Nowadays, lots of people are into raves and EDM aka Electronic Dance Music. One company that has…read morepioneered events or parties that solely play this genre of music is Bigfish International. They are the biggest company that has organized all sorts of themed parties that cater to Techno, House, Trance, Deep House, Beach House, Dubstep, and etc. fans. They always hold these dance parties in big and spacious venues every year mostly in the World Trade Center. They have different parties towards the end of the year and a lot of people really go. They're a big name in the nightlife industry and people know that they really go all out with planning the party and designing the venue. The design of their stages and the decor of the whole venue is really amazing! The lights are mind blowing too. They plan everything to the nitty gritty detail! They've been doing these events annually for years now and every year people already expect it. As soon as dates are announced, people already look for tickets and buy. Ravers, party goers, or simply people who're looking for somewhere to go on that night always have a great time! I have been going to a lot of these events because I am a fan of the music. There are just so much good international DJs that Bigfish has brought to Manila (even if they're not as popular). At the same time, I always have the greatest memories there with a lot of my friends. They just always do a great job. They were the ones that started the craze even before EDM became mainstream. Bigfish was the first! Are you ready for their upcoming parties?

Hidden in the busy street of Chino Roces, White Space has been the home of many bazaars, concerts…read moreand events. Just a couple of years ago, when the metro was affected by Ondoy, White Space opened up its doors to anyone who would want to help pack food and clothing to give away to the flood victims. Just last month, I attended two events in the same week. One was for the Jack Daniel's On Stage Final event wherein they had a number of bands performing to culminate their two year music campaign. The other was for my grandfather's 90th 1950's themed birthday. Last December, Status Magazine had their annual Yardsale, a bazaar showcasing different independent stores and artisans of Manila. And they also had a little stage for a few bands to perform. A few years ago, Sonic Boom Philippines brought in Four Year Strong for a concert. And a year before that, they celebrated one of their anniversaries, setting up two big stages for various local independent bands to play in. White Space is humongous and perfect for any kind of event. It's easy to decorate and if you find it too small, you can rent out only half of it. I think the main problem though is parking. But don't you worry, at night, parking in the street is allowed. And if you run out of space for that, right across is Eco Plaza who has plenty of space for parking.

Personally, I think that Whitespace is currently one of the best event places in the city. I love…read moreit because it's clean, bright and very aesthetically pleasing. Another reason is because of its spacious and spotless bathrooms. From an event organizer's standpoint, Whitespace acts like a blank canvas for any sort of event one would want to organize in here. Because the space is big, it's really open to a multitude of possibilities. I myself have attended concerts, bazaars, pop-up events, brand launches, magazine parties and watched plays here. How's that for being adaptable?

I do catering for corporate and private events and I've seen my fair share of event spaces. I've…read morehad qualms with some of them, and others made it very difficult for me to execute the dishes for the event. At Century Mall, you can find a very decent event space. Events Center at Century City Mall is a 400 sqm plus events space with an adjacent 100 sqm plus al fresco area. It can comfortably seat 200 to 250 people and 300 to 350 people standing up. Air temperature is not a problem because they have more than enough air conditioning units. Every Sunday, the mall hosts Catholic masses in this space. This space is located at the 5th floor of the mall, right beside 12 Monkeys. I love the service pantry and kitchen that this space provides. It's all fitted with stainless steel counters and cabinets that rival professional kitchens. Century Mall is strict when it comes to heating equipment though: only electric appliances are allowed. There's also a male and female toilet available inside the space. Take away: the Events Center of Century City Mall should be a candidate for all your events space needs because of their awesome layout, high ceilings, and nice views.

I have only fond memories of the Events Center at the uppermost floor of Century City Mall because…read moreit was there that I watched Tofff De Venecia's staged reading of "The Glass Menagerie," one of my favorite plays written by the American playwright Tennessee Williams. Against a minimalistic backdrop displaying no more than a giant frame and white blocks to imply a living room, the actors had read their lines from the script with such emotion and vivacity that I now see the Events Center as a place where people are free to express themselves as they choose, to applaud and laugh should the occasion arise. It was really enchanting to see this particular interpretation and production of "The Glass Menagerie" come alive at the Events Center, and with such a bare yet evocative set, a space that could easily function as a performing arts venue as well as a spot for a press release. Also, they gave away free Krispy Kreme donuts that night, which pretty much clinches it for me.

The PICC Forums is an events venue that's smack dab next to, well, the Philippine International…read moreConvention Center. They're basically a collection of three very large tents that you are allowed to rent out for a fairly affordable price, with full air conditioning and inclusive of electricity charges. As a Lasallian, I've organized and attended many events that have been held here, mostly because it's so near and very cheap. Even though I've grown a little tired of the place, it's just such a great event venue that I can't find much wrong with it. One thing that's great about it is that it's really flexible. The entire place is such a blank slate, that you can organize anything in it from a party (which I've seen many of) to a Wedding Expo, which is in fact held here year after year. I wholeheartedly recommend renting out the Forums for events in the future, as it's probably the most bang for your buck place you're going to be able to find.

