MANILA —The events industry is "back with a vengeance" after it was shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic, a production company said Thursday.

"It’s really back and it’s back with a vengeance," said Leo Mercado, head of productions at Secret Menu.

Secret Menu is Ayala Land and Make it Makati's partner in mounting the 2023 Festival of Lights at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

"The requirements are bigger, as I’ve mentioned they want it more experiential, more immersive," he said.

Mercado said the “Christmas Nights with Countless Lights" show at Makati this year makes the audience feel like they're part of the attraction.

"What we did for this year’s Festival of Lights was to do a 3D mapping of the floor, of the courtyard. We matched the 3 medleys, there's Paskong Pinoy, there’s cosmic K-pop Christmas, and the big band holiday," he said.

"We added like a graphics of animals like turtles, butterfly, so that people can actually chase and make them land on their bodies. It’s very immersive, very experiential, so the audience are not just mere spectators but they’re actually part of the show."

— ANC, 14 December 2023