Melbourne Convention Bureau returned to Hong Kong last Monday with its first trade initiative since exiting the market for Shanghai in 2012.
The half-day showcase connected four Australian suppliers with 19 key buyers based in Hong Kong.
Melbourne Convention Bureau’s director of incentives and corporate meetings, Jasmine Lim, told TTGmice that it is time for Melbourne to do more in Hong Kong since travellers are put off by safety, visa and political issues in other parts of the world.
She said: “Although there were not many (business event) groups from Hong Kong to Melbourne in the last five years, I think current security issues in Europe and visa issues in the US will (change the course of demand). For the Chinese market, recent political exchanges have also struck Japan and South Korea off travellers’ list.”
Lim noted that Greater China is Melbourne’s strongest source market, putting in over one-third of total economic contribution from all arriving incentive groups between 2010 and 2016.
“Hong Kong has been a small market but we see potential growth in the coming 12 to 18 months, given the increased capacity from inaugural, five-weekly Hong Kong-Melbourne service by Virgin Australia from July 5. We see more groups will be looking to travel to Australia,” added Lim.
Already in the bureau’s bag are the 5,500-pax International Dragon Award Annual Meeting this August and the 3,000-pax incentive from AIA Hong Kong for January 2018.
With Melbourne seen as a key transit point to Tasmania, Lim said the bureau has also been recommending twin-city itineraries to corporate buyers. For instance, while the main group of delegates stay on to enjoy Melbourne, a smaller VIP group could head to Tasmania.
Suppliers are also keen to offer new programme ideas to entice the increasingly well-travelled Hong Kong market.
Blake Harris, managing director, Triump Leisure Solutions, featured in the Hong Kong showcase, said: “We handled Prudential Hong Kong a week ago and it’s vital to come up with new and creative event ideas like fireworks and water jetski shows. We have proposed a beach party for 2,000 people in Bondi Beach as no other operators has arranged this before.”
