The 29th Graphic Expo 2026 Seminars

Seminar Topics, Schedule, and Resource Speakers

July 16-18, 2026

SMX Convention Center
Mall of Asia

Pasay City, Philippines

SEMINAR TOPICS AND SCHEDULES

July 16, 2026, Thursday

Room 1

1. AI in Graphic Design: Competition, Tool, or Teammate

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM (half day)

Speaker: Tony Bucu

Topic Description:

. Artificial Intelligence is re-shaping the creative landscape, raising questions about the role of designers in the age of automation. This topic explores whether AI serves as a rival, a practical tool, or a collaborative partner in graphic design./p>

Target Audience:

Graphic artisits and designers, Photographers, Layout Artists, Product Designers, Brand Developers, Creative Artists, Marketing Professionals (Brand & Sales), Corporate Communicators, and non-technical personnel.

Attendees will examine how AI-driven tools can accelerate workflows, inspire new aesthetics, and handle repetitive tasks, while also discussing the ethical, creative, and professional implications of AI-generated design. Through real-world examples, case studies, and expert insights, this session will help designers navigate the evolving relationship with AI - whether to embrace it as a teammate, leverage it as a tool, or understand the competitive pressures it introduces.

Requirements:

Tools like Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, and even Figma AI, as well as, web-based AI generators like Nightcafe features, are shifting designers from 'makers' to directors.

2. Hyper-Personalization in Visual Design

2:00 - 5:00 PM (half day)

Speaker: Tony Bucu

Topic Description:

Hyper-personalization is transforming how brands connect with audiences by tailoring visual experiences to individual preferences, behaviors, and contexts. This topic explores the strategies, technologies, and creative approaches that enable designers to craft highly customized visuals—whether through dynamic content, AI-driven design, or real-time adaptation. Attendees will learn how hyper-personalized design can boost engagement, strengthen brand loyalty, and create memorable experiences, while balancing creativity with ethical considerations around data use and user privacy.

Think of design that changes depending on who is looking at it—this is already happening in platforms like Spotify and Netflix.

Target Audience:

Graphic artists and designers, Photographers, Layout Artists, Product Designers and Brand Developers, Creative Artists, Marketing Professionals (Brand & Sales), Corporate Communicators, and non-technical personnel.

Room 2

1. From Designer to AI-Powered Creative Thinker

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM (half day)

Speaker: Rollan Banez

Topic Description:

AI is changing the rules and designers who adapt early will lead. This session helps you shift from being just a tool user to a strategic creative thinker who leverages AI to work faster, explore more ideas, and deliver higher-value work. You’ll discover how to stay relevant, competitive, and in demand by focusing on what truly matters: creative direction, decision-making, and taste. If you want to future-proof your career, this is where it starts.

Target Audience:

Graphic designers, creatives, students, marketing teams, and anyone navigating AI in design

2. Mastering Prompt Design: Turn Ideas into Visual Concepts Instantly

2:00 - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Rollan Banez

Topic Description:

Topic Description: Stop staring at a blank canvas. In this session, you’ll learn how to turn rough ideas into polished visual concepts in minutes using powerful prompt design techniques. This isn’t about random AI outputs—it’s about creating intentional, brand-ready visuals that actually work. Walk away with a repeatable system that helps you ideas faster, present stronger concepts, and impress clients with speed and clarity.

Target Audience:

Designers, illustrators, content creators, branding professionals, beginners using AI tools

July 17, 2026, Friday

Room 1

1. Design for Mental Wellness: Creating Sustainable Workflow with Adobe Express

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Speaker: Jean Michelle Occena

Topic Description:

Learn to declutter your creative process by building organized, stress-free content workflows within Adobe Express. This approach focuses on using design systems to reduce mental fatigue, allowing your creativity to become a source of calm rather than a chore.

Target Audience:

Graphic artisits and designers, Photographers, Layout Artists, Product Designers, Brand Developers, Creative Artists, Marketing Professionals (Brand & Sales), Corporate Communicators, and non-technical personnel.

2. Building Your Vector Asset Library with Adobe Illustrator

2:00 - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Jean Michelle Occena

Topic Description:

Transform your down time into a powerful library of reusable assets. In this session, you will learn how to make use of your time with Adobe Illustrator by creating a series of icons and vector art.

Target Audience:

Graphic artists and designers, Photographers, Layout Artists, Product Designers, Brand Developers, Creative Artists, Marketing Professionals (Brand & Sales), Corporate Communicators, and non-technical personnel.

