2005. Although Sri Lanka's apparel industry has become world-class in terms of quality manufacture, in order to maintain this success beyond 2005 when the MFA ceases and quotas are gone, it is essential that the industry becomes world-class in marketing too; dealing directly with retailers, creating new designs and constantly developing the product. The CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Apparel Marketing will provide this marketing culture the industry needs.

The Regional Achievement Award 2002 was awarded to Sri Lanka in recognition of this fact that the program is directly addressing a key issue of seminal, national importance.

Past Chairman of the Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association Mahesh Amalean commenting on CIM Sri Lanka winning the Regional Achievement Award 2002 said, "CIM Sri Lanka showed professionalism and commitment in putting together a comprehensive program which met the requirements of the apparel industry of Sri Lanka. The CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Apparel Marketing has been launched at a very opportune time where marketing skills play an all important role in the industry."