KUALA Lumpur Convention Centre has appointed Alan Pryor general manager designate, replacing Peter Brokenshire who will retire at the end of March.

Brokenshire had spearheaded the establishment and opening of the venue in 2005, and has been leading it for the past 11 years.

The deputy general manager position, vacated by Pryor, will be filled by Simon Lomas, who will oversee the day-to-day operation of the centre as well as international, regional and local promotional activities.

Prior to joining the centre in 2011, Pryor was the director of operations at the Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC). During his 11-year tenure at Durban ICC, he also oversaw the opening of the Arena extension. Shortly before moving to Malaysia, Pryor was lead consultant of the Architectural Department of the Municipality of Durban City on its Priority Zone development, which included the Durban ICC and Arena, and was consulted on several conference facility projects.

KENES Asia has made its foray into the Philippine market with the help of Global-Link MP Events International Inc, a company owned by both Global-Link and MP International.

Together, they have so far staged the International Rice Genetics Symposium at the Dusit Thani Manila last November, and are organising the 10th Asia Pacific Congress of Hypertension (APCH) in February and Asia Pacific Rheumatology Congress (APLAR 2014) in April, both at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu.

Jing Lagandaon, COO at Global-Link MP, told TTGmice e-Weekly that Kenes took charge of trade show programming, while her company handled logistical matters.

Staff from Global-Link MP was sent for training at Kenes in preparation for the collaboration.

“The relationship with Kenes started two years ago. Now that Kenes is organising shows in the Philippines, we are effectively representing them. Kenes is a relatively new player (here). Without us, it might be harder for them do their events here,” said Lagandaon.

“Our basic strength is that we know the Philippine market very well. We have a good network of connections; we are able to get volume discounts; and we are able to work with people who are expert in different fields,” she added.

Besides co-owning Global Link MP Events, Global-Link also has an exhibition division, Global-Link Exhibitions.

“We’re more known for organising exhibitions, like Philconstruct, held every November,” said Lagandaon, who added that about 70 per cent of Global-Link’s revenue comes from exhibitions, 15 per cent from official representation for Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Messe Frankfurt and Messe Dusseldorf, and the rest from conferences ¬– a segment the company wishes to grow.

THE Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS) is amending membership guidelines on its charter, relaxing rules for admission in order to reach more companies and suppliers interested in developing MICE business.

“The requirement for admission up to this point was very high – you (must) have had two international conferences under your belt,” said Monette Hamlin, PACEOS president. “If you’re new, it would be impossible.”

Now, a track record of only one national conference is required.

PACEOS currently has 38 members.

“Many event organisers are in Manila, while others are mostly wedding and party planners,” said Hamlin.

Awareness about the business potential of MICE, particularly those sourced from abroad, is weak too, so the association – the only one in the Philippines to date – also intends to start up new charters in Cebu and Davao, where MICE venues are gaining traction, revealed Marisa Nallana, PACEOS chair.

Although membership guidelines will become more relaxed, PACEOS will ask aspiring members to provide proper documentation validating their experience and event credentials, including references.

“We have a Code of Ethics we hope members will follow,” said Dinah Gonzalez, PACEOS membership head. “Too often we hear of events of the same concept or theme, like a wedding expo, and sometimes they are held simultaneously. We would like to space these events.”

Allied membership may also be offered to companies that host “special” events, as opposed to “business” events, said Gonzalez.

Hamlin noted that professors who taught tourism and event management had voiced interest in being a member of PACEOS, so relaxing membership rules would help accommodate them too.

Meanwhile, PACEOS plans to establish a MICE Academy, with internal and hired experts on the roster to provide training.

KUALA Lumpur Convention Centre has appointed Alan Pryor general manager designate, replacing Peter Brokenshire who will retire at the end of March.

Brokenshire had spearheaded the establishment and opening of the venue in 2005, and has been leading it for the past 11 years.

The deputy general manager position, vacated by Pryor, will be filled by Simon Lomas, who will oversee the day-to-day operation of the centre as well as international, regional and local promotional activities.

Prior to joining the centre in 2011, Pryor was the director of operations at the Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC). During his 11-year tenure at Durban ICC, he also oversaw the opening of the Arena extension. Shortly before moving to Malaysia, Pryor was lead consultant of the Architectural Department of the Municipality of Durban City on its Priority Zone development, which included the Durban ICC and Arena, and was consulted on several conference facility projects.

ANGSANA Lang Co in Central Vietnam is making it easier for meeting organisers to combine business with pleasure through its Two’s on Us offer, which includes a variety of fun activities in and around the resort.

