Bringing APICTA to Pakistan

The journey to host APICTA Awards in Pakistan started in February 2022 with discussion of hosting an EXCO meeting in Pakistan - providing realization of the opportunity to also host APICTA.

Despite a legacy of over two decades of innovation and several APICTA wins, Pakistan had never yet hosted the awards. Past efforts were thwarted by security concerns or funding issues.

On March 31st 2022, in consultation with the Federal Ministry of IT and PSEB, members of the P@SHA leadership at the time (ex-Chairman Badar Khushnood & ex-SG Hira Zainab) made a pitch on behalf of P@SHA and Pakistan to host APICTA 2022. 

Pakistan successfully won the bid over Indonesia, securing the decisive vote from the APICTA Chairman himself. 

From August 26-28 2022, five members from APICTA Executive Committee visited Pakistan for site inspection and to verify security arrangements. In view of their visit, an exclusive networking dinner to allow P@SHA members close interaction with the visiting delegates was organized. A closed-door press briefing was also held. 

In September 2022, APICTA confirmed Pakistan as the destination for APICTA 2022.

DECEMBER 06, 2022

Informal Welcome Dinner

Hailing from 16 different economies across the Asia-Pacific, the guests enjoyed an evening of casual networking and a delicious lunch at Monal Restaurant surrounded by natural beauty with a glorious view of the Islamabad sunset.

December 07, 2022

Official Inauguration of APICTA by Honorable Prime Minister

The delegates spent the evening as a special welcome dinner & meeting organized in their honor at the Prime Minister's House in Islamabad. Marking the first time APICTA guests received a state-level welcome reception, this event was made possible though the efforts of the P@SHA CEC.

Besides highlighting Pakistan's commitment to the event at the highest level of government, the dinner also served as the official inauguration of APICTA 2022 by the PM, culminating in the Button Pressing Ceremony by the Prime Minister, P@SHA Chairman Zohaib Khan, APICTA Chairman Stan Singh, and Federal Minister for IT & Telecom Syed Amin ul Haque among others.

December 08, 2022

APICTA Competition Opening

The 21st APICTA Awards 2022 formally kicked off with a delightful Opening Ceremony in Islamabad, conducted at Serena Hotel.

Official APICTA Welcome Reception (Opening Night)

The official APICTA Awards Welcome Reception opening night was celebrated at the Marriott Hotel with a festive & colorful multicultural event. All participating economies showcased their history & heritage through captivating displays and melodic performances.

December 09, 2022

Judging Begins

Judging kicked off in the morning as for the first time in the history of APICTA, P@SHA and the APICTA team pioneered a hybrid judging model involving mixed online/offline judging panels and virtual options for selected categories (Student - Junior & Student - Senior). 

Despite this novel approach, there were zero deviations in judging - another first. We express our thanks to Dr. Shoab Khan for planning and managing the intense judging process as Chief Judge of APICTA 2022.

Pakistan Night

P@SHA hosted a "Pakistan Night" event at PAFSOM to highlight the diverse and colorful culture of Pakistan at APICTA 2022. The event event featured live cultural performances, opportunities to experience Pakistani cuisine and practices such as henna application, and souvenirs in the form of ajrak cloth.

December 10, 2022

B2B Matchmaking Event

Kicking off a busy Saturday, a dedicated B2B Matchmaking event took place at Serena Hotel in tandem with judging rounds. The event provided a valuable opportunity for P@SHA members to engage with APICTA delegates from across the region and discover business synergies. We extend our thanks to A2Z Creatorz for providing free use of their B2B Matchmaking Portal to connect participants.

Startup Networking Event in Partnership with IGNITE

Addressing the unique needs and business motivations of startups, P@SHA and IGNITE teamed up to host an exclusive Startup Matchmaking event at Serena Hotel. Dedicated tables were allocated to each startup vertical for matchmaking.

Student Networking Event with Umair Jaliawala

To build entrepreneurship and leadership skills in the budding talent of the ICT industry, a dedicated Student Networking event was organized. This event was led by Umair Jaliawala, Director & Master Trainer at the School of Leadership.

Hong Kong Night

Closing the day, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Hong Kong Computer Society hosted the Hong Kong Reception at Serena Hotel to promote the Hong Kong ICT service sector and facilitate exchange between Hong Kong and the participants from the member economies of APICTA.

December 11, 2022

EXCO Meeting

A formal EXCO meeting was held on December 11th to discuss a review of the APICTA event thus far, share issues if any, and chalk out a way forward to build upon the impact of APICTA 2022. This meeting was attended by P@SHA Chairman Zohaib Khan and by Brand & Global Outreach Committee Chair Jamil Goheer. A follow-up press conference was also held.

Awards Night and Gala Dinner

The APICTA Awards concluded with an elegant Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner at Air University. Nestled in the lush green foothills of Islamabad, guests celebrated the best of ICT innovation in the region and networked over a delightful dinner. Pakistan broke all records by securing the highest number of awards won by any participating economy in APICTA 2022.

