By Ian Neubauer

The Philippines will this week hosts a MICE forum that looks into the competitive advantage of regional MICE hubs and analyses their success stories to see how they beat the competition.

The two daylong Philippine Asian MICE Forum starts on Wednesday (August 27) at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in the capital Manila under the auspices of the Philippine Association of Convention Organisers and Suppliers (PACEOS), Cebu Daily News reported.

It will also discuss the state of local MICE industries in Asian countries in the areas of infrastructure, government incentives and value propositions to help the country build on its reputation as a MICE destination. 

PACEOS president, Marisa Nallana, said MICE marketing strategies would be a key discussion topic during the forum. “[This will] offer insights into costs and pricing, bidding for international events, customer care, safety and security and ethical stands, which will assist industry players in developing competitive strategies,” she said.

Philippines Tourism Secretary, Joseph Durano, said MICE business has a flow on effect that could help develop the nation’s hospitality, transport and retail industries.

He said it would help boost economic benefits as “we leverage on competitive advantages such as accessibility, first-class facilities and conducive business tourism environment.”