Araneta City showcased Gateway Square at PRA's Stores Asia Expo 2022
The City of Firsts put a spotlight on Gateway Square at the 28th National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE).
Held at the SMX Convention Center from August 11 to 12 with the theme “Retail: Ready, Re/set/ GROW!, the event was organized by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) as a go-to-shop for businesses of all sizes in the modern retail market. It was attended by executives of retail companies in the local and international markets.
Araneta City, one of the Gold sponsors of the event, showcased in its event booth the Gateway Square -- a 400,000 square-meter mixed-use superblock that includes the Gateway Mall, Gateway Office, Gateway Tower, Novotel Manila, Smart Araneta Coliseum, Parking Garage South Building, and the soon-to-open Gateway Mall 2 and ibis Styles Hotel.
Gateway Mall 2, the much-awaited expansion of the multi-awarded Gateway Mall, is targeted for a soft launch in December 2022. Meanwhile, ibis Styles Hotel, the first hotel under the ibis Styles brand in the Philippines, is expected to open in early 2023.
Gracing the event are the newly-crowned Binibining Pilipinas 2022 queens -- Bb. Pilipinas International Nicole Borromeo, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Gabrielle Basiano, Bb. Pilipinas Globe Chelsea Fernandez, and Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Roberta Tamondong -- who joined PRA officials during the event's ribbon cutting ceremony.
From left to right: (first row) Wilcon Depot Inc. Founder and Chairman Emeritus William Belo, Wilcon Depot Inc. President and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan, Global Retail Expert Tom Oliver, Founder of The Tom Oliver Group; PRA Chairman Paul Santos, President, Picture City; PRA president and SEVP/COO Wilcon Depot Inc. Rosemarie Bosch Ong; PRA Vice Chair Ma. Alegria Sibal-Limjoco, Chairman of Phoenix Publishing Inc. and Central Books; Tania Gil-Padilla, Enterprise Sales Head and Vice President, Globe Business; SM Retail VP Corporate Communication Cathy Ileto; Stores Asia Expo 2022 Chair Shirley Ng, SVP-Retail Expressions Stationery Shop; NRCE 2022 Overall Chair Donnie Tantoco, President, Rustan Commercial Corporation; (second row) PRA Directors Chan Kok Bin, Chairman, CMG Retail, Inc.; Mars C. Chua, Chairman, Sportshouse Intl. Leisure Inc.; Roberto Claudio, Sr., Chairman Quorom International, Inc. (Toby’s); Socorro Bautista, President, Blooming Ventures, Inc.; Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Roberta Angela Tamondong; Bb. Pilipinas International Nicole Borromeo; Don Rae, Senior Advisor Globe Business; Naresh Ahuja, Chairman and CEO, ETP Group; Ricardo Carlos Fong, Business Consulting Head PLDT Enterprise; Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Gabrielle Basiano, and Bb. Pilipinas Globe Chelsea Fernandez.
PRA president Rosemarie Bosch Ong said they remain optimistic that the retail sector’s growth and recovery will continue despite the rising inflation rate, and that the sector is strongly getting back from the setbacks of the pandemic.