December 8, 2022

Karaoke

At the Welcome Reception at the Marriott, delegates from all 16 participating economies enjoyed a rousing round of karaoke. Stories, dance recitals, songs, and anecdotes kept everyone engaged.

December 9, 2022

Cultural Melodies of Pakistan

Folk musician Abdul Wahab Bugti, qawwali singer Imran Aziz Mian, and Khumariyan the band serenaded the attendees at Pakistan Night with an eclectic mix of the distinct sounds of Pakistani culture.

December 11, 2022

Smooth Sax & Sufi Rock

Notable Sufi rock musician Natasha Baig and saxophonist Lenny Massey provided a fitting musical conclusion to the APICTA Awards 2022, delivering a stellar performance that delighted the assembled crowd.

As Pakistan's sole gateway to the APICTA Awards, we conducted the P@SHA ICT Awards 2022 with the ambition of putting the best of Pakistani tech talent on the international stage at APICTA. 

Through targeted campaigns, we received 900+ entries for the P@SHA ICT Awards. This provided ample opportunity to pick the very best projects to win and pitch in APICTA, who were further supported through multiple mentoring sessions.

As a result of this laser focus on success, Pakistan had a clean sweep at the APICTA Awards - winning a total of 20 awards across categories, topping both Winner (gold) and Merit award rankings. 

It should also be noted only 1 Head Judge was from Pakistan, signifying confidence in Pakistani candidates by judges from across the region.

Judging Process

Judging for APICTA comprises an expert panel of judges drawn from the industry, academia, and relevant fields of ICT innovation. These judges hail from all APICTA economies. Results are tallied via a computerized system that checks for score deviations and flags any anomalous behavior, making the APICTA Awards one of the most rigorous and credible ICT awards worldwide.

Candidates have a fixed amount of time within which they can pitch their project or product and make a case for why they deserve to be an APICTA Award winner. No extra time can be given; with several hundred participants from across the region, punctuality is key to the timely completion of judging.

Pioneering a hybrid judging panel model for the very first time, this APICTA Awards event was further distinguished by the zero deviations in scoring pointing to an extremely orderly and unbiased round of evaluations.

Pakistan as Host

According to Mr Stan Singh, Chairman of APICTA, Pakistan scored a resounding 10/10 in each of the 17 criteria APICTA uses to evaluate performance of the host country.

By flawlessly executing a 5-day international megaevent with participation from 15 other economies, 150+ foreign delegations and 49 international, Pakistan made APICTA history and successfully changed the perception of its nation and its industry amongst the visitors - 95% of whom were visiting Pakistan for the very first time. 

Pakistan's Wins

It was a proud moment for Pakistan as it stood 1st in APICTA 2022 Awards among 200+ applications from 16 economies. It was follow by Hong Kong in second place and Thailand in third place.

No discussion is complete without due recognition of our Champions of ICT Innovation - the organizations that went over & above to support APICTA 2022 as sponsors and make this event a reality for the first time in Pakistan's history.

Flag Handed Over to Hong Kong

P@SHA passed the baton for next year's APICTA Awards to Hong Kong in an official flag handover ceremony, as it has been selected as the next destination. The dates of next year's APICTA are yet to be announced.

Maximizing Performance at APICTA 2023

A key factor in Pakistan's success at APICTA 2022 was the greater selectivity and wider pool of talent from which Pakistani candidates were drawn. 

In order to maximize success at APICTA 2023, teams should begin honing their presentation skills earlier in year and develop an in-depth understanding of how to tell a compelling story about their product within the rigorous criteria of the APICTA Awards.

The P@SHA ICT Awards are an invaluable resource in this regard, both as a filter for top tech products & projects from Pakistan and also as an educator and trial run. Several resources are still available online to help candidates understand APICTA categories better. 

We also strongly encourage participation in the upcoming P@SHA ICT Awards, to be held later in 2023, as a way of practicing readiness for the APICTA Awards.

In Conclusion

With the APICTA Awards 2022 now being over, and having put Pakistani tech prowess on display in front of delegates from across the region, the time is ripe for the industry to consolidate momentum from this event.

We strongly encourage you to share this success far & wide with all industry, academia, government, and international stakeholders. 

If retain our top position, Pakistan stands to become an international leader in the field of IT with ramifications not just across the Asia Pacific but also around the world. 

A Word of Thanks

This event was the very first of its kind and scale in the history of Pakistan's IT & ITeS industry. It would not have been possible without the support of the Government of Pakistan, the Ministry of IT & Telecommunications, TechDestination Pakistan, the P@SHA CEC, the P@SHA APICTA team, and the P@SHA Secretariat. We express our utmost gratitude and thanks to the exceptional collaboration witnessed in the organization and execution of APICTA 2022, and hope to see many more such events to come.