Two’s on Us is applicable for groups that book a minimum of 20 room nights and a full-day meeting package. Delegates can enjoy any two of the benefits listed below during their stay at Angsana Lang Co:

– A choice of a 30-minute All-Terrain-Vehicle ride, archery, or water pillar paddle experience per delegate (advanced reservation required)

– One half-day guided meditation trip to Truc Lam Zen Monastery

– Two 90-minute a la carte spa sessions at Angsana Spa for every 20 paid room nights

– Two 18-hole green fee waivers at the Nick Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co championship golf course for every 20 paid room nights

– One pre-dinner open bar (standard pours only) for an hour at Moomba or designated foyer for all paid group dinner guests

– One complimentary Deluxe Room for every 20 paid room nights

– One return airport transfer by car or coach to and from Da Nang International Airport

– One upgrade to a one-bedroom suite for every 20 paid room nights

In addition, meeting planners will earn a two-night-stay gift certificate with daily breakfast and a 120-minute spa session at Angsana Spa for bookings confirmed on or before June 30, 2014.

The offer is valid for new bookings from now until June 30, 2014, for stays and meetings held by October 31, 2014.

Visit angsana.com, call (84-54) 3695 800 or email reservations-langco@angsana.com for more information.

INTERNATIONAL DMC conglomerate Euromic has confirmed its participation at IT&CM China 2014 in the hopes of growing its presence in the Chinese market.

Said executive director Christophe Verstraete in a media statement: “We see the Chinese market as a strong growth area for our association, so with our presence at IT&CM China, we hope to increase our visibility and attain greater familiarity in this market.”

He also cited IT&CM China’s excellent reputation in the industry, the good mix of international and Chinese buyers, as well as the show’s proprietary business matching facilities (pre-scheduled appointments and online diary system) as beneficial for his various DMC members.

Euromic, a non-profit association, has a one-member-per-country policy and members from 37 destinations around the world. Presently, Asian members comprise only China, India and Thailand.

Gunther Homerlein, general manager of Destination China, China’s DMC representative in the association, remarked: “We have seen significant return of business to China. 2013 has been the best year since 2007 (excluding 2008’s exceptional performance for the Olympic year) and 2014 is shaping up to be a very good year as well.”

He added that interest in China has opened beyond the banking and insurance industries that used to be the dominant clientele he serves.

Homerlein will be taking advantage of the IT&CM China platform to showcase other destinations to buyers, saying: “We are looking to organise a private post-show fam tour to both Hangzhou and Shanghai, with a focus on the former.

“Hangzhou is an ideal location for executive retreats and smaller meetings and incentives that is at present, still unfamiliar to many. Our invite list on the tour will comprise about 10 IT&CM China 2014 hosted buyers, as well as agencies that we currently have dealings with, and other buyers with a definitive interest in China.”

Initial highlights of the tour are said to comprise of exploring Shanghai’s French Quarters on motorbike sidecars and discovering new venues.

The eighth edition of IT&CM China 2014 will be held from April 15 to 17 at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center and will see 3,000 MICE professionals and 400 hosted delegates take part in business appointments as well as education and networking sessions.

DELEGATES from a wide range of companies will gird their loins and charge into battle on the sandy beaches of Okinawa come 2015, when the prefecture hosts the first-ever Okinawa Corporate Games.

Corporate Games, a multi-sport festival open to all types and sizes of companies, is scheduled for March 5 to 8, 2015.

Tony Sakuda, general manager of Naha-based Okinawa Tourist Service, the travel agency that brought in the concept, explained that participating teams could comprise of people from each branch of a company and team size would differ from game to game.

“This promotes teambuilding, strengthens (work) performance and gives (participants) something to look forward to next year. It also builds loyalty to their own company.”

“The Games would attract people to see what Okinawa has to offer and hopefully that translates into corporate incentive demand,” he added.

The event will feature 15 sporting categories, including dragon boating, beach soccer and open water swimming, all facilitated by Okinawa Tourist Service.

“We’re using what Okinawa has – beaches,” commented Sakuda.

Besides that, Corporate Games will also include in its programme a Grand Parade, Great Games Party and Closing Awards Celebration to enhance the overall experience.

The first Corporate Games was held in San Francisco in 1988 and has since been exported around the world. In Asia, Malaysia hosted a World Corporate Games in 1993 and India ran the Delhi Corporate Games in November 2013.

Major multinational companies that have participated in previous editions of Corporate Games include Shell, IBM, Vodafone and Fujitsu.

According to the official website, registration for Okinawa Corporate Games is open until February 18, 2015 and payment can be made online.

BUSINESS Events Sydney (BESydney) has secured the Pro-Health China Annual Conference 2014, a mega incentive that will attract 4,500 delegates and deliver an estimated economic impact of A$22.5 million (US$19.9 million) to New South Wales (NSW).

The five-day event joins BESydney’s list of 10 Asian corporate business event wins secured during the current financial year, and follows the successful conclusion of Perfect China Leadership Seminar 2013 in July, which was attended by more than 3,000 delegates and brought with it almost A$21 million in economic impact.

BESydney CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith said the growth in the number of incentive events secured for Sydney over recent years is a result of the state’s targeted strategies to attract business from this important market.

