SINGPOARE-BASED PCO, Aonia, has appointed Patrick Teng as director of meetings & incentives.

Bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in the industry, Teng’s responsibilities include business development, events management and strategic planning.

Prior to joining Aonia, Teng was vice president of a Singapore-based MNC insurance company, where he played the role of a strategic business developer, corporate events designer and overseer of personnel performance.

MALAYSIA Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has appointed seven new Kesatria – industry leaders who are tasked to elevate Malaysia’s business tourism by helping to identify and encourage peers to bid for and stage international congresses in the destination.

This is the third batch of Kesatria – or knights in the Malay language – appointed under the Kesatria 1Malaysia programme, bringing the total ambassador count to 33.

Zulkefli Sharif, CEO of MyCEB, said: “Our Kesatria 1Malaysia programme has generated 37 successful international business event leads with an economic impact of RM625 million (US$190.5 million) and an estimated attendance of more than 50,000 delegates.

“The success of this programme is reflected in the number of large-scale specialised conferences that have taken place since we started this programme.”

Some of the prestigious events won by the ambassadors include Women Deliver Conference 2013 which generated an estimated RM47.4 million in economic impact to the country, 12th International Congress on Obesity 2014 which is estimated to draw some 3,000 delegates, and XXV International Federation of Surveyors Congress which is also expected to attract some 3,000 delegates in June.

Zulkefli said some of the benefits of serving as a Kesatria include the eligibility for travel assistance for bid activities, invitations to attend networking and special events hosted by MyCEB throughout the year, and being provided with promotional materials to pass on to their international professional contacts that have the potential to stage business events in Malaysia.

SIXTEEN active business event bids have resulted since the launch of the NT (Northern Territory) Business Events Ambassador Program last September.

A joint initiative between Tourism NT, Darwin Convention Centres and Alice Springs Convention Centre, the programme was established to increase new business event opportunities for the destination by maximising the extensive networks and marketplace intelligence of selected business and industry professionals.

Scott Lovett, director business events of Tourism NT, told TTGmice e-Weekly that the NT’s ambassador programme “is very different from others in the country which are often focused on medicine”.

“Ours is aligned with the NT’s forte, which is in areas such as economics and social and community development,” Lovett said.

The 16 founding members of the programme hail from the NT’s key industry sectors such as renewable energy, health, tourism, oil and gas, primary industry, finance and business.

Besides helping to promote the NT’s business events capability, Lovett said the ambassador programme is also crucial in the destination’s pursuit of investments.

“Whenever a destination wants to promote investments in specific areas, it is done through dialogue and exchange of ideas at events and conferences. Thus, we encourage our ambassadors to look at their area of work to attract events to the NT,” he added.

When asked for an example of an ambassador who had opened doors for the NT, Lovett said: “Chen Min (chief representative, China Council for Promotions of International Trade) is big on investment and trade, and is our key to China’s trade ministries and government.”

The NT Business Events Ambassador Program runs alongside Tourism NT’s industry familiarisation programmes, which take trade event buyers to industrial facilities that matter to their business.

“We have a very high conversion rate (for event enquiries) when we take people on such familiarisation trips. The destination is important (in the planner’s selection process) but content and learning opportunities (for delegates) are far more crucial,” he said.

THE upcoming International Federation of Surveyors Congress in Kuala Lumpur in June will feature more networking opportunities and see collaboration with multilateral bodies such as the UN Habitat on programme content to raise the event’s appeal among delegates.

Explaining the need for strong programme content, Teo Chee Hai, president of the International Federation of Surveyors, said the average size of conferences today has shrunk compared to five years ago, a direct result of an increased number of conferences around the world and the use of technology to replace face-to-face meetings.

Speaking at the 9th Association Seminar 2014 on Tuesday at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Teo stressed that organisers must give a compelling proposition for delegates to attend the conference by having a very strong content.

He said it was about “delivering value and desired outcomes to constituents”.

Networking opportunities at the International Federation of Surveyors Congress were expanded, for instance, after taking into account that such sessions were important to delegates and a key factor in building attendance. Coffee breaks at the congress will be lengthened to 45 minutes.

The congress will be held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from June 16 to 21 this year. It is expected to welcome 3,000 delegates

REGIONAL corporate travel managers say the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing last Saturday is a “wake-up call” to review and implement measures to mitigate corporate travel risk, and put in place better “duty of care”.

Texas-based semiconductor company Freescale confirmed in a statement 20 of its employees were on the ill-fated flight. Twelve were Malaysian nationals and eight were from China.

Michelle Tan, manager, Asia-Pacific Travel Operations, Oracle Global Travel, said review of corporate travel risk and security was being stepped up. On why so many employees were on the same flight, Tan said it was possible the travellers made their own bookings and the company did not know they were travelling together.

“It’s a good wake-up call to review and improve what we currently have in place,” Tan said, adding that only companies with mature and structured corporate travel policies would have limits on how many employees are permitted to travel on the same flight.

Oracle, she said, was monitoring the situation and would be advising its travellers accordingly.

McDermott, which provides offshore field development services worldwide, has in place a corporate travel policy forbidding senior executives to travel on the same flight.

“We also limit the number of travellers on the same fight to 10,” Serene Chua, McDermott Asia-Pacific travel manager, told TTGmice e-Weekly.

She added McDermott had in place an internal authorisation system that would trigger an alert if more than 10 of its employees were travelling together, and has had to stop some bookings.

On the MH370 case, Chua said it could have been a case of more than one agent making the bookings and the data was not shared with the company.

“In some companies, bookings are not be centralised. Some travellers may also make their own bookings using a self-booking tool, or insist on a particular flight when booking with the TMC (travel management company) for convenience or if they want to travel with other colleagues. The TMC may also only alert the company if there is an ‘exception’ about the booking,” said Chua. “As part of improving our duty of care, we will be reviewing what is in place, and if we need to introduce other measures.”

THE Singapore government’s recent move to raise liquor excise duties by 25 per cent will add to the F&B bill for corporate functions but DMCs in the city-state said it is still early days to determine how this will impact the way clients conduct their events.

The 25 per cent hike means a litre of beer than once cost S$48 (US$38) will now be S$60.
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World Express’s managing director Darren Tan, said: “This will definitely increase the expenditure of MICE events if organisers are budgeting for wine and beer in the programme.”

Tan explained that alcohol usually made up 25 per cent of the total dinner bill.

“However it is still too early to assess the real impact and, anyway, Singapore has been known to be an expensive destination for alcohol all along,” he added.

Dynasty Travel’s marketing communications director, Alicia Seah, believes that Singapore’s pricier alcohol will not affect clients much “as they are looking at an entire budget for MICE events”.

David Donald, general manager of Parkroyal on Beach Road, who estimates alcohol consumption to make up at least 15 per cent of the MICE event cost, also downplayed the impact of the tax hike.

“The increase is translated to approximately S$0.40 per glass of wine or S$0.20 per glass of beer,” he pointed out.

Having said that, Donald told TTGmice e-Weekly that the hotel intends to absorb any additional cost resulting from the higher liquor excise duties.

For clients who are concerned about heavier event bills as a result of the tax hike, World Express’ Tan suggested: “Go on consumption basis for small groups, and reduce the beverage package duration for larger groups.”

Seah also offered this advice: “We can look for cost savings in other areas such as complimentary meeting spaces, reduced room rates or free upgrades for VIP delegates.”

THE Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) has trounced its counterparts in Thailand and Australia in bidding for the 17th Asia Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE) next year.

Asked what’s PRA’s winning formula, assistant secretary general, Ana Marie Miranda, said: “We showcased why it’s More Fun in the Philippines – both in the retail business side (since attendees are retailers, we highlighted our world class shopping centres), as well as the tourism side. We made them want to come to the Philippines both for business and leisure.”

APRCE is the main activity of the Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations, which has 17 association members from 17 countries. It is the longest running regional retail conference in Asia, held every two years. The 2013 edition was held in Istanbul, Turkey.

About 1,500 foreign delegates and 2,000 locals are expected during the three-day APRCE at SMX Convention Centre Manila in 2015. The date in September or October is yet to be determined, to ensure it will not clash with APEC Summit.

To boost delegate numbers, Miranda said PRA will “use all forms of media to connect and engage them to make them interested to come and attend. We will utilise both traditional marketing efforts (ads in local and regional publications, TV, radio, etc.) as well as social media and digital/mobile marketing”.

PRA is in the process of preparing the event programme.

