Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre has named Geoff Stephens chief financial offier. Stephens joins from Melbourne Cricket Club where he was finance manager.
Geoff Stephens
Transforming cities
Ho Chi Minh City leads the way in Vietnam’s MICE industry, but Danang is making inroads with growing links and room supply. By David Andrews
Vietnam’s events industry is undergoing rapid transformation, and this is most apparent in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Danang and Hanoi, three key cities where the majority of MICE activities are focused.
According to Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), business travellers accounted for over 1.2 million arrivals, or 16 per cent of inbound tourism figures, in 2013.
The Vietnamese MICE industry is “professionalising”, observed Thomas de Lange, general manager of Citynetevents.com. “Venues are getting more experienced in handling larger events and conferences. I don’t think we are as experienced as Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand but we are getting there.”
The country’s economic hub, HCMC remains a preferred MICE destination with its good mix of culture, entertainment and sightseeing options, plus availablity of quality accommodation and meeting venues.
Patrick Basset, COO for Accor Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines, said: “The meeting market overall for Accor hotels in Vietnam increased a whopping 85 per cent year-on-year in 2013, in which the top three market feeders into our hotels grew significantly owing to our three newly opened hotels – Pullman Saigon Centre, Novotel Saigon Centre and ibis Saigon South. We are seeing continuing strong demand in the first quarter of this year and hope to maintain the momentum in this market for the rest of the year.”
Josephine Lim, regional director of South-East Asia at Preferred Hotel Group, commented: “There is a growing demand by both business and leisure travel sectors for new options in Vietnam. In response we have recently made our debut in HCMC with Sedona Suites, a member of Sterling Hotels.”
Meanwhile, Starwood is on track to open Le Méridien Saigon in 2015 to meet the demand for upscale accommodation, according to Alison Taylor, senior vice-president for sales in Asia-Pacific at Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Venue suppliers are reporting positive industry sentiments too. Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre hosted 34 events last year, up from 26 events in 2012, with 26 events booked so far for 2014, according to branding and marketing manager, Nguyet Vu.
HCMC has also benefited from its steadily growing air connections. Vietnam Airlines has started twice-weekly HCMC-Fuzhou services from March 31. EVA Air has stepped up frequency on its Taipei (Taoyuan)-HCMC route from 10 to 13 weekly flights since March 30, with a 14th weekly service to be introduced from July 1, 2014.
On the domestic front, VietJet Air has launched a new HCMC-Dalat route from March 22, while Vietnam Airlines has temporarily increased flights to Hue from Hanoi and HCMC for summer 2014.
Said Taylor: “While Vietnam’s source markets for MICE are mainly from the Asia-Pacific region including India, China, Singapore and other ASEAN nations, with better connectivity we are also starting to see MICE groups from longer-haul markets.”
She added: “Being only an hour’s flight away from Hanoi and HCMC, Danang is often paired with either destination, particularly for incentive groups, which is the fastest-growing MICE segment for Vietnam.”
Exotissimo Vietnam MICE manager, Alexis Delespierre, said: “We are receiving more requests for Danang and Hoi An since the opening of more hotels in the area and the completion of the international airport.”
Sharing similar sentiments, Tan Robert, director of sales & marketing at Lac Hong Voyages, said: “Danang is a popular choice but it is hampered by a lack of direct international flights, and we lose a lot of clients from the Middle East as they often opt for Bangkok or Malaysia with direct flights.”
He added: “We are now pushing our marketing campaigns toward the Japanese and Russian markets where chartered flights to Danang are available.”
Although a shortage of large-scale convention centers and limited international flights in the central region remain challenges, industry stakeholders also urged VNAT to play a stronger role in promoting Vietnam as a potential destination for MICE groups and meeting planners overseas.
Accor’s Basset would like the Vietnamese NTO to “support more sales call missions, increase visibility, invite more involvement from the private sector at MICE trade shows, and offer incentives to entice MICE organisers and DMCs to increase traffic into Vietnam.”
