One year on from kicking off a business events-focused strategy in 2023, Club Med has seen a 30 per cent increase in business this year, with forward sales and pipeline bookings looking extremely strong.
Rachael Harding, chief executive officer of East, South Asia and Pacific, at the company, attributed the strong pick-up to the brand’s all-inclusive feature and opportunity to charter the entire resort – or island, if the property is in the Maldives.
In an interview with TTGmice last week at Club Med Kani in the Maldives, which hosted a brand and property showcase for almost 200 journalists, content creators and key opinion leaders from around the world, Harding said: “People want ease and convenience. At Club Med, event organisers only have to deal with us, not with multiple parties to put an event or a conference together.
“The second reason (for the growing interest in meeting at a Club Med resort) is the lack of hidden cost. It is common for events to have their budget blown due to add-ons. With our all-inclusive feature, an event at Club Med has access to all sorts of activities and all-day F&B without surprise fees.
“Then, of course, we have the Club Med Live entertainment programme. Our artists can create the desired ambience for the group, and event organisers do not have to go out and source for entertainers themselves.”
Club Med Live has been in place for six months, and has amassed 3,000 artists, musicians, poets, and more across its resorts around the world. They not only provide musical entertainment, like DJ sets and singers, but also conduct poetry reading, craft workshops, and more for resort guests.
Harding said that while every resort would have around two Club Med Live artists on site for a fixed period each time, event organisers could consult with resort coordinators for additional entertainers.
She added that Club Med’s Rent A Resort option, which involves booking out the entire resort, is loved by corporate clients for its flexibility to customise resort crew outfits, entertainment, activities, and F&B themes.
While business event take-up and enquiries are rising steadily, it has only been recently that larger corporate group movements have returned.
“It certainly took people a while to build up those results (business performance to quality for rewards) post-Covid,” Harding reasoned.
Club Med Tomamu – Hokkaido recently welcomed an incentive travel event led by a South Korean company. It was the resort’s top-grossing event, as the client activated the Rent A Resort option for 28 days, with thousands of attendees arriving in waves.
In May 2023, a direct-selling company from Taiwan led 523 top achievers to Club Med Kani and its luxurious sister property, Club Med Finolhu Villas for a three-night incentive retreat. While this was not a Rent A Resort activation, the properties were able to apply the client’s corporate branding on site and arrange a private cocktail and theatre usage for the group.
Harding said Club Med resorts are ready for corporate groups, especially those that prioritise sustainable experiences and wellness elements. Event packages feature meaningful activities, such as beach clean-ups and conservation talks, while attendees can participate in fitness pursuits – such as yoga or padel games – together or individually.
Come 1Q2025, Club Med will unveil a “whole new branding for MICE”.
Meanwhile, with Club Med’s expanding property portfolio and extensive property renovations, Harding said corporate clients have a lot more options to choose from. The company welcomed the opening of Club Med Kiroro Peak in 2022 and Club Med Kiroro Grand in 2023, both in Hokkaido, Japan. Club Med Kiroro Peak will be elevated to the Exclusive Collection this December. Club Med Borneo in Malaysia will open end of 2025, along with Club Med Heilongtan and Club Med LongWu in China.
The group’s popular Asian resorts in Phuket, Thailand; Kani, Maldives; Bali and Bintan in Indonesia; and Cherating, Malaysia will also undergo and complete renovations soon.
