Spreading the good word on Phl MICE

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign experts in meetings, incentive travel, conventions and events/exhibitions (MICE) are coming over next month, not only to share their expertise with the local industry, but also to spread the word about the Philippines’ advances in this lucrative sector of global tourism.

This promotional aspect as highlighted by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) is gaining the participation of the local industry players in the M.I.C.E. Conference (M.I.C.E.CON) 2014 slated at the Fontana Convention Center in Clark on June 4-7.

TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III said the M.I.C.E.CON 2014 could open the floodgates of North Philippines to international events and corporate activities, with the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport serving as the regional and global gateway.

“Clark as a self-contained and fully integrated central business district and freeport with its own international airport, quality infrastructure and a lot of mushrooming hotel and resort facilities surrounded by many post-event tourism attractions all over Central and Northern Luzon makes it a perfect showcase of an international MICE destination,” Enerio said.

“Such attributes — from M.I.C.E.CON’s pre-event activities to the post-event tours — would not escape the trained eyes of our visiting foreign guests,” Enerio added.

The foreign speakers in the M.I.C.E.CON 2014 will come mostly from the United States, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand to give an update on global market trends, appropriate marketing strategies and industry response, and all related developments.

They include Peter Gray of Motivating People, Australia; Megan Singleton of Travel Blogger At Large, New Zealand; Theresa Breining of Breining Group Llc; Shawna Suckow of Senior Planners Industry Network; Brad Weaber of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau; Tracy Stuckrath of Thrive! Meetings and Events; Susan Sarfati of High Performance Strategies Llc; and Liz Jackson of Jackson Consulting Inc., all from the United States, among others.

The M.I.C.E.CON 2014 would also bring about business opportunities for the local industry players through the M.I.C.E. Mart, a one-day business exchange between foreign buyers and local sellers and suppliers.

At least 40 select buyers from Australia, China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, US and Malaysia and another 10 local corporate buyers are participating in the M.I.C.E. Mart, according to M.I.C.E.CON convenor Stanie Soriano. 

M.I.C.E.CON was previously held in Subic, Cebu and Davao. This year’s event carries the theme “M.I.C.E. in 4D — Driving Passions, Developing Minds, Defying Limits, Designing the Future.”

The official participating hotels in the M.I.C.E.CON 2014 include the Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks, Widus Hotel and Casino, Holiday Inn Clark, and Montevista Villas-Mimosa Golf and Country Club. 

The event is supported by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and the Primer Group of Companies/C.O.R.E. as conference partners; Team Asia as major sponsor; and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Duty Free Philippines Inc., Guidebook and Philippine International Convention Center as sponsors.

For inquiries on registration, contact the M.I.C.E.CON Secretariat (c/o TPB, MICE and Business Development Unit) at +632 525-6635, 525-9318 to 27 local 256; fax at +632 521-6165, or e-mail at connie_antolin@tpb.gov.ph, miceregn2014@yahoo.com or tpb.specialevents@yahoo.com.