By Jt Nisay
THE brand-spanking Marriott Grand Ballroom (MGB), which houses the Philippines’s largest ballroom, has set its sights on being a major player not only in the local but the region’s meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), market and aims to further the country’s growing tourism figures.
At the recent media launch of MGB, Marriott Hotel Manila General Manager Bruce Winton said that, despite the stiff competition from primary markets, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, the country is in a good position to make a mark in the Asian MICE scene with the “phenomenal economic growth” it has experienced in the last five years, especially with the opening of Resorts World Manila’s (RWM) new $140-million state-of-the-art events venue.
“The MICE market has been extremely successful and lucrative throughout Asia. If you look at the primary markets, like Hong Kong and Singapore, they’re world-renowned as places for international meetings. If you look at the second rate, from an economic perspective in terms of expense, there’s Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. Manila’s on the warpath,” Winton said. “We’re about to become the new leading MICE market.”
He added that the four-story building—which offers 8,000 square meters of functional space with 28 versatile meeting spaces—is not only an answer to the local market’s demand for a new luxury venue that provides scale and class, but also a place that can attract foreign guests and help the country’s tourism efforts.
“We’ve been working hand in hand with the Department of Tourism [DOT] and the Tourism Promotions Board for the last couple of years to send the message that we have a compelling offer here in the Philippines. The international market has always been asking what Manila has to offer that’s globally competitive.
“Why should we bring our meeting and all of our dollars to Manila, instead of Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok? Well, this is it,” Winton said.
“As you exit the new international terminal, you look across the street, and what do you see? You see RWM, the Marriott Hotel and the Marriott Grand Ballroom. This compelling, fully integrated, entertainment and meeting facility is the gateway to the Philippines.”
According to RWM COO Stephen Reilly, the opening of the MGB, along with RWM’s other expansion projects, complements the growth of the country’s tourism that remains bullish—with around 1.4 million international visitor arrivals for the first quarter of 2015—on track to meet the 5.5 million foreign arrivals target for the year, according to the DOT.
The focal point of the MGB is its main ballroom, which boasts of a whopping 3,000 sq m of pillar-less function space—that’s twice the size of the previous largest ballroom in the country.