MICECON 2024 in Clark: Shaping the Way forward for the MICE Business
The Philippine MICE Convention (MICECON) returned to Clark after ten years to host MICECON 2024. With the theme M.I.C.E. XD: XPERIENCE DIVERSIFIED, the three-day occasion, held from July 10 to 12 on the SMX Conference Heart Clark was a mixed effort of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, Clark Improvement Company (CDC), and numerous companions from the non-public and public sectors.
Throughout the opening ceremony, TPB Chief Working Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles said that the TPB has all the time been fostering new alternatives for networking, benchmarking, and studying via numerous periods, workshops, and actions. “Our theme embodies our dedication to embracing new concepts, applied sciences, and practices that can form the way forward for the MICE business,” Nograles mentioned.
Nograles additionally proudly shared the “MICE Philippines: We Take Your Enterprise to Coronary heart” program, designed to place the nation as a premier MICE vacation spot. “Within the Philippines, we welcome not simply leisure vacationers, but in addition enterprise professionals. We transcend telling them—we present them and make them really feel that within the Philippines, we take their enterprise to coronary heart,” she added.
TPB COO Nograles introduces the “MICE Philippines: We Take Your Enterprise to Coronary heart” program through the opening ceremony of MICECON 2024
With 820 delegates from numerous MICE sectors and academe in attendance, MICECON 2024 handled members to a diversified convention expertise, ranging from their lodging, the principle convention venue, distinctive and themed social capabilities, and inventive costume codes for the periods. These initiatives emphasised that Clark is greater than only a prime vacationer vacation spot within the area; it is usually one of many prime MICE locations within the nation.
In full assist through the opening ceremony was the Division of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. Citing Clark’s premier standing as a vacationer and MICE vacation spot, the Tourism Chief emphasised the complementary local weather of MICE within the nation. “The Philippines just isn’t solely capable of host conventions; it is usually capable of provide pre- and post-tours that you’ll discover nowhere else on the earth,” she mentioned.
Frasco additional underscored Clark’s capability to carry large-scale conferences. “Clark’s choice because the host of MICECON 2024 is a recognition of its readiness and potential as a premier MICE vacation spot. The Clark Freeport Zone’s accessibility, state-of-the-art convention venues, and complete assist companies are very properly ready to welcome all of the members of MICECON 2024.”
CDC President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera shared statistics and updates on the developments that can place Clark as a premier MICE vacation spot. These embody the development of three new inns so as to add to Clark’s current room rely of round 4,100 rooms; the allocation of two hectares of land for the enlargement of the SMX Conference Heart, in addition to the event of enterprise venues inside Clark’s current inns; a five-hectare plot in CDC for the development of a conference and cultural heart, which is anticipated to have a most capability of 15,000; the continued enlargement of Clark Worldwide Airport’s flight portfolio; and the continued work on a practice system connecting Clark to its adjoining areas, whose first section will likely be accomplished by 2026.
Anita Mendiratta, founder and lead of AM&A Consulting Agency, one of many convention’s keynote audio system and the particular advisor to the Secretary Basic of the United Nations World Tourism Group (UNWTO), lauded Frasco’s efforts in retaining the Philippine tourism business heading in the right direction. “I say gratitude on behalf of the UN Tourism for what you’re doing in creating tourism in a means that’s good. It’s considerate, and it genuinely retains the enterprise of tourism at coronary heart,” mentioned Mendiratta after the press convention held on the second day of MICECON 2024, additionally dubbed as MICE Conversations.
In the meantime, one of many panelists throughout MICE Conversations, president of the Philippine Affiliation of Conference/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers, Inc. (PACEOS) Pamela Pascual, highlighted the financial results of holding MICE occasions, whether or not large or small in scale. “The direct spending of delegates really trickles all the way down to the assorted sectors of the native economic system,” she famous.
Pascual defined that these occasions appeal to worldwide guests who often keep and go to native sights along with attending MICE occasions. “That contributes so much to sustainable tourism progress and enhances the worldwide visibility of the nation as a vacation spot of selection,” she additional mentioned.
All concerning the three-day convention
Forward of the official opening of MICECON 2024, a choose variety of delegates have been capable of take part in 4 company social accountability (CSR) applications. The MICE market positioned on the SM Metropolis Clark Occasion Heart with over 30 native exhibitors and sponsors, was additionally formally opened to the general public. These exhibitors highlighted tourism packages, native crafts, meals merchandise, and different MICE-related companies inside Pampanga.
First-time delegates for MICECON 2024 received to know their fellow members via an interactive onboarding session. They have been grouped collectively to design artistic pitches for fashionable Filipino dishes, permitting the members to expertise a reimagined means of being oriented for a enterprise conference.
Good younger minds from 5 universities throughout the nation additionally competed within the MICE Youth Problem. College students from the College of the Cordilleras got here out as champions with their MICE proposal to mount a four-day convention on spices, SPICECON: Malembo Pampalasa.
A welcome dinner held on the new terminal gates of the Clark Worldwide Airport handled delegates to a showcase of Kapampangan tradition via music, performances, meals, artisans/artisanal merchandise, and decorations. The occasion additionally highlighted the brand new terminal’s capability for use as an occasion area. The dinner was graced by the presence of the previous President of the nation and present Consultant of the 2nd District of Pampanga, Hon. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; incumbent Solicitor Basic Menardo Guevarra; and Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, alongside executives from DOT, TPB, and CDC.
In the meantime, a number of broad and targeted discussions have been held concurrently within the final two days of the convention facilitated by audio system who’re specialists within the subject. This gave delegates an opportunity to decide on MICE and tourism-related tracks that finest suited their subject within the business. Among the many session subjects have been synthetic intelligence (AI) know-how, disaster restoration and status administration, inclusive occasion planning, balancing digital advertising and marketing with the attraction of in-person experiences, and coaching and upskilling the tourism workforce, to call a number of.
What’s subsequent for PH MICE business
Because the convention got here to an in depth on Friday afternoon, its success was a testomony to the collective efforts of all who made it doable. Key officers and workers from each the private and non-private sectors, inspiring audio system, devoted convention delegates from numerous industries, and the accommodating Clark locators all performed essential roles in guaranteeing a clean and enriching expertise for everybody concerned.
Nograles expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Devanadera and the CDC staff for being probably the most supportive host metropolis for MICECON 2024. She additionally underscored the 5-year MICE strategic administration plan, which is a pivotal step and pioneering information for enhancing the Clark Freeport Zone’s status as a prime MICE vacation spot within the Asia-Pacific area.
Happy with this 12 months’s MICECON’s success, Nograles additionally addressed the delegates in a packed plenary corridor: “You’ve got all the time been instrumental within the success of every version of the Philippine MICE Convention. MICECON, at its core, is greater than only a convention. It’s a transformative expertise that guarantees to reshape how we method and execute MICE occasions. Collectively, now we have not solely set benchmarks however have additionally laid the inspiration for a dynamic way forward for the MICE business within the Philippines.”
The long run is wanting brilliant for the MICE business–not simply in Clark, however within the Philippines as a complete. As Nograles mentioned: “We are going to set up the Philippines as a premier MICE vacation spot identified for its world-class experiences, top-notch services, and unparalleled hospitality.”
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