“Over the past decade, we have developed strong relationships in Asia. This has played an important part in the success that Sydney is now enjoying in the region,” Lewis-Smith said.

“We know that Asia is a relationship-driven market and the long-term strategies we’ve invested in, including being the first Australian bureau to establish an in-market presence in Asia (2004), have enabled us to build networks and trust, and convert business for Sydney. We now have representatives in Singapore, China and India (in partnership with Destination NSW), along with Mandarin-speaking staff across key departments in our Sydney office. Together, these strategies are paying dividends!”

Lewis-Smith added that Sydney’s success could also be attributed to its ability to deliver real returns for companies that chose to reward their high achievers with a trip to the harbour city.

“Perfect China reports that it saw a 20 per cent increase in sales following the company’s announcement that the 2013 incentive would be held in Sydney,” she said.

Last financial year, BESydney secured 33 Asian corporate incentive events worth an estimated A$57 million in economic impact. This represents over half of the revenue secured by BESydney during 2012/13.

HONG Kong based NWS Holdings which operates Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) has invested in the development of Shenyang New World Expo, a venue that will target small and mid-scale meetings and exhibitions when it opens in spring 2015.

Shenyang New World Expo will be part of a mixed-used development that comprises commercial and retail space as well as two hotels – a three-star Penta brand property and a five-star New World hotel. Facilities offered by the venue includes a 25,000m² exhibition space, a 1,800m² multipurpose convention hall and 2,200m² of meeting rooms.

The venue will enjoy a good location in the central business district, with direct access to the Shenyang Metro Line 2.

In an interview with TTGmice e-Weekly, industry veteran Cliff Wallace, who heads the centre’s pre-opening team, said Shenyang – the capital of Liaoning Province – first came onto NWS Holdings’ radar in 2006 and the company conducted a feasibility study to “prove its MICE potential”. Data collected influenced the company’s “recommendations on size and space” to the property owner, New World (Shenyang) Property Development.

Explaining the company’s plan for Shenyang New World Expo to court small and mid-scale meetings and exhibitions, Wallace said: “We discovered that meetings and exhibitions are becoming smaller in size (due to) technology, as people now have the option of attending the event or catching it online via webcam.”

He added that Shenyang holds good potential as a business events destination.

“Shenyang is equipped with a new airport terminal and offers direct air access to many countries like Japan, South Korea and soon, Germany. (This is especially appealing to) professional associations that are looking for a good regional market (for their meetings),” he said.

Wallace revealed that “unlike local operators’ usual practice of taking bookings only upon opening, we will start contracting 12 months prior to the venue’s official launch”.

“We want to attract outstanding quality exhibitions to meet the needs of Liaoning Province’s growing automobile and aircraft industry,” said Wallace.

Meanwhile, efforts to groom the venue’s software are ongoing. Director of business development, Diane Chen, said the venue is courting staff with hotel experience and staff training is being conducted at sister venue HKCEC and in Australia.

GENTING Malaysia recently announced its RM5 billion (US$1.53 billion) Genting Integrated Tourism Plan (GITB) which will see Resorts World Genting undergo a 10-year redevelopment, expansion and refurbishment of its hotels, theme park and other infrastructure.

GITP will be carried out in phases. Phase One is scheduled for completion in 2016 and includes the development of the world’s first Twentieth Century Fox World theme park, valued at RM1 billion.

Phase One may also feature Malaysia’s second Premium Outlet Centre, a project that Genting Malaysia is now discussing with Simon Property Group, the largest retail estate company in the US, according to Lim Kok Thay, chairman and chief executive of the Malaysian hospitality giant. The proposed Premium Outlet Centre is targeted for completion in 2015.

Other projects under Phase One include new hotels and amenities – such as a 10,000-seat show arena and a 1,300-room three-star hotel – as well as the refurbishment, upgrading and modernisation of Genting Grand, Maxims, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and First World Hotel.

Lim said there would be better hotel facilities to cater to high rollers and enable Resorts World Genting to keep up with competition in Macau.

While no timeline has been advised for phase two’s development, Lim revealed that the project would include a six-star hotel.

Inbound tour operators told TTGmice e-Weekly that the new developments at Resorts World Genting augur well for Malaysia’s MICE industry.

Ally Bhoonee, executive director of World Avenues, said the integrated resort in the highlands is already “big” in the Middle East and the infrastructure enhancements would help the company to also market nearby Kuala Lumpur to high-end Middle Eastern incentive clients.

He said: “Resorts World Genting, being only an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur, removes the usual logistical problem attached to transporting large groups of more than 150 people from Kuala Lumpur to other destinations. Resorts World Genting will boost Kuala Lumpur as a MICE and shopping destination.”

Arokia Das, senior manager of Luxury Tours Malaysia, said the future outdoor theme park would give Indian incentive clients further impetus to take their gatherings there.