Ong: towards greater intra-regional cooperation
THE Japan Convention Bureau and Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) have established their fourth international MICE office, under the care of JNTO Singapore Office, which now joins existing specialised business events operations in New York, London and Seoul.
The new MICE bureau in Singapore, helmed by JNTO Singapore’s deputy director, Susan Maria Ong, focuses on bringing business events from South-east Asia and the Pacific to Japan. It provides business event planners in these regions with a host of services such as bid facilitation, liaison with government ministries to lobby for funding towards major congresses as well as local convention bureaus for onsite event support, assistance on site inspections, and recommendations for DMCs, venues and other event suppliers, among others.
In an interview with TTGmice e-Weekly, Etsuko Kawasaki, executive director of JNTO headquarters, said Asia-Pacific is an important market for Japan because “all kinds of business” are being conducted here while six major countries in South-east Asia had contributed an excess of two million arrivals in 2015, registering a 30 per cent leap over 2014.
Kawasaki said the tourism bodies are keen to “welcome travellers from these regions with visa-free entries”, so as to “create more opportunities for new businesses to meet and network” in Japan.
“JNTO Singapore will work closely with existing JNTO offices in South-east Asia such as Bangkok and Indonesia, as well as upcoming ones in Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam which are due to open next year,” said Ong, adding that her action plan includes conducting MICE-related workshops and seminars, networking meetings for associations as well as fam trips for the region’s planners.
Several trade events have been confirmed, and they include an association-focused meeting come October, meetings during ITB Asia in Singapore, and a series of Travel Incentive Seminar events in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore next year.
JNTO Singapore will also be inviting major MICE planners in the region to attend the annual Visit Japan MICE Mart for B2B meetings and a fam trip.
“We will also enhance communication with local and regional MICE media to increase JNTO Singapore’s presence and the role its plays in MICE development,” Ong added.
When asked what immediate goals have been set by JCB for the Singapore office, Ong said: “Japan ranked top in Asia in ICCA’s 2015 ranking of countries for association meetings. In order to maintain that position, we have to identify prospective associations based in Asia-Pacific and host their meetings in Japan. We also have to recognise active MICE players in this region (and) provide support and training through fam trips and seminars.”
