The Philippine M.I.C.E. Conference (MICECON) is the largest gathering of Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions (M.I.C.E.) professionals in the country.
The bi-annual conference opens up networking opportunities and strengthens ties with domestic and international stakeholders.
For a host city like Davao, MICECON is a channel to highlight its strengths and capabilities as a MICE destination along with its trade and tourism assets. Consequently, it will boost the city’s economy and the country’s as well.
After Davao won the 2019 bid to host MICECON, then-mayor Sara Duterte, through Executive Order (EO) No. 27, formed the organizing committee consisting of representatives from the LGU and stakeholders.
The committee comprises the following: the city mayor as the chairperson and Kennedy Kapulong, EVP of Davao Tourism Association, as co-chairperson; and the city administrator as vice-chairperson.
The other committees include the Secretariat, Attendance Promotions, Customer Advisory Council Arrangements, Speaker’s Tour, airport Reception and Transportation, Pre-Conference Activities, Accommodations, MICE Marketplace, Socials, Public Relations and Publicity, Ways and Means, and Safety and Security.
Each committee is tasked to ensure all segments of the conference—from arrival to departure— will be implemented without any hitch.
The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the original hosting date. With the future uncertain, it was a wait-and-see situation for the organizers. However, through the course of the pandemic, the planning continued for the MICE Execom to communicate via video.
Possible calendar dates were marked after health restrictions were eased, however, it was the 2023 dates that all parties involved—the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the Davao City Local Government Unit, and the Davao MICE Executive Committee representing Davao’s private stakeholders— agreed.
On Dec. 22, 2022, TPB led by its COO, Davaoeña Marga Nograles, and Davao City VIce-Mayor, Melchor Quitain, Jr, representing City mayor Sebastian Duterte, signed the Memorandum of Agreement of the MICECON 2023 partnership.
Davao MICECON 2023 will be the city’s second time hosting the conference. The first was in 2013. With the theme MICECONVERGE: BLAZE NEW TRAILS, “The conference marks an excellent restart for the city coming from the pandemic lockdowns,” said Nograles.
The three-day conference will be held at the SMX Convention Center.
It will be a hybrid event with 500 in-person delegates attending plus another 1000 to 2,000 virtual delegates from the Philippines and abroad.
“The event will also feature new program components such as the Philippine MICE Youth Challenge, Power Dressing and Glam Makeup Sessions, Host and Sponsors’ Hall (an exhibition of the finest tourism products and services of Davao), and Familiarization Trips of MICE Facilities in Davao Region,” shared Nograles.
The Philippine Eagle is the beneficiary of MICECON 2023’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Participants will be visiting the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, encouraging them to participate in this conservation and make a difference.
Daytime and nighttime gatherings will be thematic. The sub-themes for the daytime conferences are “Celebrating Nature”, “Celebrating Diversity” and “Celebrating Travel and Technology.” For the dinner receptions, the themes will be “Davao Culinary Magic” hosted by the Department of Tourism Region 11 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao; “11 Tribes of Davao” on Mayor’s Night at the SM Lanang Premier Event Area; and TPB-hosted affair at Azuela Cove will have “Padayon” (or Airplanes to Davao) as its theme.
Gene Bangayan, who was instrumental in mounting the DAVAO MICECON 2013, sits as the Deputy Private Sector Co-Chair and member of the Ways and Means Committee for DAVAO MICECON 2023.
“We are happy and excited that MICECON is back in Davao City after 10 years. We’re looking forward to promoting Davao City as a bigger and better MICE destination. Let’s meet in Davao in March!” she said.
