THE impending upward adjustment of Japan’s consumption tax from the current five per cent to eight starting this April is not expected to affect Okinawa Convention Center’s (OCC) business, according to the venue’s MICE coordinator, Naomi Nakaza.

With a long history of 27 years as well as being the biggest convention space in Okinawa, OCC has its source markets from mainland Japan and overseas, especially Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and South Korea.

The centre has a discount policy that has been offering special rates to event organisers, such as 20-70 per cent less for international events with more than 10 attendees, and 10 per cent less for the rental of all OCC facilities for large-scale events.

Nakaza said the discount policy will continue albeit the implementation of the higher consumption tax in the country’s new financial year, but adjustments to the qualifying criteria can be expected, such as a minimum of 20 attendees may be required for events to enjoy the same 20-70 per cent discount.

Asked if OCC would expect business to suffer as a result, she said: “Previously, when the same tax was raised from three to five per cent – and in a short space of time – we did not lose much business.

Therefore this time, we believe we will continue to do well especially with support from our regular customers who believe in our offerings. We also expect that Japan’s economy will improve from now.”

OCC offers 10 conference rooms of varying sizes in two separate buildings, a 2,500m2 exhibition hall and a 1,709-seat theatre hall. Other supporting facilities include dressing rooms for performances and a tatami room for resting.

While maintenance and minor enhancements are regularly carried out in the premises, the centre’s most recent renovation was a massive repair work to its theatre hall following a typhoon that shattered the space’s glass wall, a spectacular stage backdrop that brings in panoramic views of the ocean.

Several of the centre’s conference spaces also boast a feature glass wall with an ocean or garden view, a unique offering that has been drawing event organisers and the wedding market from mainland Japan.

LANGHAM Hospitality Group has added its ninth hotel in China with the opening of the 327-room Langham Place, Xiamen.

Xiamen is one of China’s special economic zones, and Langham Place would be going after corporate meetings, incentives and product launches, a hotel spokesman said.

The hotel is a 15- to 20-minute drive from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, Xiamen Conference and Exhibition Centre, Software Park, and the main railway station. It is a short stroll from Wanda Plaza, the city’s latest luxury fashion and shopping destination.

There are nine meetings rooms ranging from 60m2 to 720m2, and The Gallery comprises specially designed meeting spaces incorporating F&B areas and breakout lounges that are conducive for “focused and motivated” meetings.

The state-of-the-art audiovisual and lighting system in the pillarless ballroom is targeted at big social, lifestyle and incentive events for up to 655 people, the spokesman added.

The 260m2 Star Room on the 26th floor is the highest function room in Xiamen and its floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic city and sea views. Seven other function rooms, with en suite coffee break spaces, can cater to events of various sizes.

F&B outlets include the signature Ming Court Chinese restaurant, The Place for all-day dining, T2 teppanyaki restaurant, and L Bar.

There is also Chuan Spa, a fitness centre and an indoor heated swimming pool with natural light and underwater sound system.

NIJO Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Kyoto, has appointed 12 coordinators to market and promote events at the venue from April 2014.

Ovation Global DMC’s strategic partner in Japan, The J Team DMC, is the only specialist DMC on the list, which comprises local hotel, media, event, travel and catering companies.

James Kent, sales and marketing manager, The J Team DMC, told TTGmice e-Weekly: “Our bid included a wide range of ideas that covered teambuilding, reward and award, workshops and training, as well as parties. I see potential for smaller, tailored events at the castle.”

Kent said Nijo Castle was included in a couple of proposals for autumn, and it was possible for a piece of business to materialise by spring or summer.

The castle’s exterior space is available for gala dinners for up to several thousands of people depending on the size of the marquee, while an indoor area can be booked for meetings with about 200 guests.

The primary concern is damage to the property so no catering is allowed within the castle building and proper preparations in marquee set-up are needed.

According to Kent, the castle grounds hosted a tea ceremony and press conference for the 2008 Miss International. Nijo Castle also supported World Diabetes Day – 14th November – in the past by showing blue illuminations to generate awareness of the disease. In recent years it has been used as a wedding venue.

Kent said: “One of the reasons Nijo Castle is opening up to MICE events is to help raise funds for its current restoration projects. This is a fantastic opportunity for CSR-minded companies to make a valuable contribution to the preservation of a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site by donating to the fund, and receiving recognition for it.”

NIJO Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Kyoto, has appointed 12 coordinators to market and promote events at the venue from April 2014.

Ovation Global DMC’s strategic partner in Japan, The J Team DMC, is the only specialist DMC on the list, which comprises local hotel, media, event, travel and catering companies.

James Kent, sales and marketing manager, The J Team DMC, told TTGmice e-Weekly: “Our bid included a wide range of ideas that covered teambuilding, reward and award, workshops and training, as well as parties. I see potential for smaller, tailored events at the castle.”

Kent said Nijo Castle was included in a couple of proposals for autumn, and it was possible for a piece of business to materialise by spring or summer.

