Filipino excellence, made for the world

Filipino hospitality has always had a place on the world stage. Now, a homegrown brand is showing that the country can also compete globally when it comes to bringing people together for business.

SMX Convention Center has earned the Philippines’ Best Convention & Exhibition Center title at the 35th TTG Travel Awards in Bangkok, marking its third consecutive win in the category. The recognition came through votes from TTG readers across the Asia-Pacific region, including professionals in the travel and tourism industry.

For SM Hotels & Conventions Corp. (SMHCC), the recognition reflects more than the strength of its venues. It points to the growing potential of the Philippine meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry and the opportunities it can create across the country.

Taking MICE beyond Metro Manila

The next chapter for SMX is not simply about building bigger spaces. It is about making major business events more accessible to emerging destinations.

SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu is set to become the largest facility in the SMX portfolio, adding a major venue to Cebu’s South Road Properties and supporting the city’s position as a business and tourism hub.

Another development, SMXCITE Center for International Trade and Exhibitions at the SM Mall of Asia complex, is set to expand the country’s capacity for large-scale exhibitions.

Meanwhile, SMX Trade Halls in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; Sto. Tomas, Batangas; and Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna will bring event infrastructure closer to growing regional markets.

When events create bigger opportunities

A successful convention does not end when the last presentation is over. Visitors need places to stay, eat, shop and explore, allowing an event to generate activity for businesses throughout its host destination.

This is where the wider value of MICE becomes apparent. A convention can introduce visitors to a city, bring customers to local establishments and create opportunities for suppliers, transport operators, tourism businesses and other enterprises.

SMHCC's expanding network is designed to support everything from international conventions and exhibitions to regional trade fairs and corporate gatherings, creating more ways for destinations outside the usual business centers to participate.

SMHCC now has a hospitality and MICE portfolio spanning more than 2,600 hotel rooms and over 42,000 square meters of leasable convention space.

The continued recognition of SMX suggests that a Philippine-born brand can build its reputation not by imitating global players, but by developing its own scale, expertise and understanding of the local market.

The TTG award was presented in Bangkok, but its significance reaches home. With every new venue and regional expansion, SMX is helping position Philippine destinations as places where the world can meet, do business and discover what Filipino hospitality can deliver.

Global excellence, in this case, has distinctly local roots.