Already seeing a rise in tradeshows coming from Jakarta, Surabaya is eager to grow business from the region and beyond. Mimi Hudoyo reports
As Indonesia’s second business hub after Jakarta, Surabaya has a thriving MICE sector that is supported by purpose-built event centres and a plethora of hotels armed with business event facilities.
The port city in Java offers event organisers the Grand City Convex, a venue capable of accommodating up to 3,500 seats, theatre-style, and which has a 4,000m2 exhibition hall. The Dyandra Convention Center is another option for conventions and exhibitions. Its massive space can support large-scale banquet events with up to 5,000 guests.
Most hotels in the city, from economy ones to luxury properties, are fitted with meeting facilities to cater to the burgeoning MICE sector.
According to Handoyo, head of product development with the East Java Regional Culture and Tourism Office, MICE has been one of the significant contributors to the region’s economy.
“Tourism contributed 101 trillion rupiah (US$7.3 billion) to the East Java economy last year, and that came from hotels, restaurants and entertainment (sectors). While we do not have specific data on MICE, most hotels now have meeting facilities and this sector contributes 30 to 40 per cent (of total tourism revenue). So, (MICE) is a significant market for Surabaya and East Java in general,” Handoyo said.
B2B and B2C exhibitions are on the rise in Surabaya, and according to Boediono, director of Debondo Mitra Tama Surabaya, an event specialist, tradeshows for the machinery, mechanical and electrical, and building technology sectors are buzzing.
Boediono remarked: “We have seen more exhibitions moving from Jakarta to Surabaya to get closer to the market. We have also seen some international exhibitions, such as HOMEDEC from Malaysia, entering Surabaya this year.
“The growing number of international exhibition organisers setting up offices here in Indonesia has presented new opportunities for Surabaya to welcome more international events. Reed Panorama Exhibitions, for example, is bringing MEGA BUILD to Surabaya this November.”
MEGA BUILD, which has a version in the Indonesian capital city, is a premier event for the architecture, interior design and building industry.
Surabaya’s growing popularity among business event organisers has resulted in major venues being booked out for events.
Boediono noted that it has been a challenge to secure slots for exhibitions at the Grand City Convex and Jatim Expo International although the latter has nearly one hectar of exhibition space.
Still, the country’s tourism ministry is hungry for even more MICE business coming into Surabaya and is eager to promote the destination to regional and international markets.
Rizki Handayani, director of MICE and Special Interest Tourism Marketing, Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, told TTGmice: “Surabaya has the facilities…but like many other destinations in the country, it needs to go out and meet potential markets. I am inviting the trade to participate in tradeshows (led by the) ministry next time.”
As Surabaya is more accessible to international travellers than other Indonesian destinations besides Jakarta and Bali, Rizki believes the city is able to appeal to regional organisers. Major Indonesian airlines such as Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Citilink have made Juanda International Airport one of their hubs.
Surabaya is connected to the region by direct services operated by airlines such as Royal Brunei Airlines, Cathay Pacific and EVA Air. AirAsia flies to Surabaya from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, while Singapore Airlines and SilkAir flies over daily.
Monas Tjahjono, managing director of Monas Tours & Travel, urged the creation of a strong destination brand and earnest promotions in the region, especially in Singapore and Malaysia.
“It took me several years to bring a group of golfers from Singapore here…because there was lack of awareness about what the city had to offer,” he explained.
Ina Silas, general manager of House of Sampoerna, agrees, saying that the city’s myraid attractions only “needed packaging”.
To that end, the House of Sampoerna, part of the HM Sampoerna cigarette company and which operates a cigarette museum, created a series of heritage tours over the last few years. The Surabaya Heritage Track itineraries took participants around the older part of the city, visiting landmarks and attractions that were part of Surabaya’s past. Some of the tours are operated with a tour bus, while some take participants around on foot.
Ina noted that the programmes would interest corporate groups, giving them a deeper understanding of the destination they were meeting in.
However, some trade players opined that Surabaya’s weakness is that it does not have as many attractions to offer as compared to Bali and Jogjakarta, which are also popular with corporate clients. They felt that Bali and Jogjakarta offer plenty of cultural attractions.
Monas rejected the complaint, saying: “Travellers do not only look for traditional things. Surabaya offers great shopping. We have many shopping malls that feature big brands and products can be cheaper here.”
Handoyo added that meeting in Surabaya could also allow event organisers to plan pre- and post-show tours to neighbouring cities.
“As the provincial government, we are facilitating the development of new products and destinations in East Java to give meeting and incentive groups a reason to come back again and again,” said Handoyo.
Some of the work that has been done include the improvement of access to Ijen Crater, the introduction of Wurung Crater in Bondowoso, and the opening of a number of theme attractions around Malang, such as the Batu Night Spectacular and Museum Angkut + Movie Star Studio. Handoyo is confident that these attractions will appeal to MICE groups.
