November 6, 2007 | 12:00am
SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), the investment holding vehicle of the SM Group, said its P1.8 billion SMX Convention Center at the heart of the Mall of Asia complex is now open to the public and has already confirmed bookings for events until the end of 2007.
“We are pleased to open SMX Convention Center, which is yet another landmark at the Mall of Asia complex. With this facility, SM is offering a unique and superior Philippine venue for major domestic and international events. SMX is one of many other buildings we are developing to transform the Mall of Asia complex into a premier business and tourism destination in the Philippines,” said SMIC president Harley Sy.
The SMX Convention Center is the country’s largest center for exhibits, trade shows, conventions, banquets and other high-density events. The three-storey, 46,647-square meter (sq.m) building has a basement parking that can accommodate up to 400 cars, features second level commercial shops and a pedestrian bridgeway leading to the Mall of Asia.
The main lobby features a pre-function area of 1,879 sq.m with a concierge, electronic billboard monitors, VIP and press rooms. The exhibition area has a floor space of 9,130 sqm that can seat more than 5,000 people. The area can be divided into four halls for smaller exhibits or shows.
Level Three is the convention center with a floor space of 7,100 sq.m. This can be divided into five function rooms. There is also a pre-function lobby with 2,500 sqm of space and nine meeting rooms with total area of 810 sqm.
Within the Mall of Asia complex, SMIC will also soon inaugurate OneE-com Center, a 10-storey contemporary building designed for e-commerce, contact centers, BPO companies and specialized office uses. One of its tenants is Fitness First Philippines Inc, which will occupy the building’s first and second floors.
Mall of Asia also offers The Esplanade, a 1.5-kilometer strip of fully landscaped open space allocated to house retail and entertainment establishments and can accommodate up to 800 guests (banquet setup). The entire stretch of the promenade will have jogging paths, bike trails, playing courts, and outdoor restaurants.
Another major development project at the Mall of Asia complex is the SM Arena, a sprawling indoor facility for big-time sports and entertainment events that can seat over 16,000 spectators. This expansive arena is expected to be the venue of choice of major gigs of well-known international artists in the music and entertainment industries.
The Mall of Asia complex also has the Science and Discovery Center, the first of its kind themed-park devoted solely to science and technology. A partnership between SM Prime Holdings and US-based Leisure Entertainment Consultancy, the Science and Discovery Center features a digital planetarium and a wide range of technology and science-themed presentations and exhibits.
