Seen to boost the growth of the MICE industry in the region.
SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC), the hospitality arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime), said in a press statement that it is opening the SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu in the fourth quarter of 2026.
It is part of SM Prime’s South Coast City project in Cebu, a 26-hectare master-planned estate envisioned as a major lifestyle and business hub in the southern Philippines, which also features the upcoming SM Seaside City Arena.
In line with this, SM Prime will be investing PHP3.6 billion to build one of the largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) venues in the Visayas.
The SMX Convention Center Seaside Cebu will offer over 21,000 square meters of leasable space spread across six levels, with over 18,000 seating-capacity.
With its launch, SMX’s total event leasable area in its entire convention portfolio, which has branches in Mall of Asia (together with the planned SMXCITE inside the complex), Aura, Bacolod, Davao, Clark, Olongapo, as well as Skyhall Seaside Cebu, and Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall, will expand to over 80,000 square meters.
Currently, SMX’s footprint stands at approximately 42,000 square meters of leasable event space.
Peggy Angeles, Executive Vice President of SMHCC, noted that the expansion reaffirms the company’s position as the largest private convention center network in the Philippines.
“After recent events, we hope SMX Seaside Cebu will play a meaningful role in revitalizing the province’s tourism and business landscape,” she added.
Prioritizing the safety and security of its clients, SMHCC said that the convention center has been designed with “comprehensive emergency and disaster preparedness protocols that align with the standards of SM Prime and local government regulations.“
It is also structurally compliant with the latest national building codes and seismic safety requirements, with safety inspections, emergency evacuation drills and staff training to ensure immediate and orderly response during unforeseen events such as earthquakes are regularly conducted.
Furthermore, emergency exits, assembly areas and communication systems for efficient evacuation are clearly designated and maintained, on top of coordination with local emergency response units.
Meanwhile, pre-booked events are already lining up for SMX Seaside Cebu such as Philconstruct Cebu in November 2026 and Wofex Visayas in April 2027.
Cebu’s connectivity through the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and its status as a top tourism destination further strengthen its position in the industry.
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.