These efforts are paying off. At the recent Indonesia Corporate Meetings and Incentive Travel Mart in Surabaya, some corporate buyers told TTGmice they are keen to take their next company outing to the city and its neighbouring areas after learning about the surrounding attractions.
Susella Gustina, office administration Indonesia of JTI, said: “We are organising a company outing and family gathering for up to 100 people. Bromo is one of the destinations in East Java that we are considering, but we have now learnt that Malang has new attractions too.”
Ina Sinarsari, senior executive assistant at Fluor Daniel Indonesia, who is shortlisting several destinations for a 50-pax corporate event, said she would be considering Surabaya for its access to Ijen Crater and Merah Island.
Ideas Track the history of Surabaya
15.00
After a morning meeting, the heritage tour of Surabaya begins at the colonial-style House of Sampoerna. A bus, modelled after the tram that once serviced the city in the past, will take your group to Kampung Kraton, which literally means the royal village. Kampung Kraton is believed to be the gateway to the palace, and the bus ride takes about 15 minutes.
Upon arrival at Kampung Kraton, participants will be guided through Kramat Gantung and Jalan Pahlawan, where traces of the ancient kingdom remain through villages named about the royal troops.
15.30
The Surabaya Heritage Track will now make a stop at the City Hall, where your group will learn about the city’s past, how the name Surabaya came about, and the different city emblems used over the years.
The City Hall itself is an interesting piece of history, as it was built in 1923 and started operations in 1927.
16.00
Next stop, Cak Durasim Performing Art Centre which was once part of the Surabaya Kanoman Palace. The centre is now named after a traditional performing artist, Cak Durasim, who pioneered the Ludruk performance in Surabaya. The performance depicts local legends.
16.15
The tour ends at the House of Sampoerna.
This itinerary is part of Surabaya Heritage Track, a series of history themed tours by the House of Sampoerna
Need to Know
Hotel Tentrem Yogyakarta offers new events venue
The five-star, 275-room Hotel Tentrem Yogyakarta has debuted a new ballroom that boasts a capacity for up to 2,000 guests.
Built next to the main building, the Tentrem Ballroom has a 15m high ceiling with adjustable rigging and it comes with sound-proof walls. It can be divided into three smaller meeting rooms.
The new facility adds to the hotel’s existing nine meeting rooms which are able to host events with 40 to 70 guests. These meeting venues are equipped with multimedia and Wi-Fi capability.
Move through time at a new transport museum
A new museum celebrating the evolution of transportation modes through the years has opened in Batu, a town some 20km from Malang, East Java.
Museum Angkut + Movie Star Studio displays more than 300 rides, some of them are rare and original, while others are replicas of models that date back to 1910. The museum is divided into zones such as Europe, Hollywood, and Batavia.
Visitors can also enjoy local dishes and shop for handicraft at the Floating Market.
Corporate groups can use the museum for themed events and teambuilding programmes.
Triple gastronomic delights
Bumi Surabaya City Resort has developed a three-in-one concept for its three adjacent restaurants: the outdoor Siti Inggil, the indoor Arum Manis, and the Kizahashi Japanese restaurant.
Dubbed Pasar Senggol, the concept will see all three dining outlets coming together as a single destination to tantalise diners with more than 100 dishes daily.
With a capacity of 300 seats, the restaurants are perfect for meeting groups and corporate gatherings.
Bumi Surabaya City Resort is also equipped with function rooms that can support events of various sizes.
Let’s meet in idyllic Ubud
The Sense Bali, a 97-room hotel in Ubud on Bali island, opened this February with facilities built to charm both business and leisure travellers.
It houses a ballroom that can be divided into two smaller spaces, good for 150 pax each, and a 14-seat boardroom. Fun activities can also be arranged for meeting groups, such as a competition to make traditional Balinese offerings or a bicycle tour around a village.
Located in Ubud city centre, the hotel offers guests easy access to local attractions.
Anyer gets a new hotel
Aston Anyer Beach Hotel has opened on the edge of the Sunda Strait, Cilegon, a coastal industrial city in Banten province, Indonesia. Anyer is now one of the most popular destinations for businessmen and pleasure seekers from Jakarta and West Java.
The 101-key beachfront property, some 90 minutes from Jakarta, is built with an inventory of meeting facilities, including a conference centre with three auxiliary meeting rooms located on the top floor to offer delegates spectacular ocean views. An outdoor terrace here offers a suitable venue for coffee breaks and sunset cocktail receptions.
The smallest of the three meeting rooms can accommodate up to 85 people, while the largest can take up to 400 guests.
The hotel also offers a cosy all-day dining restaurant that is great for casual gatherings, as well as recreational facilities such as an outdoor swimming pool, a private beach, a pool table, a table tennis table, a bonfire pit and a full-service spa.
The entire hotel is wired up for speedy broadband Internet.
Corporate groups can soon look forward to fun activities on site, such as paintball games.
