THE 2023 Philippine Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, Exhibitions (Mice) Conference, hosted by Davao City, is finally set on March 1 to 3 after facing numerous delays in the past years.
“Finalization na lang gyod as to sino ang i-coordinate (We are just finalizing the coordinators). Good as final and go na tayo for Micecon (we are ready to go for Micecon),” Alice Cadao, operations assistant of Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), said during the I-Speak media forum on January 19.
The Micecon was initially scheduled in 2020 after Davao City won the bidding in 2019 however, the event was stalled to 2022 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and was further rescheduled to March of this year.
Gene Bangayan, co-chair of the Deputy Private Sector for Micecon, said at least 500 delegates will be present at the SMX Convention Center, half of which are from Mindanao regions and the other half from Luzon and Visayas.
The last time Davao City hosted Micecon was in 2013 and Bangayan said they are exerting efforts to surpass the success and excitement achieved in 2013.
Around 1,000 to 2,000 online participants will also join from different industries, including airlines, hotels, resorts, convention centers, destination management companies, incentive planners, event organizers, professional congress and exhibitor organizers, and local government units.
Bangayan said Davao City will greatly benefit from hosting the Micecon since it will help jumpstart the tourism industry of the city, especially after the pandemic.
“The Micecon will also showcase Davao City’s capability to stage a premier world-class conference which is intended to boost the tourism and Mice industry of the city,” she said during Minda’s Media Forum.
Registration for the event is also free thus more people are expected to join the nationwide conference. ICM