How I did Novo Nordisk Malaysia’s annual conference
Asia World Destination Management was appointed the organiser for healthcare company Novo Nordisk’s Malaysian operations department annual conference, which took place over January 21-27, 2013 in Danang and Hoi An with 85 attendees.
Natalia Kortchouganova, regional operations director at Asia World Enterprise, told TTGmice that the biggest challenge was finding a suitable hotel with “generous meeting space to accommodate three full days of meetings with plenty of leisure facilities and dining options”.
The beachside Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa was selected for its ample leisure facilities and meeting rooms that could accommodate over 100 pax, plus a location that allowed guests easy accessibility to local restaurants in Danang’s centre.
The final two days of the programme involved the exploration of Hoi An City, including visits to surrounding fishing villages and Cham Museum, followed by a trip to Marble Mountains to enjoy panoramic views of Danang.
“One highly noted (experience) based on participants’ feedback was the opportunity to join farming activities in Tra Que Village – reached on bicycle from Hoi An. From there the journey continued to Cua Dai sand dunes where a local fisherman taught how to cast a net,” said Kortchouganova. “Finally the group was split into two teams for basket boat racing with prizes for the winners.”
Although the client requested for minor adjustments to the timing of select events, they did not affect the overall planned schedule. “The client was especially impressed by the sightseeing aspect and glimpse into local ways of life,” said Kortchouganova.
Need to know
Soar over Halong Bay on seaplanes
Come August 2014, Hai Au Aviation will launch a selection of 25- and 40-minute flight options on a pair of 12-seater seaplanes over Halong Bay. Clients can take off from the Tuan Chau Island Marina and enjoy a bird’s eye view of a scenic bay dotted with dramatic limestone formations below. The company also offers seaplane services in Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City. For more information, email info@haiauaviation.com
New Marriott in Hanoi
JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi, which opened its doors in late-2013, is a 450-room property located adjacent to the Vietnam National Convention Center. In addition to six restaurants, the hotel also boasts a total of 17 meeting rooms offering over 3,600m² in meeting space, including two ballrooms with extensive public foyers.
Pullman lands in Saigon
Since February 2014, Pullman Saigon Centre has started operations in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. The 306-room hotel is home to four bars and restaurants, a swimming pool, a fitness centre and a spa. There are five meeting rooms, with the largest able to accommodate 600 guests. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.
Hong Kong Airlines heads to Saigon
Hong Kong Airlines has launched the Hong Kong-Ho Chi Minh City route from March 17, 2014. Operated on an Airbus A320 aircraft configured with all-economy class, the service operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The new Ho Chi Minh City service complements Hong Kong Airlines’ daily flight to Hanoi, bringing the carrier’s total flights between Hong Kong and Vietnam to 10 weekly.
Another Eastin takes shape in Hanoi
Absolute Hotel Services Group has entered into a management agreement with Vietnam’s Ngoc Joint Venture Company to rename and manage Lakeside Hotel Hanoi under the Eastin Hotels and Residences brand. Scheduled to reopen in mid-2014 as Eastin Hotel Hanoi, the property will see its 90 rooms and public areas revamped, alongside the addition of an all-day dining restaurant, a fitness centre and a small meeting room that can accommodate up to 80 pax. www.eastinhotelsresidences.com
From strength to strength
From new venues to innovative social media outreach programmes, Taiwan is doing what it can to keep raising its appeal as a business events destination, reports Paige Lee Pei Qi
When Meet Taiwan launched its four-year Taiwan’s MICE Industry Pilot Program in 2013 it had in mind a single aim to steer Taiwan’s MICE industry to a shining position on the global stage through the rapid development of related facilities and services.
Lily Su, senior manager of Meet Taiwan, said: “We are now elevating the quality and efficiency of MICE services to sharpen Taiwan’s international image and competitive edge as a MICE brand.”
Aiding Taiwan’s branding effort is a successful meeting app called Shake and Share, which took home the Best Marketing Award at the ICCA Congress in 2012. It invites event delegates to play the role of destination promoters by sharing photos of their time in Taiwan through social media channels.
According to Su, the app has been used by 13 international conferences and more than 30,000 attendees from 60 countries.
