Preparations shift to high gear as Davao City will host the Philippine MICE Conference (MICECon) on November 16-18, 2022.
Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) Officer-in-Charge Generose Tecson, in an interview with the City Information Office (CIO), said that the MICECon will be sponsored by the City Government of Davao and co-sponsored by the Tourism Promotions Board.
“This was supposed to be in 2020 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19,” said Tecson, who had a meeting with the organizing committee on June 1, 2022.
It can be recalled that the city submitted its Bid Book to the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) of the Department of Tourism (DOT) on October 16, 2019, for the 2020 hosting of the event.
In Davao’s bid video, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, now Vice President-Elect, concluded the bid with a message: “Experience and immerse yourselves in what Davao City has to offer in both urban amenities and rural comfort, the perfect place for both business and leisure. As today’s top-of-mind destination for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions in the country, Davao City is definitely the best choice to host the Philippine MICE Conference.”
But the MICECon 2020 had to be rescheduled when COVID-19 struck. MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibits) were prohibited when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country in the first quarter of 2020. Some parts of the country were placed in lockdowns due to rising coronavirus cases.
With Davao City enjoying an alert level 1 status for almost three months now and most parts of the country have also opened businesses, the MICECon will at last push through this year.
The CTOO chief said, “We’ve launched the Davao MICE Program to signal Davao’s capability in handling MICE events and place itself as a preferred MICE destination in the country and eventually, Southeast Asia (SEA).”
Tecson added that guidelines for MICE and special events have already been set by both the private sector and the City Government of Davao through her office.
“We have been following this since last year when we slowly opened up to hold MICE and social events,” she said.
The MICECon aims to showcase the strong partnership of the City Government and private tourism stakeholders and to consolidate and strengthen all sectors involved in the MICE industry by providing an ideal platform for a comprehensive educational program and trade opportunity for Philippine MICE and tourism practitioners.
The much-anticipated event also aims to showcase new developments, facilities, and products of the host destination and increase the levels of creativity and professionalism, and further upgrade the capabilities of the host destination in targeting and handling the MICE market.
Tecson also bared that most of Davao City’s hotels are enjoying 80 to 90 percent capacity due to MICE and social events.
Also present during the meeting were MICECon Chair Ken Kapulong, Seda Hotels area head, Davao Tourism Association (DATA) President Cherry Al-Ag, Consul of Hungary in Mindanao Mary Ann “Baby” Montemayor, Daphne Alojado, Candice Respicio-Protasio, Anner Margaret Pelingon, Arman-Pia Partoza Montano, Christine Joy Aliño, Ronald Go, and Jennifer Ricardo Romero. CIO
