Davao City rallies behind MICECON Conference 2013

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Sara Duterte has created a special body to prepare this city for the huge influx of local and foreign delegates to the forthcoming international conference on meetings, incentives, conventions and events/exhibitions (MICE).

Duterte herself chairs the Davao Host Organizing Committee that she has created through an executive order to acknowledge the city’s bid to become an international MICE destination and tourism hub in the South.

The committee, consisting of government and private sector groups, covers all areas of preparations to ensure the successful hosting of MICE Conference (MICECON) 2013.

Aside from conference seminars, also constituting MICECON 2013 are business-to-business meetings called “MICE Mart,” and a product and service exhibition of industry players and suppliers called “MICE Marketplace.”

MICECON 2013 is slated in the city’s newly opened SMX Convention Center in Lanang on March 6-9. Lanang is an area in the southern part of this mostly elevated city known for its scenic beauty from the mountains to the sea, thus befitting its famous descriptive line “From Islands to Highlands.”

Coming over to witness the stunning natural scenery amid and around this cosmopolitan city are MICE experts and business leaders from all over the world, including visitors from Manila and the rest of the country.

To ensure that all their requirements are well taken care of, the Sara-led organizing committee includes various units headed by experts to take charge of secretariat activities, attendance, transportation and tours, airport reception, accommodations, MICE Marketplace, MICE Mart, socials and food and beverage, ways and means, safety and security, and finance, among others.

Composing the committee are lawyer Zuleika Lopez as government co-chair, Gene Bangayan of the Davao Tourism Association (DATA) and Davao Region Tourism Council as private sector co-chair, Mary Ann Montemayor of the Association of Davao Event Organizers and Suppliers and the Small Hotels Association of Davao as secretariat, Department of Tourism-Region 11 director Art Boncato Jr., Jason Magnaye of the City Tourism Operations Office, and Al Ryan Alejandre of the city council’s Committee on Tourism and Beautification for attendance promotion; Alexander Divinagracia of the Davao Association of Tour Operators and Jonathan Estrella of GUIDE-Davao for transportation and tours; Boncato, Magnaye and Edmund Mayormita of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies for airport reception; Emily Nuere of the Hotel and Resort Sales and Marketing Association for accommodations; Angel Puentespina of DATA for MICE Marketplace; Montemayor for MICE Mart; Lisette Marques of Du-aw Davao Festival Foundation for socials and food and beverage; Joseph Lawrence Garcia of the City Information Office for public relations and publicity; Bangayan for ways and means; Maj. Magno Adalin Jr. of the Davao City Public Safety and Security Command Center for safety and security; and Pia Lourdes Montano of Davao Travel Agencies Association for finance.

The DOT and the rest of the tourism industry expect MICECON 2013 to become a record-breaking event for drawing the most number of foreign experts in global business, travel and tourism, branding, marketing, leadership, and technology, among others.

The MICECON program, according to the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), will address both the basics and the issues relevant to the executive and professional levels.

“The conference will further promote Davao City as a MICE destination in Southern Philippines,” said TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III.

“The biggest gathering of MICE professionals, this annual event serves as an industry platform for learning and business opportunities,” Enerio added.

For more information on MICECON 2013, contact the Philippine MICE. Conference Organizing Committee at 525-6110 or 525-6635, fax at 521-6165, e-mail at miceregn2013@yahoo.com or cit.unit@gmail.com, go to Facebook at MICECON 2013 Davao, or visit www.micecon.net.