“It is getting increasingly competitive with so many countries fighting (for events) so we must keep up and make sure we can stand out from the rest,” Su said.
Having said that, Su opined that Taiwan is already very competitive in the global conference market.
“We have a track record of hosting more than 100 ICCA qualified events every year, which demonstrates our extensive practical experience in this area. Delegates can be confident of hosting conferences in Taiwan.”
According to ICCA’s 2013 ranking of destinations by the number of conventions hosted a year, Taipei took 27th spot on the global chart with 117 qualified events in 2012. It ranked eighth across Asia that year.
Su said key congresses held over the past few years include the 2011 International Design Alliance Congress which pulled in 3,000 visitors, the International Real Estate Federation’s 64th annual congress in 2013 with 1,000 delegates, and the Asia-Pacific ITS Forum and Exhibition 2011 that involved 568 participants from more than 20 countries.
Louis Su, general manager of Taiwan Investment & Business Centre, told TTGmice that Taiwan is recognised especially for its “impressive level” of research and development in medical, technology and scientific sectors.
Sharing similar sentiments is Adam Cheng, executive director of Dongda International Development Consultant, who organises conferences. He said: “Taiwan is quite advanced in research and development, so it attracts a lot of conferences in health and science industries. Such conferences are good for our economy because the attendance for one event can range from 1,000 to 10,000.”
Besides Taipei, Taiwan Investment & Business Centre’s Su said Taichung, Kaohsiung and Taitung are cities that are hotting up as destinations for congresses now.
Kaohsiung Exhibition Center which opened its doors in April and the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall 2 in Taipei, to be completed in June 2016, are two new venues that Su expects will create new opportunities for Taiwan in the Asian MICE industry.
Emphasising Taiwan’s overall appeal as a business events destination, Cheng said “the beauty of Taiwan is that we have convenient transport routes linking city to city, allowing event delegates to explore other parts of Taiwan (beyond Taipei)”.
He added: “Taipei is a convenient and practical option (for business events) but if organisers or delegates want a more unique experience, like a destination with stronger culture for instance, Tainan can be considered.”
Tainan’s effort to restore old buildings and preserve historical monuments in recent years has helped to create a distinct local cultural and artistic space. Almost like a testament to its efforts, Tainan elbowed its way into the ICCA rankings for the first time in 2011. The following year, Tainan was placed the 82nd city in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East ranking, having hosted five meetings.
According to Meet Taiwan’s Su, most conferences in Tainan are hosted by pharmaceutical companies. It is also common to see conference groups in Taipei extending south to Tainan for a local cultural tour.
Kaohsiung, which also made it to the ICCA rankings for the first time in 2011, came in at 36th spot with 14 congresses in 2012.
Encouraged by their entry into the prized ICCA rankings, Tainan and Kaohsiung now have big plans to enhance their event infrastructure in the near future.
As these cities enjoy a cooler climate than their northern sisters, conference activities need not be confined to indoor venues but can be extended to the outdoor environment, rendering more flexible use of available spaces.
Meanwhile, even more is being done to further enhance Taiwan’s brand value. Last December, Meet Taiwan unveiled a new graphic design with the message, Love at First Sight, as the overall conceptual image of the Meet Taiwan programme.
It joins current branding messages Come Together in Taiwan’s Exhibition for the exhibitions sector, Listen to Your Idea for the meetings and conferences sector, and Encounter Taiwan’s Splendid Life for the incentive sector.
Su noted that Taiwan’s brand image was further boosted by a New York Times listing that placed the country number 11 on its list of 52 Places to Go in 2014, published earlier this year.
Ideas
A day in Danshui
Kick off your morning with a 40-minutes ride to Danshui from your hotel in Taipei city centre.
Head to the traditional market in the heart of Danshui, where locals purchase their daily supplies. Watch farmers trade produce in a lively atmosphere.
Next, pay the famous Danshui Longshan Temple a visit and continue onwards to the nearby Danshui Master Temple. The latter is home to several statues of divine beings as well as exquisite carvings.
