Most in the trade have reported little impact from last year’s Occupy Central protests, citing few or no cancellations from clients. By Prudence Lui
Hong Kong’s MICE players are pleasantly surprised at how little the industry has been affected by the Occupy Central (OC) campaign, which ended with the police’s clearing of the final protest site in Causeway Bay on December 15.
Looking back on the 79 days of disruption brought about by OC, industry players in general have observed minimal impact to corporate meetings and incentives, especially given that the affected period in 4Q14 was the usual low season.
PC Tours and Travel general manager, Cary Chiu, shared that a client’s initial cancellation of a site inspection was nevertheless carried out later.
He said:“I didn’t see any major negative impact on our business as the protests were peaceful. Though it has been predicted that this year is not going to be promising for MICE, it is not related to OC.”
Meetings specialist MV Destination’s general manager, Clemson Lo, said: “For our meetings segment, there was little impact and we had no cancellations.
“Events had taken place as scheduled and groups arrived as scheduled.”
Similarly, Grand Hyatt Hong
Kong observed little impact on its business. Between last October and early December, the hotel had cancellation from only one group and postponement from just one other to 2015.
Its director of sales and marketing, Cecilia Lo, said: “All other bookings were actualised. Similar to past years, we also continued to receive MICE leads for 4Q14 during the OC weeks, as the business community did not see major disruptions other than traffic congestion, which was managed by better planning.
“As Q4 is a key business-closing period, we did not see a conclusive drop in any particular segment, and this is the same for MICE bookings in 2015.
“Many of our events are repeat business and we have been signing up new groups not only for 2015 but for 2016 as well.
“The city is sophisticated, hence many multinational companies still believe Hong Kong is the most suitable destination for their events, due to convenience from friendly visa procedures and excellent flight connectivity.”
While professional conference organiser International Conference Consultants shared the same observation of little impact, its director Katerina Tam said some meetings with government officials were delayed, presumably because of OC.
She said:“Local meetings organisers were more cautious about the likely impact of OC than their international counterparts. Although, business is expected to be quiet this year, we’ve already clinched some big events for 2016, which will be a better year.”
Team Building Asia, however, had a number of group bookings cancelled during the OC period, Its co-founder and director, Stuart Harris, said: “We had three or four groups which selected other locations but the percentage of cancellations was low.
“A couple of clients even changed their programmes to in-house activities.”
For Swire Travel, there were requests for postponement of site inspections from some overseas organisers. Its general manager of business development, Edmund Tsang, is not upbeat.
“They (the overseas organisers) may not return and we’re going to lose the business to aggressive competition from neighbouring countries,” he said.
“It’s still hard to tell how 2015 will fare but now that the demonstrations have ended, the Hong Kong Tourism Board needs to shoulder the immediate responsibility of channelling more resources to regain the trust of MICE planners and draw more events to the city.
“The government should also allocate more funds to the board so it can cast a wider net and secure more international conferences for the city.”
Need to Know
Observations from the waterfront wheel
The long-awaited 60m Observation Wheel on the Central Waterfront was launched in December 2014 featuring 42 luxury gondolas (including one special VIP gondola) each of which gives its eight passengers a jaw-dropping 15 to 20-minute view of the harbour and of Kowloon, plus iconic landmarks such as the Star Ferry. Each gondola is equipped with a high-speed HKT Wi-Fi communication system. The giant ferris wheel swings into action between 11.00 and 23.00 throughout the year and is priced at HK$100 (US$13) per adult. There is also a convenient taxi and private car drop-off zone for visitors. According to operator Swiss AEX, 90 per cent of the wheel’s site is accessible to the public.
Hotel stays that help make the air cleaner
More hotels are committed to environment-friendly technologies and emission-free mobility towards a greener Hong Kong.
For instance, Mira Hong Kong has added to its limousine fleet the Tesla Model S that enables emission-free arrivals to and departures from the hotel. Wi-Fi connectivity is available on board.
Meanwhile, Kowloon Shangri-La has unveiled its complimentary shuttle service using Smart Fortwo electric cars. Guests can book the cars with the Concierge for rides around Tsimshatsui and Tsimshatsui East.
Take your event to greater heights
The sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck is wooing event planners with a new sub-brand called sky100 Events.
Perched on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Center in West Kowloon and proclaimed the highest event venue in town, this landmark eyrie offers unobstructed 360-degree views of the city. It is also a highly flexible venue that can host a range of functions from wedding banquets to corporate events.
The venue’s abundant space also allows multiple zoning for a wide range of catering options and simultaneous activities. Add to that a dedicated events management team.
Cosmopolitan becomes Dorsett
The 454-room Cosmopolitan Hotel in Wan Chai will be rebranded as a Dorsett property later this year, and is now undergoing major refurbishment in phases, expected to complete in Q3/Q4. All 11 room categories will don a new look e.g. mix of classical-oriental and western styles for the Grand Deluxe rooms, and contemporary style for Superior. The thematic Executive Suite concept will continue, while the Sony’s 4K Experience Suite was launched last November, making the hotel first in town offering the revolutionary 4K visual sensation with a surround sound system.
Feel green and eat better
The 300-seat Congress Plus at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre welcomes delegates with new contemporary cityscape decor utilising green materials such as bamboo flooring and partitions made with recycled wine bottles. A gallery at the entrance showcases art made by disabled artists. There are also new healthy lunch options from an array of a-la-carte choices, as well as the Salad and Noodle Bar. The new lunch menu offers an international spread comprising Chinese, Western, Japanese, Thai and Indian cuisines.
