Surrounding corporate firms to provide bulk of business to upcoming Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila

slfm_-_premier_suite
Shangri-la at the Fort, Manila’s premier suite

ONLINE marketing initiatives and sales promotions for the 576-room Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila in Bonifacio Global City that had begun long before its scheduled opening on March 1 this year, have led to strong expressions of interest from local and overseas MICE planners.

In an interview with TTGmice e-Weekly, the hotel’s general manager, John Rice, said hard hat tours for interested parties and available rate structure and meeting packages have allowed the hotel to “submit our offers and negotiate for high potential leads”.

While the Shangri-La brand needed little introduction, Rice’s team made an awareness campaign their “first order of business”. It touted its extensive conference and meeting spaces – 21 in total and said to be the city’s largest collection – among other selling points, drawing the attention of event planners.

The Grand Ballroom, measuring 1,800m², and other function rooms are inspired by a jewelry box and outfitted with Lasvit chandeliers that resemble a necklace and wall panels that look like brooches.

Rice expects “good demand particularly from within the Bonifacio Global City accounts, as there is a very limited supply of meeting venues and (five-star) hotel rooms in the area”, with the brand and facility size drawing mostly “corporate and social milestone events”.

“We will also be the venue of choice for our exciting and creative meeting packages and services, courtesy of the on-trend facilities this comprehensive complex will have the flexibility to offer,” he added.

Shangri-La at the Fort intends to leverage its close proximity to Kerry Sports Manila, a 8,000m² sports complex across levels five and six within the same mixed-use development, to court sports events and corporate programmes that desire some action.

“Sports is popular locally, particularly basketball and badminton which Kerry Sports Manila will have the facility to host through The Arena, an NBA-grade indoor basketball court which can be converted into a badminton court. Our multiple training zones and the Adventure Zone may also be the venue for teambuilding exercises, family-bonding activities and themed breaks,” said Rice.

Meanwhile, Rice hopes that the country’s successful hosting of the 2015 APEC meetings in Manila will “put us back on the map of new MICE destinations”.

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