Walk on to Danshui Old Street, where traditional buildings are constructed with red bricks. Hear how the government of Taiwan had planned to rebuild this area at one time and how the local residents – together with history and culture experts – joined forces to preserve the architecture. Today, this authentic street has become one of Danshui’s most unique attractions.
Your exploration of Danshui continues on to the Little White House, the former home of the Danshui Tax Division, and Fort San Domingo, a red fort built by the Spanish. Here, consider how each colonial building portrays Danshui’s different eras and offers an interesting juxtaposition to earlier sights.
Amid the walking, don’t miss the opportunity to sample Danshui’s most famous and authentic dish – ah gei, made with a sheet of beancurd stuffed with bean thread noodles and eaten with sweet or spicy sauces. In addition to fish ball soup, enjoy other local snacks such as grilled squid, local biscuits and an array of delicious desserts.
Itinerary by Etravel Connect
Need to know
A grand new stay in Taipei
Scheduled to open this month, the luxurious Mandarin Oriental, Taipei is a grand structure in the business district on Dunhua North Road. It offers 256 rooms and a versatile range of event spaces including the Grand Ballroom, a 960m² space with 7.3-metre high ceiling. This venue can accommodate up to 1,200 guests.
For event planners who require smaller venues, the Mandarin Ballroom is good for up to 550 guests while each of the five Oriental rooms can be configured in different layouts for 10 to 110 guests.
Other facilities include an array of quality dining destinations and a two-storey spa.
Easier ways to get connected
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has updated its popular iTaiwan free Wi-fi scheme, making it even easier for international tourists to take advantage of free Internet connection across the country.
Whereas in the past visitors to Taiwan had to queue at the airport for an iTaiwan username and password, today they can conveniently apply for the same online, ahead of their arrival.
The iTaiwan scheme is open to any international tourist visiting the country and access to free Wi-Fi is valid for up to 30 days, with the possibility of extending to 90 days thereafter.
Visitors can register via the website http://itaiwan.taiwan.net.tw/.
Privileges in a card
Created specially for foreign event delegates to Taiwan, the Meet Taiwan Card offers cardholders perks at more than 200 merchants with almost 4,000 branches close to meeting facilities or exhibition venues nationwide.
Participating merchants include restaurants and retailers located within the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1, TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall and Taipei International Convention Center.
The latest version of the Meet Taiwan Card comes with smart phone applications that dish out special deals and supply cardholders with shop information, a GPS service, a taxi guide and links to social media recommendations.
Contact the Taiwan MICE Project Office at (886-2) 2392-0788 or mpo@meettaiwan.tw for more details on the card.
Regent Taipei tunes into needs of Muslim travellers
Muslim business travellers to the Taiwanese capital will feel at home at the Regent Taipei, whose restaurant, Azie, was recently awarded the “Muslim-friendly Restaurant” certification.
The hotel has also rolled out a package to offer the Muslim community the signature Regent experience. The Muslim Guest Accommodation Package provides guests access to guestrooms that come with a prayer rug, a compass, a Quran and Salat schedules. Restrooms in these guestrooms are furnished with “smart” toilets with built-in bidets.
Kaohsiung Exhibition Center is now open
The Kaoshiung Exhibition Centre swung open its doors in April, offering event planners access to an exhibition hall with capacity for 1,500 standard booths, a conference hall for 2,000 people, two conference halls for 800 people each, and 10 conference rooms for 20 to 40 people. The waterfront multifunctional exhibition and convention venue, operated by Uniplan Group, is expected to serve over 800,000 event visitors in 2014 and generate NT$3 billion (US$99.6 million) in revenue for the destination.
Quirky meeting concept takes root at Shangri-La’s Boracay resort
SHANGRI-LA’S Boracay Resort & Spa has unveiled Sunglasses at Work Meet by Design, a destination meeting concept combining corporate meetings with social event experiences.
It is a set of customised ideas and set ups that transforms the usual boardroom sessions, team bonding activities, special events and other corporate requirements into a fun and memorable affair, explained director of events Melissa Santiago.
Examples of this include holding corporate meetings in a Treehouse Villa rather than in a meeting room, coffee breaks paired with a quick massage, arcade games at the Entertainment Centre, or beach golf, etc. Attendees can take up greener causes through coral reef planting or beach clean-ups.
