Manila’s new business events horizon

WATERFRONT developments have long inspired event organisers. River and harbourside hotels, venues and attractions have put many cities on the international conference map, whether delegates cast their eyes across the Brisbane River, Bangkok’s Chao Phraya, or Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.

Now it’s Manila’s turn to step up. It’s a long-term plan, but visitors can already see what’s taking shape on the waterfront of Pasay City, a 20 minute drive from Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Pasay is home to SM Group’s Mall of Asia (MOA) – one of the continent’s largest facilities of its type – in a business precinct where SMX Convention is to be joined via footbridge to another conference venue currently being built.

Other landmarks in this section of SM’s Bay City development start with the Conrad Manila, the 20,000-seat MOA Arena and a futuristic building that houses a replica of a huge 17th century galleon. Museo del Galeon is an imposing reminder to visitors of the Philippines’ maritime heritage, as further land reclamation gathers pace across the shoreline.

SMX is expanding beyond its Metro Manila base with a pipeline of new venues designed to strengthen exhibition capacity in both the capital and regional markets of the Philippines. The network currently spans eight venues and trade halls nationwide, combining purpose-built convention centres and mall-integrated facilities to support MICE and consumer events.

SMX Convention Center in Pasay is the SM’s flagship venue, but the brand continues to expand. While its venue within the Mall of Asia complex is designed to host large-scale international exhibitions and conventions, capacity is set to expand significantly with the SMX Center for International Trade and Exhibitions. Due for completion is 2027, the venue will add more than 18,000 sqm of space – effectively doubling the Manila venue’s exhibition footprint.

Beyond Metro Manila, SMX is accelerating its move into provincial markets. The SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu will add over 21,000 sqm across six levels when it is expected to open later this year,  positioning Cebu as a major regional MICE hub. At the same time, expansion plans in Clark aim to meet rising demand in Central Luzon.

Further regional growth is set for Cabanatuan, Nuvali (Santa Rosa) and Santo Tomas, signalling SMX’s push into emerging provincial cities.

Sherwin Lucas, general manager for SMX Convention Centres Manila, said the additional venue capacity in Pasay City would allow the destination to ‘tender internationally and reach more regional conferences’.

One of the latest additions is another conference hotel, Lanson Place Manila, with a serviced apartment section in preparation for professionals expected to descend on Pasay.

The clustering of venues and accommodation is a strategy by SM Group to grow the destination’s ability to attract larger regional and international events.

From the Archive… Manila’s Bay Watch

Expansion plans are now extending this model further, with more than 600 hectares of adjacent reclamation projects earmarked for integrated mixed-use districts linked to the existing MOA complex, according to reports.

For business events, the continued expansion of SMX Convention Centre is a key driver, according to Nils Rothbarth, general manager of Lanson Place Manila.

 “I believe we are perfectly positioned, and I think that was a strategic move as well from SM to have an extension of a second hotel [in addition to] The Conrad to actually service the big MICE market that we are expecting,” Rothbarth told MIX. 

Lanson Place Manila’s 247 guest rooms cater to shorter stays, while a separate section of 141 additional rooms and suites are dedicated to serviced residences.

The main events venue is the Saffron Grand Ballroom, which can host 300 delegates, and has a dedicated pre-function lobby.

There are also several meeting rooms designed for board meetings, training sessions and workshops. These typically seat between 12 and 20 delegates and feature full-height windows that bring in natural light, while some larger rooms can be configured for slightly bigger groups. The hotel also includes executive boardrooms.

A courtyard provides planners with an outdoor option for networking or receptions.    

For hotels such as Lanson Place, alignment with SM’s vision is central to market positioning. “One of our long-term strategies that we have implemented is to work very closely with SM, SMX sites, and the arena,” Rothbarth said. 

“The entire concept not only has us perfectly positioned to service a MICE destination in Pasay City, and Metro Manila, but also to service the leisure market.”

That B-leisure – or business combined with lifestyle – concept comes to life each morning when the harbour road is closed before office hours start.  One of the cafes at Lanson Place serves as an informal F&B stop for the droves of racing cyclists taking advantage of the temporary absence of motor vehicles.

Rothbarth said the property’s mix of serviced apartments and hotel rooms aligns with both event-driven and extended-stay demand, a lot of which is due to professionals setting up nearby corporate headquarters and working on the land reclamation.

“For that development, we have a lot of long-staying guests with us… including engineers, developers already [working] on that island [of reclaimed land]. So, Lanson Place Manila serves both purposes, and we’re perfectly situated right here,” he said. 

“It is definitely a direction the market is demanding,” Rothbarth said of how the property serves both domestic leisure and project-based demand as the surrounding MICE and tourism hub grows.