Both the Philippine private and public sectors are working on programmes to court more association events to the country
Philippine associations and event organisers are becoming more hands-on in courting international MICE, previously the realm belonging primarily to the NTO.
Their broader task inevitably calls for professionalising the industry.
“Their leaders can influence the bidding for international events”, explained Dinah M Gonzalez, assistant director, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
Indeed, to “professionalise” has become the catchword in the industry that’s evolving not just inward, to polish its own offerings, but also outwardly to network and connect with other countries.
For this purpose, the Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (PACEOS) set up the Philippine MICE Academy. Demand is such that PACEOS is “often asked by local government units” for training on the provincial level, said Joel Pascual, vice president for exhibitions.
Moreover, the Philippine Council for the Advancement of Association Executives’ (PCAAE) newly launched PCAAE Academy offers the Certified Professional Association Executive course and the monthly seminars under it.
Other services include a members’ helpline, three e-newsletters, speakers and authors bureau, a forthcoming resource magazine and a B2B marketplace between MICE buyers and sellers.
Heeding the call of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) to help bring international meetings and events into the country, PCAAE enjoins members to volunteer as “ambassadors” and bid for international events.
PCAAE president and CEO Octavio Peralta said that two international conferences that may materialise in 2017 have already been referred to TPB as of press time in September.
The private sector’s confidence in competing to win international and networking events abroad is further boosted by the improvement in the Philippines’ economy, infrastructure and MICE hardware.
Its cooperation with TPB is paying off as the country plays hosts to more meetings and events. Lila P Cailles, vice president marketing of World Trade Center Manila, noted a rise in the number of exhibitions this year.
The most high profile event for the Philippines this year is the APEC Summit in November and over 150 smaller APEC meetings before that. The summit is rotated among the Asia-Pacific countries. The Philippines last hosted the APEC Summit in 1996.
Pascual said there’s definitely more interest now in the Philippines from international organisations and event organisers.
But he added that a lot of it still has to be done hand in hand with the government, as foreign events would usually ask for government backing as well.
The private sector is confident in broadening its boundaries as well. PCAAE, for instance, was one of four organisations of association executives in Asia that signed the historic charter to form the Asia Pacific Federation of Association Organizations (APFAO).
To ensure networking and exchange of ideas, Peralta said PCAAE has invited delegations from APFAO in Australia, South Korea as well as those who expressed interest in setting up a national association organisation, such as members of APFAO Malaysia, to attend PCAAE’s Association Executives Summit III in December.
“This will give rise to an opportunity to have international delegates coming to our event,” Peralta explained.
The need for an umbrella organisation of association executives can be gleaned from PCAAE’s 197 members from 72 associations and other membership organisations in just two years of its existence.
“We have most of the big associations represented in the PCAAE,” said Peralta. This includes members from Philippine Retailers Association; Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Philippine Marketing Association; Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards; Financial Executives of the Philippines.