General manager Amit Oberoi said Sunglasses at Work Meet by Design does not necessarily entail additional cost to corporate clients as the 12.5ha resort already has the activities, facilities and space for bleasure.
The resort is mainly a leisure destination with little MICE business but the new meeting concept would encourage more corporations to come to the island destination, as the experience cannot be replicated in a city setting.
Aris Delos Santos-Ote, director of sales and marketing, said the concept introduces corporate clients to try out a different take on meetings. “More is the new business. Why be traditional when you can mix and mingle,” she explained.
SingEx strengthens team with three new appointments
SINGEX Holdings has announced three additions to its management team in order to grow event management arm SingEx Exhibitions.
Germaine Lim has been named director in CEO’s office, SingEx Holdings. She is responsible for establishing and driving sales and sponsorship infrastructure for SingEx events.
Adrian Sng has joined SingEx Exhibitions as director (project management) and is tasked with overseeing project teams in industries including commodities, e-commerce logistics and IT. He brings with him more than a decade’s experience in the MICE industry.
Gwen Ng has taken up the post of deputy director (projects management) with SingEx Exhibitions. She was previously with UBM Asia, where she led the project management and marketing communications team.
Daegu dives deep into water industry
DAEGU has bagged hosting rights for the 7th World Water Forum 2015 as part of efforts to position itself as a centre of the water industry of South Korea and is preparing a host of amenities to welcome visitors.
The World Water Forum is held once every three years by the World Water Council, and the 2015 edition is expected to draw some 35,000 visitors from 200 countries while generating 2,500 jobs and US$242.8 million.
Attendees can expect an enhanced Event Support Package by the Daegu Convention & Visitors Bureau including: an online accommodation booking system in English; a staffed Welcome Desk with sightseeing brochures; and an online tour programme booking system for reservations of pre- and post-show tours.
The 7th World Water Forum is the second one in Asia after it was held in Japan 11 years ago.
A press release from Daegu CVB stated that the city aims to “turn itself into a linchpin of the water industry by capitalising on the event to become the centre of the water industry of South Korea.
“The South Korean government has prioritised sustainable water management and sound water environment building in its national agenda with the goal to become a role model country in all areas of water management.”
Australia seeing more business arrivals from Singapore
SINGAPORE is sending more business travellers to Australia, according to statistics provided by Tourism Australia’s (TA) office in Singapore.
At the Business Events Australia South East Asia Showcase dinner organised in Singapore earlier this week with Chan Brothers MICE & Travel, TA’s general manager for South/South-east Asia & Gulf Countries, Karyn Kent, told TTGmice e-Weekly that overall business arrivals from the Lion City for 2013 increased two per cent as compared with 2012.
Out of total business arrivals, conference and meeting arrivals rose nine per cent.
Holiday purpose arrivals, which included incentives, FITs and leisure groups, rose significantly by 20 per cent year-on-year for the last 12 months up to March 2014, Kent added.
“Singapore is our fifth largest market in the world, while Malaysia ranks seventh and Indonesia, 12th. We are seeing a lot of potential for incentive business from these three markets,” she said.
Kent added that the strong performance of the Singapore market – incredible for its relative size – is a result of the increased number of flights by LCCs from the city as well as repeat visits.
Singaporeans are also “responding well” to the Australian food and wine campaign launched last July, she said, which now has an added focus through the Restaurant Australia campaign launched early this month (TTGmice e-Weekly, May 9, 2014).
Singapore-based Chan Brothers MICE & Travel’s account manager, Alvin Valencia, said: “About 80 per cent of our outbound MICE business pertain to incentive trips of 50 to 60 pax, mainly from the electronics, engineering and F&B industries.
“For trips to Australia, the Gold Coast and Perth are the most popular, although we have observed an increasing number of enquiries for Melbourne as well. Melbourne’s Phillip Island and Sovereign Hill are interesting incentive options for nature parks and hands-on gold-mining experience respectively.”
