Cebu’s seaside appeal and developing MICE infrastructure continues to attract bigger convention groups.
Cebu’s unified destination strategy has secured the hosting rights for the Philippine MICE Conference (MICECON) 2027, ahead of fellow shortlisted bidders Iloilo and Boracay.
The result was announced during Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2026, held 7 to 14 September at Solaire Resort Entertainment City in Manila. The Cebu MICE Alliance led the winning bid with support from the Department of Tourism-Central Visayas and stakeholders across Cebu’s government, tourism, hospitality and business sectors.
Cleofe Albiso, president of the Cebu MICE Alliance, was reported to have said that the win is a validation of the industry’s strength and growth. The alliance said that months of preparation went into the proposal, with the ability to unite local leaders behind a single Cebu bid emerging as a key strength.
A central feature of the campaign was its positioning of Cebu as one integrated MICE destination. Rather than presenting separate proposals from individual cities or properties, the bid brought together the Cebu Provincial Government and the administrations of Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
Additionally, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cindi King Chan reportedly shared with the industry that Mactan Expo Center will serve as the event’s venue. Its proximity to Mactan-Cebu International Airport, surrounding resorts and tourism infrastructure form part of Cebu’s destination proposition.
The venue received an international test earlier this year when it hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum Travel Exchange 2026. The three-day event held 28 to 30 January brought together nearly 300 buyers from more than 50 source markets and 363 ASEAN exhibitors, generating PHP1.44 billion (US$23 million) in partial sales leads, according to show information by Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
Organised by TPB, MICECON is the Philippines’ largest gathering of business events professionals. The agency positions the biennial conference as a destination-development platform through which host cities can benchmark their readiness, align public- and private-sector stakeholders and generate leads for future meetings and incentive programmes.
The win also builds on the Cebu MICE Alliance’s development of a destination guide featuring approximately 300 venues, hotels and service providers.
MICECON was last staged in Cebu in 2011, while the most recent edition took place in Clark in 2024. Dates and programme details for the 2027 conference have yet to be announced.