Boracay has always been known as a party destination thanks to the numerous bars and restaurants located along its famed white beach. There are also several areas in the island that cater to those who prefer a more secluded getaway. Still, there are a few resorts that offer a combination of privacy while being able to host events for large groups.
Boracay Newcoast, a township located on the northern part of the island and past the bustling White Beach is making a name for itself as a prime destination for large groups under the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism category. Boracay Newcoast features two hotels, namely Belmont and Savoy Boracay, and a third to be completed in the near future, with its own private beach.
The township’s Newcoast Cove 2 Beach recently hosted a leg of the Love Boracay series of beach parties, bringing in a selection of international DJs with local legends Marc Marasigan and Ron Poe serving as headliners for the two-day event.
The Love Boracay Love Music Festival saw the Cove 2 Beach transformed into a summer paradise with sections where guests can lounge in bean bags or dance to the heart-pounding beats from the different performers. The setup at Cove 2 Beach was easily able to handle over 1000 people with plenty of room to spare, making the festival a pleasant experience thanks to the large space and the cool sea breeze that flowed from the shore all throughout the evening.
For those who prefer live music, Boracay Newcoast also hosted the Corona Sunsets Sessions which saw performances from Lola Amour, Sunkissed Lola, Dara Carmina, Kat DJ, Marxx Monterola, and Justin V.
The music festivals are part of the township’s efforts to bring Boracay Newcoast to a larger audience. “The aim of hosting the festival is to let people know that Newcoast exists. When I arrived in 2022, most people would ask ‘Where is Newcoast’ or ‘What is Newcoast’. We wanted to make the township more known to the public and show them that there is something like this in Boracay — a place that has the capacity to host large-scale events,” Belmont Hotel general manager and Boracay MICE Alliance president Maia Israel shared.
Aside from its two hotels and the large beaches, Boracay Newcoast also has the Newcoast Convention Center, a fully-air conditioned events place capable of holding up to 1,200 attendees. The convention facility can be divided into three smaller rooms, each with a capacity of 400 persons for theatre-type set-up and 250 persons for banquet-type set-up. It also comes equipped with 100 percent back-up power supply as well as WiFi internet access, fixed video screens and motorized projector screens with sound system.
The Newcoast Convention Center also served as the venue for the awarding ceremony of the International Dragonboat Competition which saw over 1000 participants from all over the globe competing against one another over two days.
Israel shared that due to the facilities Boracay Newcoast has to offer, the township’s prospects for the MICE market are very bright. “Occupancy is growing and I can say that it’s brought about by conventions and the MICE market. It is the next avenue of growth, that’s why we want to push it. We want to create two projects a year that could help boost B2B deals. We already hosted travel agents and our next targets are government and corporate decision makers who are planning events for next year,” she said.
