APMP Asia Pacific: Singapore x Japan x Korea — Can AI Write a Winning Proposal?
Everyone's using AI to write proposals. But are they winning?
Proposal teams around the world are pasting RFPs into ChatGPT, pulling out drafts, and hitting submit. It's fast. But the win rates aren't moving.
The problem isn't the AI. It's that there's no methodology behind it. No strategy, no structure, no understanding of how evaluators actually score proposals.
This evening is about fixing that. We'll show you the methodology that winning proposal teams use globally, then show you what happens when you put AI behind it. Live, in the room.
🇸🇬 Marcus Ong, CP APMP, Pitchmaker (APMP ANZ Member) @ Pitchmaker — LinkedIn
🇯🇵 Mitsuhiro Seto, CL & CF APMP, Past Chair of APMP Japan Chapter & APMP International Board of Directors @ SAP — LinkedIn
🇸🇬 Ivy Wong, CF & CP APMP, APMP Leadership Academy @ CBRE — LinkedIn
🎤 Patrick Han, CF APMP @ APMP Korea Founder — LinkedI
📍 Venue Sponsor by Workato
📅 Agenda
🚪 6:30 PM — Doors Open
Arrive, grab a drink, and check out the wall display: AI-written proposal vs. human-written proposal. Which one would you submit?🌏 7:00 PM — Welcome: Proposal Professionals from Singapore, Japan & Korea
Who we are, why we're here, and why AI and proposal methodology belong in the same room.🏆 7:10 PM — "Why Do Capable Companies with Strong Solution Still Lose" by Marcus Ong @ Pitchmaker
Proposals often lose not because their solution was weak or non-compliant, but because they failed to clearly show why they should score higher than the next closest competitors - who may have similar capabilities, comparable experience, and make very similar claims.
Having supported numerous SMEs through Pitchmaker over the last four years, Marcus has seen this challenge repeatedly across competitive public sector tenders. In this session, he will share how companies can apply competitive positioning to differentiate their offers, strengthen proposal messaging, and stand out against competing bidders.🤖 7:25 PM — 15 Years of Procurement Experience Across APAC: AI Built for Proposals in Asia by Junho Cho @ Cliwant
Junho spent 15+ years winning bids across Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and China, from airports to hospitals, banks, and shopping malls. He'll share how that frontline experience shaped Contrl, an AI proposal tool built on APMP methodology and recognised as an OpenAI partner startup. He'll walk through why general AI tools fall short for serious proposal work, what it takes to build AI that genuinely understands RFP requirements and company content, then show it live.🇯🇵 7:40 PM — How Japan Built a Proposal Culture: APMP’s Role in Transforming the Bidding Market by Mitsuhiro Seto @ SAP
Japan’s bidding market has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade. Mitsuhiro Seto, APMP International Board of Directors and Past Chair of APMP Japan Chapter, will share what it took to build a proposal professional community from the ground up. He’ll cover the unique dynamics of Japan’s procurement culture, how APMP methodology took hold in a market where proposal writing was rarely treated as a discipline, and what other markets in Asia can learn from Japan’s journey. A session for anyone who wants to understand where the profession is heading, and who is leading it.💡 7:55 PM — Introduction to APMP Certifications & Why It Matters
An introduction to APMP certifications and the Leadership Academy, covering how they support professional growth, leadership development, and global best practices in bid and proposal management.
🔥 8.10 PM — Fireside Chat, moderated by Patrick Han, CF APMP
Marcus, Mitsuhiro, and Junho talk through the moments that shaped how they think about proposals. Real wins, costly losses, and the instincts you only develop after years of doing this. Patrick brings his own perspective as someone who led APMP BPC 2025 and has run multiple APMP seminars in Korea, hosting experts from around the world. What do they wish they'd known earlier? What still catches them out? And what's the one thing AI won't be able to replace?💡 8:30 PM — Small Group Breakout
Groups of 4. Quick introductions, then 4 guided questions to surface real experience from the room. Every group has someone who's been in the trenches. This is where that knowledge comes out.🎤 8:55 PM — Debrief & Wrap-Up
Each group shares their sharpest insight. We close with key takeaways from the evening and one concrete thing you can bring to your next bid.
🙋 Who Should Come
Bid & proposal managers, proposal writers and business development professionals
Consultants and PMO leads involved in client pitches
Anyone curious about APMP certification and methodology
Anyone exploring AI tools for proposal and document-heavy workflows
🎙️ Your Speakers
🇸🇬 Marcus Ong, CP APMP — Founder, Pitchmaker
Marcus has spent the last 18 years in competitive bidding across global technology and IT firms. He has led bids and proposals across 11 APAC countries at Stratech, CSC (now DXC Technology), Frequentis AG and Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he was Senior Proposal Manager for Worldwide Public Sector.
Today, Marcus runs Pitchmaker, a Singapore-based bid consultancy focused on competitive positioning and proposal strategy for public sector tenders. He also runs the Singapore Business Federation's flagship government tender training programme for SMEs, currently in its 19th run.
🇰🇷 Junho Cho — CEO, Contrl & Chair, APMP Korea
Junho spent over 15 years winning bids across Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and China, including Changi Airport, shopping malls, department stores, banks, and hospitals. He took that experience and built Contrl, an AI-native proposal automation platform built on APMP methodology and recognized as an OpenAI partner startup. He also serves as Chair of APMP Korea, working to raise the standard of proposal writing across Asia.
🇯🇵 Mitsuhiro Seto, CL & CF APMP — APMP International Board of Directors & Past Chair of APMP Japan Chapter | Senior Director, SAP APAC
Mitsuhiro has spent his career at the intersection of enterprise technology and competitive bidding across Asia Pacific. As Senior Director of Global RFx Proposal Advisory at SAP, he leads bid strategy for large-scale & complex enterprise deals across the region. He served as Past Chair of APMP Japan Chapter, building one of Asia's most active proposal professional communities from the ground up, and honoured APMP Bid & Proposal Industry Executive of the Year Award Winner 2023, was a finalist for APMP Chapter Leader of the Year 2024 & 2025. He now serves on the APMP International Board of Directors, shaping the direction of the global profession. He has spoken at BPC Dublin, Nashville, and at major bid events across Korea, Japan, and the ANZ Region, bringing a perspective that spans culture, methodology, and enterprise-scale execution.
🇸🇬 Ivy Wong, CF & CP APMP — APMP Leadership Academy | CBRE
Ivy is a Client-Centric Bid & Proposal Management Leader with 13+ years' experience driving multi-million dollar deals across APAC. She specialises in competitive positioning, proposal strategy, and sales enablement — helping organisations win high-stakes tenders. Recognised as a 40 Under 40 Winner, Ivy is a CF & CP APMP practitioner and a graduate of the APMP Leadership Academy. In this session, she will share her experience with the APMP Leadership Academy — what it offers for senior bid professionals looking to grow beyond certification.
🇰🇷 Patrick Han, CF APMP — APMP Korea Founder
Patrick holds the CF APMP certification and has been at the centre of building Korea's proposal community. He led the APMP BPC 2025 project and has organized multiple APMP seminars in Korea, bringing in experts from across the globe. He is the moderator for this evening's Fireside Chat.
🪑 Seats are limited to 40. Registration requires approval.
🏢 Venue Sponsor
This event is proudly supported by Workato as our Venue Sponsor.
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