SM is Building the Country's Biggest Convention and Events Venue Near the Mall of Asia Arena

SM Hotels & Conventions Corporation’s (SMHCC) is building what will become the country's largest convention and events venue. The SMX Center for International Trade and Exhibitions (SMXCITE), is being planned as a premier world-class convention venue which would complement and expand the existing SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Expected to be completed in three years, the project, which is being developed by SMthe Sy family's Prime Holdings, Inc. will be built across the SM Mall of Asia Arena and will have a capacity of 18,000. 

SMXCITE will be able to host large-format events for Filipinos and global visitors and will add over 18,000 square meters of leasable trade space to the existing SMX space. It will double the SMX Convention Center’s capacity or 35,000 square meters and will serve as a versatile exhibition and events space in one area.

In a statement, SMHCC said the venue is being constructed with sustainability at the center and energy-efficient infrastructure. SMXCITE will feature natural lighting, among other design principles that align with SMX Manila’s eco-conscious benchmarks.

SMHCC said it would ensure the venue would meet international standards, with four diverse meeting rooms, five expansive exhibition halls that can accommodate up to 803 standard 3x3-meter booths. The four rooms would be intended for breakout sessions, closed-door meetings, and strategic planning engagement. The complex will also have two dedicated VIP lounges for high-level executives, foreign and local dignitaries, among other delegations.

The company noted that SMXCITE will expand the SMX Convention Center's national footprint to an estimated 60,000 square meters across cities such as Manila, Taguig, Mandaluyong, Clark, Olongapo, Bacolod, Cebu, and Davao.

“SMXCITE marks a pivotal step in our continued efforts to build future-ready venues that meet global standards,” SMHCC Senior Vice President for Operations Walid Wafik said.

How The SMX Convention Center Came to Be 

The existing flagship center was first introduced as the MAITRADE Expo and Convention Center during its gorundbreaking ceremony in 2006. A year later, it opened its doors as the SMX Convention Center at a cost of about P1.8 billion.

The venue has four exhibition halls, five function rooms, and 14 meeting rooms across 230,000 square feet of leasable space for various types of events.

It also has bridgeways that directly connects the venue to SM Mall of Asia's south parking building and to Conrad Manila. 

This is still fairly more modern than the World Trade Center also in Pasay City, which is nearly 30 years old at this point as it was inagurated in 1996. WTC measures about 178,000 square feet and has an event hall with a seating capacity of about 13,000.

SMHCC said its upcoming international trade center is expected to position Metro Manila as a prime player in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) arena in Southeast Asia. Many event organizers have bemoaned the lack of suitable venues in the city that can adequately accommodate large-scale events and exhibitions. 

“With this new exhibition center, along with exciting projects on the horizon in Cebu and in Cabanatuan, we’re expanding our reach and reinforcing our commitment to elevate the Philippine MICE experience across the country,” SMHCC's Wafik added.