Super huge mall, Filipinos love their mall! It can get really crowded in the evening. Plenty of…read morestores and food shop. A one stop place for all.

if not for madonna, i would not have gotten my jeepney badge?;)…read moreif not for madonna, i would not have gotten acquainted with MOAA! well you see, she was coming to SG but unfortunately our schedules could not match up:( so a quick scour for tickets to her rebel heart tour ensued and in no time MOAA popped up in my search. if money is not an issue, the lower boxes seating area is the way to go. location wise was a blessing for me, as it was "walkable"(worst case scenario) from hotel jen(previously known as traders) which i am familiar with and can get a discount at. it seemed like a cozy venue and a browse through the photos and reviews yelpers posted served as confirmation of my initial internet impression. double confirmed! thanks, yelpers! what's more, hotel jen provided a free shuttle for guests to MOAA! woot! traffic to and from MOAA can be pretty heavy, manila style, but i think they had a good system in place, on days like these with experienced traffic wardens in large numbers to guide and regulate the flow. arriving early around 6ish for a concert due to start at 8pm also meant a relatively smooth access into MOAA. so smooth i decided to check out the nearest starbucks for a quick caffeine top up! thereafter, it was straight through the gates. security was tight, as to be expected, but what i did not expect was for an over-enthusiastic guard to deny my tiny sony dsc-rx100(still camera) entry! she insisted i needed to part with my camera if i wanted to go in. i went straight to the nearest poster of what was allowed and not allowed in MOAA and re-read the notice. and based on my limited english ability, my understanding is that my sony camera is allowed! just no flash photography! when she again refused to agree with me, i told her to get her supervisor. after acting blur for a while, she got one guy over and he immediately overrode her decision and my sony and i were in!;) thank god i finished formal schooling! the venue itself is clean and filled with a good variety of f&b options. and of course, more importantly, they offer free wifi! this saved my yelp life as madonna was sooooooooooooooo late for her concert! acoustics was also decent and the tsunami strong bass reverberated powerfully throughout the concert. egress was also quick despite the size of the turnout for madonna's concert. the problem comes only if you do not have a ride home! the taxi touts will ask for an arm and a leg. they wanted php500 for my short ride back to the hotel! i flatly refused, walked away from the crowd and very luckily flagged down an unsuspecting taxi(he did not know the concert had ended) who asked for only php150. i quickly grabbed that ride, as it was after all already 1ish in the morning and i didn't want to have to walk back to my hotel. so do definitely make a mental note of how you would get home if you choose to come to MOAA for an event.

There are some DJs that suck, there are those that are fun, and then there are those that have the…read morerare ability to catch everyone's attention from the moment that they start spinning those discs. And that's exactly the type of DJ that Benjo Marquez is. I was mesmerized from the first moment that I had heard him spin at an event as I was invited by some friends to church to come out and hang with them. Since then I've had quite a number of wonderful opportunities to hear him play and I'm left on a high each time. Music truly has the power to transcend space and time. Perfect for a wedding or a party with friends. Either way, DJ Benjo can come up with the perfect mix.

It's always nice utilizing a new venue, especially one that's not too fancy, as there is more…read morepotential to execute ideas for events. Different looks and themes can easily suit simple venues, thus making it more versatile and could easily be offered to clients. This is the case with Blue Leaf Filipinas. Conveniently located along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, it has several halls that could accommodate more than one thousand guests if all function halls are utilized. There are also smaller function rooms on the second floor and an al fresco area which could also be used. Just recently, our group had organized a social event to celebrate Chinese New Year at Blue Leaf Filipinas. We utilized all three halls and had 800 guests, set-up for dragon dancers, trussing for aerial dancers, plus a grand stage. Despite all this, it was still quite spacious. Considering there were so many people, it remained relatively cold in the venue and despite a good percentage of guests who had a little more alcohol than they could take, the toilets were kept clean and orderly by the maintenance personnel.

I've attended a lot of weddings over the years and aside from the food and celebration of my…read morefriends' eternal vows of love for each other, I always look forward to the venue. For me a venue is integral to the celebration especially since guests will be coming in from different parts of the city and their comfort and accessibility is one of the priorities in my list. The Blue Leaf Filipinas is one of the venues I highly recommend. I've attended a wedding here just last February and I was glad they chose that venue. They have a huge garden for cocktails while guests wait to enter the function rooms or have their pictures taken at the photo booth if available. The function room is big enough without being too crowded and has enough room for a dance floor. The venue also offers ample parking space and a valet service, which is definitely a must for me. If you're willing to shell out some good cash for your wedding or any event, I highly suggest The Blue Leaf Filipinas for this.

This is one of my favorite event venues both as a participant and as a merchant. I love that it is…read moreso accessible because it's just right beside Powerplant Mall. Whether you're driving, taking a cab or even using other modes of public transport, it's so easy to get to. The tent is pretty big, it has comfortable air-conditioning, the bathrooms are right beside it. I've joined as a merchant for Mommy Mundo bazaars when they were still holding them here and that was one of my most productive selling days. Mommy Mundo transferred to a different venue last year because they were told that Rockwell Tent will be undergoing some remodeling. While we had high hopes for the new venue, it really didn't perform as good as when we were in Rockwell Tent. Foot traffic was cut by about half just with that move. I do hope they give Rockwell Tent a makeover. But even if they don't, I love it just as it is. I will continue to visit the bazaars there and maybe even join a few that will be held there.

The Rockwell Tent has been one of the most enduring event centers and venues in the metro. NBC, a…read moresimilar tent-like venue has bitten the dust last year, and Rockwell remains as a place that can be transformed to suit every function or event, such as parties, product launches, fashion shows, musical events, bazaars and flea markets, programs and wedding receptions. A lot of really memorable events have happened in Rockwell. It is a favorite performance venue for my samba school and community, and we would hold concerts, performances, football viewing parties and similar events in the tent. You don't have to worry about the place being too warm because their air-conditioning game is always on point. Several independently-organized bazaars also often pop up in the tent from time to time, especially during the holiday season. It is where I usually shop for presents, since they are very selective with their tenants. All the bazaar sellers actually hawk interesting and moderately priced gift items that make my Christmas shopping hassle free and worry free! I also like that I'm almost always able to hail a cab in mere minutes, a feat that is almost impossible elswhere.