Resorts World Manila
The Philippines is not letting its infrastructure and publicity limitations hinder its pursuit of the lucrative international MICE dollar. Ollie Quiniquini reports
The Philippines may not boast the humongous steel-and-glass exhibition and conference centres of its neighbours but it has been doing well all the same with small and medium-sized events.
SMX Convention Centre in Manila has secured a number of regional and international conferences for this year and next, including the Conference of Lawyers in the Asia-Pacific, Asia-Pacific Architects Conference, 17th ASEAN Congress on Anaesthesiology (2,000 delegates), Asia Pacific Franchising Conference 2011 (1,500 delegates) and the 50th Orient South-east Asian Lions Forum (6,000 delegates). It is also bidding for the International Crocodile Convention in May 2012 and the International Epilepsy Congress in June 2012, leads it got from attending AIME 2010, said the centre’s senior assistant vice president and general manager Dexter Deyto.
Quite active in environmental sustainability campaigns, SMX is presently producing a Green Meetings package to cater to the growing demand for eco-friendly events and is hosting the world’s preeminent green warrior in a special Al Gore Live in Manila, Face the Inconvenient Forum this month.
The latter is expected to draw close to 4,000 attendees.
“The Philippines has always been considered as a MICE destination because of its relative affordability, compared to its neighbours, and its population’s fluency in English. But a major hurdle is access – the availability and frequency of direct flights. The downgrading of Philippine carriers in European and American air safety ratings is also hurting the country,” said Deyto.
Meanwhile, the MICE proposition of the Mall of Asia complex where SMX is located has been enhanced by the opening of 150-room Microtel last month. Work has also begun on the 15,000-seat SM Arena, that will open by the second half of 2012, and a parking building with indoor and outdoor venues opening next year.
These are just a few of the new venues that will soon grace the Philippine capital. Resorts World Manila, which soft opened in August last year sans the fanfare that accompanied its Singapore cousin, also has its share of meetings and conference facilities. Its 342-room Marriott Hotel Manila has multiple meeting rooms and a 916m2 ballroom, divisible into four sections, which can accommodate a maximum of 1,000 guests for cocktails. The Newport Mall, which opens later this year, will have a 1,200-seat multipurpose theatre that can be used for conventions.
Resorts World Manila’s developer, Traveller International, is already working on another integrated resort, Bayshore City. Part of the Entertainment City Manila development along Manila Bay, the 400,000m2 project will have close to 5,000 rooms, gaming facilities, shopping arcades, museums and conference venues. Kingson Sian, president of Alliance Global, the Philippine partner of Star Cruises in the Traveller International joint-venture, said: “We will also team up with Star Cruises to bring big cruise ships to Manila Bay. We are currently studying the feasibility of turning Metro Manila into a cruise destination and hub.”
A much more promising market for the country is the incentive segment, with Europe, the Middle East and South-east Asia diligently sending groups over.
Despite the EU ban on Philippine carriers, which has raised insurance concerns over domestic air travel in the country, Annset Holidays’ two European incentives in April and May pushed through with their Philippine plans, said president and general manager Serafina Joven. The first group went to Cebu and Bohol; the second, Banaue and Boracay. Joven also has a confirmed group from Spain this November and is bidding for another big Spanish incentive covering Manila and Cebu for April or May next year.
Afro-Asian Travel and Tours president and general manager Angel Ramos Bognot has bagged a 300-pax incentive and congress group from the UAE for next year. In the works is a 7,000-delegate incentive from a cosmetics firm in the Middle East, facilitated by Helms Briscoe.
“Manila and Cebu remain the top incentive destinations as they have the facilities and professional manpower necessary to properly handle big MICE groups. This is especially true for groups from the Middle East that look for shopping and leisure options,” said Bognot.
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