Meanwhile, Melbourne continues to draw business events, with the city’s convention venues already well booked out up to 2018, according to Edward Kwek, regional sales director South Asia of Melbourne Convention Bureau.
Medical conferences form the bulk of the major events, Kwek said, citing incentive and pre/post-meeting options like guided coffee tours, the newly relaunched ferris wheel Melbourne Star, sporting events like Formula One and the Melbourne Cup, as well as “the best pizza in the world”, among others.
ICCA offers tool to find local association representative
ASSOCIATIONS can now have an easier time of identifying local representatives when preparing a bid to host the next edition of an association international meeting using Big Data Search.
Unveiled at IMEX 2014 in Frankfurt, Big Data Search utilises the databases of Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Search to find academic contacts in specific cities or regions.
The tool is provided by new ICCA member Human Equation and will go live on June 2, alongside Human Equation’s Lead Analytics tool, which identifies organisation names and tracks the online behavior of website visitors.
ICCA CEO, Martin Sirk, said in a press release: “The version announced today is ICCA’s first step in harnessing the power of Big Data and combining it with our own unique data on associations and their meetings, and we anticipate adding new functionality and data sources to ICCA Big Data Search as we receive feedback from users.”
Convention centres form centerpiece of New Zealand’s MICE approach
MORE convention centres will be developed in Auckland, Queenstown, Wellington and Christchurch under the Tourism 2025 framework with the aim of growing New Zealand’s MICE sector.
Announced at TRENZ 2014, Tourism 2025 was developed to provide an overall vision for the industry, a framework to develop within, and context for individual businesses to contribute and build on. It targets turning tourism into a NZ$41 billion (US$35.5 billion) industry by 2025.
To do that, New Zealand is splashing out on convention centres in the coming years.
Speaking at a press briefing at TRENZ on Wednesday morning, New Zealand prime minister and minister of tourism, John Key, said: “We will spend NZ$34 million over the next four years basically trying to attract the business events market and that is very much perched around the convention centres.
“The Auckland International Convention Centre is under planning and due to stars at the end of this year, so by 2017 that would be a major (venue) with (capacity) between 3,000 and 4,000, so that will be a big addition to the Auckland market.
“There is also an announcement in Wellington that a new convention centre will be built (by private sector) and operated by Hilton, and Queenstown is under the final process for putting together a convention centre with some government investment,” Key added.
In Christchurch, a major convention centre is being built to replace the one destroyed by the earthquake in 2011.
Tourism New Zealand CEO, Kevin Bowler, said: “Arrivals to New Zealand are seasonal. It gets very busy during peak season, but can get quite low during the low season. Part of the Tourism 2025 strategy is how to attract travellers year round and business is events is a way to do so.”
The sector also provides opportunity for different regions to gain business from MICE travellers who are often extending their stay.
“As many conferences are held during shoulder and off seasons, they create demand for accommodation and other services at a quieter time of the year,” commented Grant Lilly, executive chairman, Tourism Industry Association New Zealand
Tokyo reworks subvention offerings for corporate planners
TOKYO Convention & Visitors Bureau last month refreshed its subvention programmes for planners who hold their events in the Japanese capital.
Corporate groups with at least 50 attendees staying for a minimum of two nights in Tokyo, but are still choosing additional destinations, are entitled to rewards based on a tiered system according to group size.
Delegates within a group of 50 will receive a giveaway per person, while groups of 200 or more will receive a gift, choice of party entertainment from ninjas to awaodori dance performances and welcome parties at Tokyo’s airports.
Groups consisting of 500 or more attendees will receive the same benefits but with an extra choice between a traditional noh performance or a pop culture one.
The event must be held in Tokyo by March 31, 2015 and cannot be affiliated with religious or political agendas.
The second subvention programme is for key decision makers of events with more than 500 delegates planning to stay two or more nights in Tokyo, for a site visit in the city.
The CVB’s support extends to three decision makers who will have their airfare and accommodation sponsored. The site visit must be completed by March 31, 2015 and the event held before March 31, 2016.
Full terms and conditions are available at www.businesseventstokyo.org/special-offer-for-corporate-events.
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