Just two decades ago Santiago experienced a surge in business activity as major companies including LAN Airlines, Microsoft and Yahoo! established operations in the city. Although Chile enjoyed rapid economic growth for many years, its gross domestic product has begun to slow for the first time in decades. The International Monetary Fund reports that Chile’s GDP averaged 5.2 percent growth from 1987 to 2015 but was expected to slow to around 1.5 percent in 2016. Part of this slowdown stems from the country’s long reliance on copper exports and the commodity’s gradual devaluation. In response, Chile is shifting toward a post-copper economy by expanding mining-related goods and services and promoting broader economic diversification.
To accelerate this transition, the government declared 2016 the “Year of Productivity,” proposing structural reforms to boost overall efficiency and lower costs for entrepreneurs and small businesses. These measures aim to cut administrative burdens and streamline regulatory processes. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has noted that Chile’s private sector has also put forward proposals to further increase productivity across Chilean firms.
These business-focused initiatives, combined with rising tourism, bode well for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) travelers. Nestled between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, Santiago attracts both business visitors and leisure tourists with a strong dining scene, well-developed infrastructure and a reputation for safety. Santiago’s relatively stable economy and growing tourism sector create new options for business travel, while international carriers have responded with expanded routes. For example, Aeromexico increased flights to Santiago in 2017 and added international routes, and LATAM and other carriers continue to invest in airport facilities and services.
Located about 20 minutes from downtown, Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez Airport is Chile’s largest air terminal and among the most modern in Latin America. In 2015 LATAM Airlines Group opened a new VIP lounge at Santiago International Airport covering more than 23,000 square feet and accommodating up to 460 passengers. The lounge offers showers, a business center and a sleeping room geared toward business and long-haul travelers. On the ground, Santiago’s Metro serves roughly 2.2 million passengers daily and connects seamlessly with an extensive bus network.
The rise of the MICE industry has helped drive investment in Santiago’s infrastructure as conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs have become more frequent. In 2013, 31.6 percent of travelers to Chile visited for business, highlighting the importance of business tourism. Chile’s investment attraction efforts emphasize opportunities in urban hotels that cater to corporate clients and MICE segments. Santiago ranks among South America’s most popular destinations for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions and in recent years hosted major international events such as the ICCA Congress and the World Congress of Neurology. The city’s total venue and meeting capacity currently exceeds 355,000 square feet.
Sheraton Santiago meeting space © SHERATON SANTIAGO
Meeting planners will find an extensive selection of hotels and event venues throughout Santiago. For a dramatic city backdrop, Vista Santiago offers panoramic views from the southern slope of Cerro San Cristóbal and hosts executive corporate events on its terrace. After a business lunch or dinner, a short visit to San Cristóbal rewards guests with sweeping views of the city.
The Sheraton Santiago Hotel and Convention Center provides 15 meeting spaces that can accommodate groups ranging from 10 to 1,500 attendees. Its proximity to the San Cristóbal Tower, A Luxury Collection Hotel, extends access to additional convention facilities for larger gatherings.
CasaPiedra Event and Conference Center is a popular choice for food-focused events and features a refined gastronómica menu. The venue regularly hosts prominent industry gatherings, including tourism industry dinners and conferences.
Located in Santiago’s financial district, InterContinental Santiago is convenient to the U.S. Embassy, Bicentennial Park, subway stations and the Costanera Center shopping complex. With 16 meeting rooms, exhibit space and a spacious ballroom, the hotel can support a wide range of meetings and events.
Hotel Fundador offers vibrant, colorful meeting rooms near many of Santiago’s top attractions. The hotel can host auditoriums of up to 400 people or smaller breakout rooms, making it versatile for conferences and private events.
The Santiago Convention Bureau continues to support expansion of hotel capacity and event space across the city. In recent years Chile’s investment authorities presented numerous tourism-related projects to meet growing demand. Santiago already boasts more than 11,500 rooms across 3- to 5-star properties, with plans to increase that inventory substantially in the coming years to accommodate rising visitor numbers.
MICE planners also have a wide array of activities to offer business travelers. At the foot of the Andes, boutique winery Viña Aquitania produces small-lot, high-quality wines and offers private day tours. Mountain resorts such as Portillo are accessible from Santiago for day trips, while cultural venues like Centro Gabriela Mistral present frequent concerts and performances. For panoramic city views, Sky Costanera—the tallest building in South America—provides an impressive vantage point over Santiago’s business district.
Historic Cultural Estación Mapocho, dating back to 1910 and designed by architect Emilio Jecquier, has been restored as a major cultural and exhibition center. Reopened after the return to democracy in the 1990s, the venue hosts international fairs and conferences year-round and accommodates up to 2,000 seated guests for a variety of events, from conferences to performing arts presentations.
In the heart of the city, The Singular Santiago Hotel offers easy access to the lively Providencia, Bellas Artes and Lastarria neighborhoods. Its meeting spaces range from intimate rooms for a dozen people to an amphitheater and a private outdoor patio for up to 40 guests. A highlight is La Cava, an underground wine cellar with more than 2,000 bottles of Chilean wine surrounding a table for ten, available for private tastings or small meetings. Executive Chef Laurent Pasqualetto has crafted a tapas menu designed to pair with the cellar’s selection, making it an exceptional venue for culinary-focused corporate events.