“We aim to make APRCE 2015 another world-class regional event to benchmark on so we will be inviting world-class and global leaders in retail. We will also promote pre- and post-event tours,” said Miranda, adding that destinations are still being finalised.

When PRA last hosted APRCE in 1993, it won the Kalakbay Award for Event of the Year

PERCHED high on the limestone cliffs of Uluwatu and offering seven well-appointed villas, Semara Luxury Villa Resort in Bali is looking to attract corporate groups and has created a basic meeting package to entice potential buyers.

Meeting organisers can utilise Selatan Cliff Top Restaurant and Finn Beach Club at the base of the cliff for events and themed dinners. Four of the resort’s seven villas can also be used as meeting venues.

Semara Luxury Villa Resort is able to cater to small groups and can be booked entirely for 70 or more delegates.

Its basic full-day meeting package is priced at US$70 per pax and includes use of a meeting room for eight hours, standard meeting audiovisual equipment and stationery, morning and afternoon coffee break, three-course set lunch, mints and water.

A half-day option costs US$10 less.

Prices are subject to taxes and service charge, and other terms and conditions.

Kelly Sturgeon, group sales and marketing director of Semara Resorts Group, told TTGmice e-Weekly that the basic package is often offered as a “starting point” for client’s planning process.

“We have simplified our MICE package as clients usually want something tailor made. Being a luxury boutique property, one of our strengths is that we can be flexible depending on the clients needs and budgets, etc,” she said.

Email info.uluwatu@semararesorts.com for more information.

A NEWLY formed China MICE Committee (CMC) of top buyers from some 40 established travel agencies across China will join 30 buyers representing China International Travel Service (CITS) International MICE at this year’s IT&CM China show.

CMC, whose members include CYTS International Convention and Exhibition, China Comfort Travel Group, GZL International Travel Service – Business Incentive Travel Company and Xiamen Trip Exhibition Business Services, is expected to field 50 MICE buyers for the annual business events trade show in Shanghai.

CITS International MICE’s delegation of 30 buyers has buying responsibilities across China and represents a wide range of corporate, government and association clients in the country.

As whole, CITS’ clientele encompasses an extremely large spectrum of China’s buying demand.

Explains Zhang Jian, executive general manager of CITS International MICE: “As the number one brand-name in China’s tourist industry with a dedicated MICE division, our pulse on China’s inbound, outbound and domestic demand is unparalleled. We have access to the largest network of tour operators and travel agencies across the country, ensuring that our team has every capability of attracting quality Chinese buyers to participate at IT&CM China.”

Commenting on the effectiveness of IT&CM China as a sourcing platform for Chinese buyers, CITS Jiujiang vice general manager, Xiong Xiaoyu, said: “(The show enables us) to get in touch with a wide range of top suppliers both internationally and domestically. Thanks to the resources we obtained from the event, we were able to successfully organise a business group to (South) Korea last year. We certainly look forward to the 2014 event.”

IT&CM China 2014 is expected to see a total of 480 buyers from the Middle Kingdom.

Registrations for Chinese buyers will remain open till end March.

ROUTES Asia 2014 will open on March 9 in Kuching, Sarawak, an event that the region’s minister for tourism, Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg, hope would “be a start to bigger things to come for Sarawak’s tourism industry”.

Minister Abang Zohari will launch the three-day forum from March 9 to 11, which is regarded as the largest route development event for the Asia region.

A total of 146 delegates representing 100 airlines and 233 delegates representing 173 airports have confirmed their attendance at the event, hosted by the State Government of Sarawak and co-hosted by Malaysia Airports Holdings.

The hosting of one of Asia’s most important civil aviation events is testimony to the growing importance of Kuching as an international air hub and destination, and holds the promise of new routes and air services into Sarawak’s thriving capital.

“I am happy to launch Routes Asia 2014 and to host members of the regional aviation industry in Kuching,” Abang Zohari said in a press statement.

“The tourism landscape is changing rapidly. China is now the number one tourism market in the world, with the number of Chinese travelling outside the country hitting 97 million in 2013.

“We want to increase the number of Chinese tourists to Sarawak from the 30,000 that we are currently getting, and hopefully events like Routes Asia will make that happen.”

Routes Asia 2014 will attract a number of airlines from China including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China.