SMHCC deepens MICE ties as loyalty shifts beyond transactions

Insider Spotlight 

• SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. is positioning client recognition as a way to deepen long-term relationships with meeting and event organizers
• Its PRiMO program rewards qualified bookings while expanding members’ access to privileges across the wider SM ecosystem
• Partnerships being developed with IKEA, Kultura and SM Foundation could broaden the experiences available to members
  
  
  
  

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) is betting that stronger relationships with meeting and event organizers can help turn repeat business into longer-term engagement, as the hospitality group looks beyond transactional rewards to recognize the clients behind corporate gatherings.

The hospitality arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc. is strengthening PRiMO, or Perks and Recognition for Meeting Organizers, its loyalty and recognition program for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) bookers and organizers. 

Qualified bookings at participating hotels and convention centers contribute toward recognition under the program, including opportunities to redeem accumulated points for selected benefits and experiences.

Recurring business

Corporate bookers and MICE professionals can influence recurring business across meetings, conferences, incentive trips and other events. 

SMHCC is using PRiMO to recognize that role while encouraging engagement across its portfolio.

“PRiMO is our way of recognizing the people who continue to choose SMHCC for their business and events. We want every booking to be more than a transaction. We want to build a lasting relationship that reflects our appreciation for our clients,” SMHCC executive president Peggy Angeles said in a press statement.

What’s changing

SMHCC is developing partnerships with IKEA, Kultura and SM Foundation to widen the potential privileges and experiences available to PRiMO members, extending the program into retail, lifestyle and social development offerings within the broader SM ecosystem.

“We continue to listen to our members and look at how we can make PRiMO more meaningful to them. Our goal is to ensure that the program reflects our appreciation for their continued trust while offering privileges that are relevant, accessible, and useful,” Angeles added.

Peggy Angeles 

SMHCC executive president 

Multiple touchpoints

SMHCC currently has 10 hotel properties totaling more than 2,600 rooms and over 42,000 square meters of leasable convention space. Its portfolio also includes SMX Convention Centers and trade halls, giving the group multiple touchpoints with corporate event organizers.

Central proposition

SMHCC said it will continue developing PRiMO through additional partnerships, privileges and initiatives aimed at improving member engagement, framing recognition rather than rewards alone as the program’s central proposition. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma