Penang’s newly formed CVB has hit the ground running, building marketing materials and an experienced team to raise the destination’s status as a MICE city. S Puvaneswary reports
Kapitan Kelling Mosque
Business events have always been an important source of tourism revenue for Penang, but it is only recently that the MICE courtship got far more serious with the establishment of a dedicated convention and exhibition bureau early this year.
Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), a state bureau led by Ashwin Gunasekeran, quickly put in motion its game plan, which included publishing destination marketing materials by April. The Destination Experience Brochure and the Penang MICE Guide 2016-2017 are part of PCEB’s exercise to position and promote Penang as the preferred MICE destination in the region.
The Destination Experience Brochure showcases Penang’s rich culture, heritage, colonial, nature and artistic aspects while highlighting the diverse conventional and unique venues for events. Complementing that is the Penang MICE Guide 2016-2017, a detailed listing of over 50 venues across the state, ranging from luxurious hotels and grand convention centres to distinctive venues that capture the contemporary cosmopolitan and cultural heritage aspects of Penang.
PCEB also launched a three-year brand campaign, Experiences Unfiltered. Ashwin explained: “It is meant to add value to a meeting or incentive by drawing on the island’s unique heritage, local gastronomy, multiracial festivals, vibrant music and arts scene, and fusion of old and new buildings which offer a myriad unique venues for delegates to sample.”
With collaterals, a brand campaign, sales and marketing team and support staff in place, the bureau has taken off on a marketing blitz at key MICE tradeshows such as IMEX in Frankfurt, IT&CM Asia in Bangkok and IBTM in Barcelona.
Ashwin said: “Penang is comfortable handling group sizes of up to 15,000 which incidentally was also the number of attendees at the largest MICE group to Penang this year.”
This mega event was organised by QNET, an Asian direct selling company. Held from May 3 to 7 at the Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SPICE) Arena, V-Malaysia 2016 was attended by 15,000 distributors from all over the world.
Another major MICE win for Penang this year was the inaugural WTM Connect Asia, a travel trade event in May. Organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions with support from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau and Penang Global Tourism, WTM Connect Asia saw a gathering of 70 hosted buyers from 25 countries, as well as 50 exhibitors, some from as far as Iceland, Peru and Italy.
Though this was a leisure show, Ashwin said the event generated “some good leads” for MICE which are being followed up on for conversions in 2017 and 2018.
“It was also a good opportunity for us to show agents all the new tourism products in Penang that can enhance the delegate experience. Familiarisation tours organised by Penang Global Tourism included the very popular heritage walking tour in George Town; a food trail to try some of Penang’s best local food; Hills and Temple tours that included iconic sites, Kek Lok Si Temple and the new tourism product on Penang Hill known as The Habitat Penang Hill; and Penang Garden tour took visitors to Entopia, a butterfly conservatory.”
Commenting on Penang’s development, Saini Vermeulen, executive director of Within Earth Holidays, said: “Penang has always been a popular MICE destination with all markets. Now with a bureau in place, and staffed with experienced people who understand the business and the needs of players, it makes it easier to get support when organising MICE events.
“It also makes it easier for us to market Penang to our overseas clients as they know there is a dedicated bureau to provide support.”
Ally Bhoonee, executive director of World Avenues, agrees. He commented: “With PCEB, the state is in a better position to bid for international events and to compete with neighbouring islands such as Phuket which offers similar products – beach, shopping and food.”
Clockwise from above left: traditional street food in Penang; Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion; colourful rickshaw in George Town
{Talking Numbers}
91
The number of weekly flights between Penang and Singapore, the highest number of flights to Penang from any single city
7,000
The average spend in ringgit – equivalent to US$1,769 – by business travellers to Penang. Leisure tourist spend only RM2,000 in the state
17,165
The number of hotel rooms in Penang, represented by 197 registered hotels. The state government estimates a five to 10 per cent increase come 2017
{Developments to Watch}
The Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SPICE) will revolutionise Penang’s standing as a MICE destination when it opens in 1Q2017. It is capable of supporting large conventions with as many as 8,000 people in its 4,546m2 Grand Ballroom located at the subterranean floor. This space is joined by two VIP serviced rooms and 13 smaller function rooms, both on the lower and ground floors. The rooftop is a 2.8-hectare “green lung” which is capable of hosting outdoor events. SPICE will be the first purpose-built convention venue in the Malaysian destination.
Joining Penang’s ongoing hardware transformation is the revitalisation of Komtar, Penang’s tallest building with 68 floors and the world’s sixth tallest building. The project, understaken by Only World Group, is scheduled to be completed in October 2016.
Business event planners will benefit from the addition of a large pillarless ballroom capable of accommodating 1,200 guests; a VIP holding room; Grand Imperial Chinese reataurant which can seat 500 guests and another 15 each in 10 private dining rooms; two levels of club floors which house private dining, meeting, recreation and entertainment facilities; a rooftop bar for up to 500 people; an observation deck that provides a stunning panoramic view of Penang; and 1,394m2 of events space.
For entertainment, there will be the Jurassic Research Centre indoor theme park where visitors can play palaeontologists for a day, as well as a 7D theatre resembling a submarine and a boutique aquarium showcasing tropical sea life.
In early 2016, the Penang state government had approved a project to reclaim 53 hectares of land. The masterplan involves building a waterfront promenade, seafront dining facilities, a man-made 400m long sandy beach area with a a pier walk, landscaped water gardens and a skate park. This complete project is known as Gurney Wharf, and it will be an iconic destination in Penang when work is complete in 2018. Gurney Wharf will complement Gurney Drive’s renowned street food offerings at night and provide additional recreational facilities to MICE delegates looking for authentic experiences.
Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre
