BANYAN Tree Hotels and Resorts is pushing for a bigger share of the regional MICE market with a new meetings programme and a dedicated meeting and event website for event planners.
The group will launch its Meet for Good in 1Q, incorporating volunteerism and CSR elements, said David Spooner, vice president for sales and marketing, during a recent trip to Hong Kong.
The programme details have not been finalised but will ride on what Banyan Tree already offers guests currently, including activities such as tree planting and reading to local children.
Banyan Tree also works with EarthCheck to measure how much carbon is generated during meetings and aid clients in holding carbon-free meetings.
Said Spooner: “We observed (a demand for) responsible meetings and the trend of more engagement in CSR, incorporated with experiencing the local flavours of food and entertainment.”
China makes up Banyan Tree’s biggest MICE market in Asia-Pacific, although in terms of the number of booked rooms, incentives form the largest share of traffic at its Indonesia, Thai and Vietnam resorts, he revealed.
Meanwhile the group will continue to boost awareness of Banyan Tree and sister brand Angsana’s MICE capabilities, where the segment accounts for eight to 10 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. “A lot of MICE organisers…think we only do leisure groups and couples. In fact, we do have a demand for small executive retreats, incentives and board meetings.”
Banyan Tree launched a dedicated MICE page this month (www.banyantree.com/en/meetings-events), with one for Angsana to start this quarter.
“Meeting organisers can look for functional information like capacity charts and size of meeting rooms via their mobile phones, laptops and tablets. Moreover, the site also features Destination Dining for meeting organisers who need special and exclusive dining options like al fresco dining on top of a mountain,” explained Spooner.
