Philippines takes MICE 'to heart' with bold new strategy at MICECON

The recently concluded Philippine MICE Conference (MICECON) 2024 served as a powerful demonstration of the Philippines' ambitious vision and readiness for a new era of MICE growth.

Featuring the theme “M.I.C.E. XD: XPERIENCE DIVERSIFIED", MICECON2024 was held from 10-12 July at the SMX Convention Center Clarkin Clark. The three-day event was a combined effort of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, Clark Development Corporation (CDC), and various partners from the private and public sectors, offering 836 total delegates a truly multifaceted conference experience.

At the heart of MICECON 2024 was the unveiling of the new "MICE Philippines: We Take Your Business to Heart” initiative, shared by TPB COO Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles during the opening ceremony.

“In the Philippines, we welcome not just leisure travellers, but also business professionals,” she said. “We go beyond telling them – we show them and make them feel that in the Philippines, we take their business to heart.”

This initiative aims to position the country as a premier MICE destination, focusing on the warmth and dedication of Filipino hospitality in the business events sector.

MICECON: A reflection of Philippines' MICE future

MICECON 2024 itself was a manifestation of the country's new MICE vision, offering a multi-faceted event.

First-time delegates at MICECON 2024 got to meet fellow attendees at the event through an interactive onboarding session, coming together to design creative pitches for popular Filipino dishes and allowing the participants to experience a reimagined way of being oriented for a business convention.

The MICE Youth Challenge also brought students from five local universities in a competition to pitch their best ideas, with students from the University of the Cordilleras emerging victorious with their MICE proposal to mount a four-day conference on spices, SPICECON: Malembo Pampalasa.

Meanwhile, focused discussions were led and facilitated by industry experts, with top sessions including artificial intelligence (AI) technology, crisis recovery and reputation management, inclusive event planning, balancing digital marketing with the appeal of in-person experiences, and training and upskilling the tourism workforce.

“MICECON, at its core, is more than just a conference,” said Nograles. “It is a transformative experience that promises to reshape how we approach and execute MICE events… Together, we have not only set benchmarks but have also laid the foundation for a dynamic future of the MICE industry in the Philippines.”

Clark’s MICE development

Department of Tourism (DOT) secretary Christina Garcia Frasco further cited Clark’s status as a tourist and MICE destination, as well as ability to hold large-scale conferences such as MICECON 2024.

“The Clark Freeport Zone’s accessibility, state-of-the-art conference venues, and comprehensive support services are very well prepared to welcome the participants,” she said.

The conference also highlighted Clark's ongoing transformation into a premier MICE destination, including:

• The construction of three new hotels to expand Clark’s existing room count of around 4,100 rooms
• The expansion of the SMX Convention Center
• The development of business venues within Clark’s existing hotels
• A five-hectare plot in CDC for the construction of a convention and cultural centre, which is expected to have a maximum capacity of 15,000
• The continued expansion of Clark International Airport’s flight portfolio
• The continuation of a train system connecting Clark to its adjacent regions, whose first phase will be completed by 2026

This article is brought to you by Tourism Promotions Board Philippines