Drop with SMX Cebu and SMXCITE
SM Hotels and Convention Corp. (SMHCC), the hospitality arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc., will spend P5.3 billion over the next five years to ramp up its MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) footprint.
The expansion will begin with two major developments in Cebu and Pasay, the company said
Set to open in the third quarter of 2026, SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu will be one of the largest and most advanced convention venues in the Visayas. Cebu is one of the country’s top 10 provincial economies in both size and share of national GDP in 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu will offer over 21,000 square meters of leasable space across six levels, directly integrated with the SM Seaside Arena and SM Seaside Cebu Mall. With spacious pre-function areas, large-scale back-of-house features and complete digital infrastructure, the Cebu venue is positioned to become a regional hub for large-scale conventions, events and exhibitions.
SMHCC also broke ground on SMXCITE at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City last April. Set to open in the first quarter of 2027, SMXCITE will add 18,000 square meters of leasable space to the existing 17,000 square meters at SMX Manila, enabling SMHCC to accommodate large-scale, concurrent events.
Costing P1.7 billion, SMXCITE will feature two buildings that can accommodate up to 36,000 guests combined.
“Our expansion into Cebu and Pasay reflects our strong belief in the potential of these cities. By building next-generation venues with scale and flexibility, we are enabling more communities to benefit from the business and tourism opportunities that MICE events bring,” said SMHCC Executive Vice President Peggy Angeles.
These projects are part of SMHCC’s broader strategy to grow its events portfolio outside Metro Manila and support economic activity in emerging urban centers. Each SMX venue is co-located with hotels, malls and transport infrastructure to provide seamless access for organizers and guests.
In a commentary, Colliers Philippines said the sustained demand for in-person corporate events and growing appetite for business travel should help improve occupancies of hotels in major MICE destinations.
According to Colliers, the Department of Tourism (DOT) aims to position the Philippines as a key MICE destination, targeting major global events to boost tourist arrivals and spending.
Based on the DOT’s MICE Roadmap 2030, MICE revenues are projected to grow to PHP24.4 billion (USD438 million) in 2030 from only P4.6 billion in 2016.
“The MICE sites have a spillover effect on SM”s hotels and malls. In Mall of Asia, SM has National University and SMX Manila can host school events. Events in these MICE sites can help boost hotel occupancy and foot traffic in the malls,” Joey Bondoc, Colliers Philippines head of research, said.
