DAVAO CITY, Jan. 28 (PNA) Davao City tourism players are working hard to bid for Davao City’s hosting of the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) conference in 2012.

Davao Tourism Association (DATA) president Gene Bangayan said a team composed of top tourism players in the city will attend the MICE Convention in Subic on February 4 to 7 to make a strong impression on the country’s tourism industry.

Bangayan said the efforts will enable the city to make a stronger bid to host the convention in 2012.

“DATA is working closely with all tourism organizations in the city to ensure that the city will have nothing but an excellent presentation,” Bangayan said.

The city’s tourism players composed of DATA, the City Tourism Office (CTO), travel and tour operators and Small Hotels Association of Davao (SHAD), are optimistic that Davao City can host the MICE Convention in 2012.

He said the city was given a pavilion in the upcoming convention to present Davao City’s destinations.

“The Davao pavilion will be a cornucopia of flora and foliage that are tops in tourists’ significant experiences about the city. Award-winning florist and designer Jing Puentespina is at the helm of creating another masterpiece for Davao to impress the delegates and guests during the duration of the congress,” he said.

Mary Ann Montemayor of SHAD said the city can accommodate the 300 to 500 people which normally attend the conference.

During the press conference, the tourism players launched the “Make It Davao Now” campaign which aims to push the city as the prime MICE destination in the Philippines.

Also launched was the campaign’s logo as well as a video that will be presented in Subic.