Room 2

1. Photoshop AI Mastery: Retouch, Composite, and Create at Speed

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Speaker: Rollan Banez

Topic Description:

What used to take hours can now be done in minutes—if you know how. This session shows you how to harness Photoshop’s AI tools to dramatically speed up your workflow without sacrificing quality. Learn how to handle client revisions faster, create complex composites, and produce high-impact visuals with less effort. If you want to deliver more work in less time (and still wow your clients), you can’t afford to miss this.

Target Audience:

Intermediate designers, photographers, social media creatives, digital artists

2. Edit Smarter, Not Harder: AI Video Workflows in Premiere Pro

2:00 - 5:00 PM (half day)

Speaker: Rollan Banez

Topic Description:

Content demand is exploding—and manual editing won’t keep up. This session teaches you how to use AI inside Premiere Pro to edit faster, repurpose content efficiently, and scale your video output without burning out. Whether you’re creating for social media or marketing campaigns, you’ll learn how to produce more content in less time while maintaining quality. If speed and scalability matter to you, this is a game-changer.

Target Audience:

Video editors, content creators, marketers, social media managers, multimedia professionals

July 18, 2026, Saturday

Room 1

1. From Confused to Confident: Understand and Master After Effects from Beginner to Advanced

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM (half day)

Speaker: Chardane Edda Martinez

Topic Description:

Struggling to understand how After Effects really works? This workshop is designed to guide you from zero knowledge to confidently creating your own animations. You will learn the fundamentals, explore how tools connect with each other, and discover techniques used by professionals. By the end,you wont just follow tutorials, you will understand what you're doing and why.

Target Audience:

Graphic artists and designers, Photographers, Layout Artists, Product Designers, Brand Developers, Creative Artists, Marketing Professionals (Brand & Sales), Corporate Communicators, and non-technical personnel.

2. Beyond Key frames: Understanding how After Effects Works

2:00 - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Chardane Edda Martinez

Topic Description:

Go beyond basic animation and start understanding the real power of After Effects.This workshop will teach you how key frames, layers, effects, and time all connect. In just 3 hours, you will gain the confidence to create animations that feel intentional,smooth, and professional.

Target Audience:

Graphic artists and designers, Photographers, Layout Artists, Product Designers, Brand Developers, Creative Artists, Marketing Professionals (Brand & Sales), Corporate Coomunicators, and non-technical personnel.

Room 2

1. Design Smarter with Canva AI: Create High-Impact Content in Minutes

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM (half day)

Speaker: Rollan Banez

Topic Description:

Great design is no longer limited to professionals with advanced tools. In this session, discover how Canva’s AI-powered features can help you create polished, engaging content— fast. Whether you’re designing for social media, presentations, or marketing campaigns, you’ll learn how to go from idea to finished output without the usual time and complexity.

Target Audience:

Non-designers, marketers, educators, business owners, content creators, and designers looking for faster content production tools

2. Design Smarter with Canva AI: Create High-Impact Content in Minutes

2:00 - 5:00 PM (half day)

Speaker: Rollan Banez

Topic Description:

Great design is no longer limited to professionals with advanced tools. In this session, discover how Canva’s AI-powered features can help you create polished, engaging content—fast. Whether you’re designing for social media, presentations, or marketing campaigns, you’ll learn how to go from idea to finished output without the usual time and complexity.

Target Audience:

Non-designers, marketers, educators, business owners, content creators, and designers looking for faster content production tools.

MEET THE EXPERTS


Rollan Banez

Creative Expert, Trainor, and Educator

Rollan Bañez is an accomplished Creative Expert in the Philippines. He has a rewarding two decades of being:

He is reaching out to over 1M+ students that have heard his sessions engaging them with product updates, innovations, and technologies.

YouTube Content Creator with 26K+ subscribers

Certified 10,000+ individuals as Adobe Creative Educator

Helped organizations, such as, DepEd, DICT, DTI


Antonio Bucu

Graphic Designer and Multimedia Expert

Tony Bucu has over 30 years of experience in Graphic Design, Digital Imaging and Illustration, Account and Team Management. He does creative training, art direction, photography, creative writing, and technical consulting.

He is an Instructor for Adobe Illustrator-ACE/ACA/ACI, at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging and TESDA. He is an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) and Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI).

He is the Creative Consultant of Fiera de Manila, Inc. from 1996 - present and a Faculty Instructor in the annual Graphic Expo Seminars. He is the Creative/Technical/Multimedia Consultant of Ms. Mai-Mai Cojuangco, Southern Glory International, PixelMagic, Dynamic Range Inc., amongst various brands and companies.

He studied Civil Engineering at the Mapua Institute of Technology.

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