Destinations have seen more impactful results in their business events development endeavour when CVBs graduate from a marketing focus to strategic management, observed destination specialists at last week’s ICCA Asia Pacific EvolvDestination Forum, which is part of the Goyang Destination Week 2025 series of events built for business events professionals.
Jin-hun Cho, director, MICE Bureau, Jeju Tourism Organization, recalled how his organisation had in the early days focused on destination promotions, without thought given to where events and delegates were going and spending in Jeju.
“That was a problem, which we corrected by adopting a destination management approach. Now, we work with our local partners – hotels, PCOs, DMCs, tourist facilities and all relevant players – to bring about positive economic, social and sustainability results,” Cho said.
Developing a portfolio of unique venues ready for business events is part of Jeju Tourism Organization’s destination management strategy, shared Cho, who explained that such venues allow event delegates to not only appreciate Jeju’s identity, culture and heritage, but also contribute to the city’s economy and sustainable growth.
“Now, we are inspired by New Zealand’s Tiaki Promise and have started to develop a similar Jeju Promise that is rooted in three things: conservation, co-existence and respect. We see the need for visitors and our tourism industry stakeholders to be committed to protecting destination Jeju. We are just at the beginning stage,” revealed Cho.
The Tiaki Promise states that New Zealand is precious, and everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it.
Over in Thailand, Jittanun Techasarin, director, convention department, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, shared that her organisation recognised eight years ago the importance of grooming Thailand’s own convention community and home-grown business events.
A department was established to focus on “educating and supporting all local MICE industry stakeholders, to help them understand what the industry is about and the benefits business events will bring to their communities. The initial challenge we faced was having to explain that MICE was not just a part of tourism,” Jittanun said.
With consistent communications with the government to expose policymakers to a wide range of business events and the economic outcomes of international business events for Thailand, Jittanun said there is now strong support and understanding from officials and local people.
Fellow speaker, Lorraine Han, director, MICE Bureau, Daejeon Tourism Organization, echoed the crucial role CVBs play today in galvanising relevant stakeholders to work together to advance the local business events industry.
“The most important role of the CVB today is to attract events and visitors to the destination and grow the local community. That’s why South Korea has the Korea MICE Alliance, which is made up of organisations and companies that share the vision of the (national) CVB to lead the development of our industry,” said Han.
Tracking Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s (PCEB) evolution through the years, CEO Ashwin Genasekeran said “it was no longer about the numbers today; we are moving towards contribution of meetings and events to our destination”.
Attention is paid to expanding Penang’s key industries through business events hosted in the Malaysian state. Genasekeran pointed out that his state houses more than 420 multinational companies as well as a free trade zone – this is an advantage PCEB brings to the marketplace when speaking to business event owners.
Besides highlighting the business value Penang offers to business event owners and their attendees, PCEB also lays the necessary groundwork to raise the success rate for Penang’s event bids. An example of this is PCEB’s work to establish a direct flight between India and Penang, so as to enable more Indian business events to be hosted in the destination.
“Indigo flies between Chennai and Penang with daily direct flights. We are a good six months down the road with this direct flight, and it is already flying with more than 85 per cent capacity,” he said, adding that PCEB supports Indigo with presence at the airline’s sales calls.
A recent six-city roadshow in India led by Indigo and attended by Penang’s event partners scored “so much business”, revealed Genasekeran.
Moderator Leonie Ashford, member of the ICCA Board of Directors and special advisor – business events at Tourism New Zealand, commented that CVBs today do not work in silos, and have to “keep communication and collaboration going” to achieve global visibility for the destination.