The castle’s exterior space is available for gala dinners for up to several thousands of people depending on the size of the marquee, while an indoor area can be booked for meetings with about 200 guests.

The primary concern is damage to the property so no catering is allowed within the castle building and proper preparations in marquee set-up are needed.

According to Kent, the castle grounds hosted a tea ceremony and press conference for the 2008 Miss International. Nijo Castle also supported World Diabetes Day – 14th November – in the past by showing blue illuminations to generate awareness of the disease. In recent years it has been used as a wedding venue.

Kent said: “One of the reasons Nijo Castle is opening up to MICE events is to help raise funds for its current restoration projects. This is a fantastic opportunity for CSR-minded companies to make a valuable contribution to the preservation of a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site by donating to the fund, and receiving recognition for it.”

SRI Lanka’s southern coastal town of Hambantota is being dressed up as a major MICE centre, second only to Colombo, with a 1,500-seat convention centre and other upcoming facilities set to draw corporate attention, officials said.

“Hambantota will change the landscape for the local MICE market,” said Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau (SLCB) general manager, Vipula Wanigasekara, adding that the promotion of the destination will be executed through the Colombo-based bureau.

Home town of Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the region has seen a remarkable change in infrastructure over the past few years – the country’s second international airport opened in March 2013; the Magampura Ruhunu International Convention Centre last November; new hotels have opened and more are coming up.

Imran Hassan, a MICE specialist, said Hambantota, 250km from Colombo, has tremendous potential and will be a major attraction once the new extension of the southern expressway opens in March. The expressway, which runs from Colombo to Galle, is being extended by another 35km to Matara, some 90km away.

SLCB’s Wanigasekara said the bureau is in talks with PCO/PEOs to shift some events to Hambantota.

“I am talking to many organisations to showcase Hambantota for their annual events,” he said, adding that staging the Asian Youth Games in 2017 in Hambantota will enhance the city as a venue for international events.

“We are building an indoor stadium for the games which will then be converted to an exhibition centre,” he said.

Wanigasekara believes that the 375-key Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort and Spa will enhance the region as a MICE venue. The resort, built close to the convention centre, is due to open next year.

“People are always looking for new venues and this is definitely a good option for a meeting,” he said.

Sri Lanka will play host to some 50 MICE events this year, up from 40 in 2013.

THE management of Putrajaya International Convention Centre, a 25-30 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, is actively seeking more international corporate business and aims to turn the centre into a renowned venue for international congresses, conferences and meetings.

The centre’s CEO, Badlishah Ahmad, said key international target markets are Greater China, regional markets, Europe and the US, and to achieve global reach PICC will join the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau in its overseas trade show participation.

Badlishah said China is on PICC’s radar due to good air connectivity and friendly bilateral relations between the two governments, which will result in government-led events.

He added: “With Putrajaya being the administrative capital of the nation and PICC’s convenient location, the centre will be a natural choice for meetings, conferences and congresses.

“We can comfortably accommodate mega events of up to 8,000 delegates. We are the biggest conference and congress facility in the country and the only facility with a Head of State room for 180 pax.”

So far, the centre has secured one event from China this year. The International Chinese Film Festival, to be held from May 5 to 8, is expected to attract more than 2,000 delegates from China, said Badlishah.

To capture more business from China, the centre will work closely with event specialists strong in the market.

Badlishah added: “We are not just a venue provider, we can also assist with arrangements within Putrajaya for tours, transportation, hotels and entrance fees. We act as a one-stop centre.”

Singapore-based travel specialist, Discover Holidays (Asia), has reported a strong start to 2014, with 15 events confirmed to-date for the year.

Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly in an interview, managing director, Rodney Yew, said “all contracts are signed” and “some have also paid in full”.

“1H2014 looks set to be better than the same time last year,” he said, adding that several more projects are still in the bidding process.

When asked what had spurred such a performance, Yew credited “hard work from the team in courting clients” last year.

These events will be held in Asia-Pacific and attended by delegates from within the region. They include a 200-pax oil and gas conference, a 150-pax F&B conference, a 120-pax cosmetics conference and a 200-pax IT conference – all planned for Singapore – as well as a 470-pax pharmaceutical meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

“Regional destinations are still most favoured by my clients,” said Yew, whose company specialises in group tours and corporate events from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

“Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coasts are getting increasing attention from my clients, which I believe is due to clients’ clear awareness and understanding of that these destinations can offer.”

Yew observed that clients are more likely to pick destinations they are familiar with, even though there are exciting options available elsewhere.

“For example, while I know that Perth has evolved a lot over recent years and has many fresh experiences to offer, not many of my clients know that and are reluctant to consider it. Destinations must invest in brand building not only in the MICE market, but also in the consumer market because clients are consumers themselves,” he added.

SUNTEC Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre (Suntec Singapore) has announced it will be the “venue of choice” for JEC Group’s major global CONFEX events for the next three years.

