MAKATI CITY — Makati City reinforced its status as the Philippines' premier business hub by hosting the MarTech Summit Manila 2026 at the Fairmont Hotel Makati on July 2, 2026. The full-day event attracted 319 senior-level marketing and marketing technology leaders from across the Philippines and the wider APAC region, representing industries such as Banking, Financial Services & Insurance, Manufacturing, IT & Telco, Retail & eCommerce, Food & Beverage, and Airline & Aviation. Attendees came from prominent brands including GCash, Globe, Smart, SM Supermalls, Ayala Land, Shopee, Coca-Cola, LG Electronics, AirAsia, Marriott International, Metrobank, and Manulife. The audience was highly senior, with Chiefs, VPs, Directors, and Heads of departments making of participants, and over half coming from enterprises with 1,000+ employees.
A Platform for High-Level Decision-Making
The summit featured 30 speakers across 12 stage sessions, including panels, keynotes, fireside chats, and a dedicated two-part breakout track on Data Demystified. Attendees engaged in discussions on omnichannel marketing, customer loyalty and engagement, behavioural data strategy, and brand consistency in a fragmented world. Key takeaways included the importance of starting with customer moments rather than channels or tech stacks, and the need to turn behavioural signals into faster, better decisions rather than creating more dashboards. Engagement was robust throughout the day: 217 attendees actively participated through live polling and Q&A, submitting 87 questions with 151 upvotes and casting 503 votes across 11 live polls. Discussions also highlighted that 83% of attendees believe customers will discover brands through AI more often than traditional search within a few years.
Makati's Role as a Digital Economy Hub
The summit's location at Fairmont Makati underscored the city's position as the convergence point for marketing, data, and technology leaders driving innovation in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. Beyond the sessions, the event facilitated meaningful networking, with each attendee meeting an average of 20 new people, 49 one-on-one meetings booked, and five hours dedicated to networking across breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, and closing drinks. A private "Beyond the Stage" dinner provided senior delegates with a more relaxed setting to continue discussions and strengthen connections. By hosting such high-level events, Makati continues to solidify its reputation as the country's premier business hub where strategic conversations shape the future of marketing technology in the region.
