For meetings and gatherings, in more cases than one, setting is everything. So is there a better place to host the next event than on the breathtaking island paradise of Boracay?
Pristine beaches, clear waters, lush landscapes. Name it. Yet more than just a pretty face, in this all-in-one destination there’s access to top-notch facilities, team-building activities, and breathtaking natural scenery, among others.
Whether for board meetings, product launches, or team-building retreats, Boracay will inspire creativity, boost productivity, and impress your attendees. Why settle for a boring boardroom when you can enjoy the lushness and excitement of Boracay?
Malaya Business Insight was invited by Megaworld Hotels and Resorts to learn about the business and lifestyle aspects of Boracay. The Boracay MICE Alliance (BMA) recently announced the first-ever Boracay M.I.C.E. Networking & Business Exchange, which took place on April 22, 2024, at Kingsford Hotel Manila.
The event aimed to encourage collaborations in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and conventions, as well as events and exhibitions (MICE) industry. It brought together buyers from corporate organizers, tour operators, and travel agencies, alongside sellers from hotels, resorts, tour sectors, and domestic management partners. The event provided an excellent platform for buyers and sellers to establish deals and bookings for their upcoming high-value events.
Cleofe Albiso, managing director at Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, said that everyone is very hopeful that the gathering will bring the best results as they transition, hopefully, to a year that will take them out of the bad memories of what they had a few years back.
“Boracay is a wonderful story, and the story continues to become one that we would want to talk about,” Albiso said. With different interests and various businesses to put forward, “we gathered together as one alliance, only with one cause at heart: to provide another business segment and opportunity for the island to be known as a MICE destination.”
Everyone knows Boracay. Or knows of it. There is not a year where the island has missed global recognition and awards, and there’s none in the Philippines that gets to that level.
Albiso admitted that the journey is deeper and noted the changes, but one thing has been consistent in the quest of the island: “It has become more and more beautiful after the rehabilitation even after the pandemic.”
The one thing that they all have as a community, despite the challenges, is that the beauty of the island has never become this captivating and pristine in terms of the beaches, Albiso stressed.
But they all have to gather together and work hand in hand. There’s one thing that they would like to convey: “We really need everyone’s support.”
Everyone sees a lot of the promotions and marketing efforts put out not just among the regions in the Philippines but also across our neighboring countries here in Asia, she said.
“We all want a piece of the business that people can give not just for leisure but also for MICE, and here we are as one community.”
There are 14,730 room keys on the island. Albiso spoke to some of the sales and marketing personnel representing the bigger brands on the island, including the homegrown brands and very strong homegrown ownerships as well.
She shared that there are 430 hotels which are Department of Tourism-accredited, and the others may not even be on that strong list.
“That’s how much trust has been given to Boracay throughout the years,” she pointed out.
“And that’s billions and billions worth of investment coming from developers put into a beautiful island, hoping that tourism will continue to flow through the years because of the investment they have put in.”
The pandemic has changed the landscape of the contribution of the business as well as the rehabilitation which gave them a big loss in terms of the sustainability of the island.
“But the pause… now we’re in a phase where we want to put out to the world and we need your help, that Boracay is ready to welcome everyone again, not just for leisure, but a good option for meetings, incentives, conventions, and conferences, as well as your exhibitions and events,” Albiso underscored.
To be sure, they have had a good share last year with international conferences of 300 to 1,200 attendees. “Everyone who gets to set foot on the island always says that the island is a perfect place to hold their meetings,” Albiso pointed out.
“And we hope that we will be able to convey the message that we need your help because the efforts did not start just a few years back,” she noted, adding that it sprung decades back from when developers appreciated the promise of the island and started investing in it.
Albiso likened Boracay to a gold gem, just always shining there. But sometimes complacency sets in and the beauty is overlooked and forgotten. “That’s why we gathered because we want the gem to shine again at its best; we want to remember Boracay in the glory that it has shown to everyone who has set foot on the island.”
According to Albiso, it’s not just an island for leisure where you gather your friends and family to create memories and stories made on a beautiful, famed island in the Philippines.
Outside of the country, when talking about leisure, it is Boracay that’s top of mind; that has to be maintained.
Just like the Philippines, Boracay is resilient. Both have gone through so much, and today they are passionate and dynamic about welcoming everyone, she said.
