Philippine MICE Conference to go virtual in October
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine MICE conference, the country’s premiere gathering for professionals in the meetings, incentive travel, conventions, and exhibitions industry, is set to take place in virtual space in October.
Dubbed “MICECONline,” the conference — now on its 7th year — will take place on October 26 to 30.
This year’s theme is “Future-ready M.I.C.E.: Renew, Reboot, Revitalize.”
The Tourism Promotions Board, organizer of the online event, said it is already accepting early registration for the virtual event at http://micecon.ph.
“MICECONline will be offered free-of-charge to industry professionals within the private and public sectors and members of the academe, with topics focusing on professional development, sustainability, tourism recovery, and the New Normal, to be presented by local and global industry experts,” the TPB said.
“MICECONline will likewise feature sectoral town halls to encourage participants to exchange knowledge and best practices, CSR activities, virtual exhibitions, and chat rooms within the platform,” it added.
Participants of the conference are expected to experience plenary and breakout rooms in a virtual environment.
Presentations of speakers, on the other hand, will be simultaneous with other conference topics.
“"MICE tourism plays a critical role in our recovery with its innate characteristic to boost local economy, generate employment and directly benefit tourism entrepreneurs. With these guidelines in place, our stakeholders will be assured that their health and well-being is protected, as we maintain our position as an established MICE destination,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said last month.
MICE event guidelines
Last July 14, she signed the Administrative Order 2020-003 or the Guidelines on MICE Operations under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Under these guidelines, MICE events in areas under the enhanced community quarantine, modified ECQ, and general community quarantine are strictly prohibited.
It said that MICE events can only be conducted through online platforms facilitated without physical interaction under these community quarantine phases.
MICE events are only allowed at 50-percent capacity in areas under the MGCQ.
However, even with gatherings allowed under MGCQ, persons aged below 21 and over 60 years old are prohibited from participating in any MICE events.
Puyat also then signed Memorandum Circular 2020-006 or the Health and Safety Guidelines Governing the Operations of MICE organizers and venues or facilities under the “new normal.”
This requires organizers to craft an emergency preparedness plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the MICE event.
On the other hand, venue operators are required to designate an isolation room or area where persons who feel unwell while at the MICE event may be brought to before referral to medical personnel, in accordance with the protocol of the Department of Health.
Seating arrangements must also follow the one-meter distance and two-person maximum for each six-foot table for strict physical distancing.
For exhibit layouts, wider aisles that are preferably more than three-meters wide are recommended.
“No adjacent booths shall be directly facing each other,” it said.
Meanwhile, the health and safety guidelines also prohibit buffet setups and self-service for food. It encouraged pre-packed individual meals and drinks for the event guests.
“Similarly, we would like to reiterate that they also need to comply with the applicable issuances of the Department of Labor and Employment Department of Trade and Industry, and other sector-related agencies for compliance with the minimum public health standards,” Puyat concluded.
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