Convened by the world’s largest organisation dedicated to the promotion of the composites industry JEC Group, JEC Asia Composites Show & Conferences is one of its CONFEX events that provides a platform for composites designers, manufacturers and suppliers to showcase their technologies and will take place in Singapore between November 17 and 19, 2014.

In 2014, JEC Asia is targeting 5,000 delegates and visitors, and 300 exhibiting companies from 50 countries.

According to Arun Madhok, CEO of Suntec Singapore, the convention centre’s ability to offer flexible customisable space attracted the JEC group most.

“The extreme flexibility of Suntec Singapore’s space allows us to easily accommodate multiple room configurations…we are able to switch room configurations in a very short time and resize meeting rooms and conference halls from one day to the next,” he said.

“Whether an event grows 10 per cent, 50 per cent or 100 per cent from year to year, Suntec Singapore’s flexible space will fit the need without wasting any resources,” Madhok added.

According to the press statement from Suntec Singapore, the growing interest in Asia is driven by the region’s key strategic position for the composites industry, having overtaken the Americas and Europe in terms of production.

Asia represents 41 per cent in production volume compared to 32 per cent in the Americas and 20 per cent in Europe and is expected to reach 50 per cent by 2015.

DESPITE a challenging start to the year due to Bangkok’s ongoing political turmoil, Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) is seeing business returning to usual, according to Sakchai Pattarapreechakul, president of NCC Management & Development, which operates the venue.

“The MICE impacts were not much initially, but the Bangkok shutdown (on January 13) and the state of emergency (invoked on January 21) worsened the situation for us. The emergency decree resulted in a lot of cancellations and postponements – some organisers postponed their shows till the third or fourth quarters this year or even skip this year’s edition,” said Sakchai.

As show organisers were worried about transport and access to the convention centre due to its proximity to the Asoke intersection, where one of the main protest rallies is located, the QSNCC team quickly worked to convey the message to clients alongside photo updates that venue access was not obstructed; visitors can enter QSNCC directly from MRT subway station or via road access from Rama IV Road and the expressway.

“We worked very hard to persuade the first client to come back,” said Sakchai. “Once the first show, 17th Thailand Baby & Kids Best Buy (February 6-9), proceeded, other organisers were encouraged to continue their shows. Thailand Mobile Expo and 6th Shopping Paradise Fair (both February 13-16) took place just last week and this week we are seeing the 14th Thai International Travel Fair (February 20-23).

“Our events (bookings) from February onwards are already back to normal,” Sakchai added, although he admitted that there are “some problems with minor cancellations” as some 5-10 per cent of exhibitors dropped out of the shows.

At the same time, QSNCC also saw some spillover meetings and small exhibitions traffic diverted from other downtown venues such as Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, he said.

Overseas confidence is visibly more shaken as organisers of potential new international shows are mostly doing site inspections now while the bidding front is “still quiet”, Sakchai admitted. But in spite of a shaky start to 2014, the number of international shows at QSNCC this year is expected to increase 30 per cent from 2013, he shared.

To restore organisers’ confidence, QSNCC has rolled out various “value-add packages” including such perks as complimentary advertisements with the centre on local publications and social media sites, discounted subway fares, F&B discounts at the venue and special rates for overseas visitors at partner hotels, Sakchai said.

International shows such as Asian Paper (April 23-25), 10th International Mycological Congress (September 24-26), Cosmobeaute Thailand (September 24-26) and EcoLightTech Asia (November 12-14) are scheduled to take place as usual.

TWO upcoming major sports events will give the Gold Coast a significant boost in its branding as a business events destination, said Gold Coast Tourism Corporation chief executive, Martin Winter.

The Australian city will host the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in August and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April.

“(These games) give us a big opportunity to attract a myriad of business events in allied activities, such as sports science and sports medicine meetings and conferences,” Winter said, adding that tourism and related businesses in the city and its surroundings will benefit from “big teams that come to the Gold Coast in the lead up to the games for training and acclimatisation”.

Although athletes participating in the Commonwealth Games will be housed in a Games Village equipped with some 8,000 dwellings, hotels in the destination will benefit from these advance teams, said Winter.

“There are approximately 65,000 beds in the Gold Coast – more than what’s available in most other capital cities – which will provide sufficient accommodation (for the advance teams),” he explained.

Although Winter acknowledged that the city will be packed out and accommodation capacity stretched during the games, he believes the impact on business events will be minimal as events unrelated to sports and the games will likely be held “at a different time”.

Winning the games’ hosting rights also presents the Gold Coast with new opportunities to market itself to international consumers.

“The Gold Coast is given an 11-minute opportunity during the Glasgow 2014 closing ceremony to promote the destination and the next Commonwealth Games. Besides that, we will have ground presence in central Glasgow where people can go and get information on the 2018 Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“A string of activities” will be rolled out to promote the destination and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, but details can only be revealed after the conclusion of the Glasgow edition, which will run from July 23 to August 3.