Cebu is ready to host the Philippine MICE (PhilMICE) Conference 2011 in August.
Hans Hauri, Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) president, gave this assurance yesterday at the 888 News forum about the international event that will gather 350 delegates to discuss the fast-growing industry in meetings, incentives, conference and events (MICE).
Hauri, who is also general manager of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, said the Department of Tourism had allocated a P6 million budget for the hosting with local governments like the Cebu provincial government and private tourism stakeholders doing their share to make it a success.
Hauri said DOT has always encouraged the local tourism industry to learn more about and develop the MICE market, which is considered a fickle but lucrative market where customers know what they want and get it.
“If you want to create wealth out of tourists, then this (MICE) is the epitome as it combines air travel, food and beverage, accomodations, destinations and more. The market is about 50 million (visitors) and getting a chunk of that will already be good for us,” he said.
Former DOT regional director Patria Aurora “Dawnie” Roa, who is one of the organizers of the conference, said that she was confident that Cebu could ably handle the conference with its support infrastructure like the international airport and convention centers were already in place.
“This is the third time we are hosting the MICE Conference. The first was in 1993 than in 1998 with the themes “Creating the Dream” and “Fulfilling the Dream”.
“Now we are living the dream and it’s time for us to cash in. Stakeholders as well as the local government have been very supportive. We are now sowing the seeds so that we can reap the benefits of being seen as a viable destination for MICE in the future,”Roa said.
Hauri agreed.
“Every sector of the government, police, private stakeholders, museum owners are all doing their share to also clean up their place to accommodate the delegates who will become our ambassadors for Cebu and for the Philippines in promoting us to the world,” he said.
Hauri said that the DOT’s P6 million budget will be used to fly in 30 international buyers and resource speakers who will be placed in business class flights and given the best accommodations in Cebu to give them a good impression about the island province.
Jessica Avila, who is in charge of dinners and lunch hostings of the delegates, said that establishments like Radisson Blu Hotel, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu as well as the Cebu provincial government already committed to host dinner or lunch for the delegates with different themes to make sure that they get a taste of everything Cebu has to offer.
The tentative schedule of activities include a tour to to Cebu provincial jail to watch the “dancing inmates” on Day 1.
Day 2 will have a plenary session on MICE Technology. On the third day, speakers will take up values and sustainability, media marketing and panel discussions. Day 4 will give time for sellers and buyers to network in business-to-businesss (B to B) sessions then a show of festival cultural dances of Cebu in the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo.
This year’s conference will carry the theme “I Share, You Connect, We Change.”
The PhilMICE Conference 2011 will be held from August 10 to August 13 at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.
It will coincide with the Cebu provincial government’s “One Cebu” celebration.