MARINA Bay Sands (MBS) is seeing a rise in the number of mega sports events being held on its premises, with the next such event being the high-profile ONE Asia MMA Summit from June 1 to 3.

Organisers of the summit have claimed that it will be the largest ever in the history of the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sport.

Mike Lee, MBS vice president of sales, said these events, which include the Dragon Fire Championship Boxing Event in May, Asia Dive Expo in April and Z1 Pro-Fencing World Series in July 2010 and December 2011, allowed the integrated resort to “showcase the flexibility of the space at the Sands Expo and Convention Center”.

For instance, an exhibition hall at the Center was transformed into a sports arena with up to 4,000 tiered seats, pyrotechnics, music and lights on one of the days during the recent Dragon Fire Championship Boxing Event.

“Sporting events held at MBS allow the integrated resort to be viewed from a different perspective. We are not only a venue that caters to traditional conferences, tradeshows and business meetings – our facilities and accompanying attractions provide a natural platform for large-scale sporting events that demand space, flexibility and expertise,” said Lee.

He added that large-scale sporting events at MBS also contributed significantly towards guestroom occupation.

“The boxers participating in the Dragon Fire Championship Boxing Event were from around the region, with two boxers in particular – Chris John (Indonesia) and Lorenzo Villanueva (Philippines) – having notably large fan bases in their own respective countries. As a result, the fights saw many regional fans flying in…to support their boxing heroes.”

FOLLOWING a 100 per cent acquisition by Westminster in March this year (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 9, 2012), Travelex Hong Kong will be rebranded as TLX Travel from June 1.

TLX Travel, which has retained its existing headcount and experienced travel managers, will seek to grow more corporate travel business out of the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment.

Eliza Ma, who helms TLX Travel as CEO, said: “We are currently bidding for government tenders, such as those issued by the Education Department and the Airport Authority. Incentives or seminars from pharmaceutical and computer industries will also be targeted.”

Ma added that Westminster’s “strong IT system” would enable TLX Travel to provide speedy responses to requests for proposals.

To build the new brand further, TLX Travel has joined Uniglobe Travel, a global network of agencies that specialise in providing travel services to SMEs.

“This (the alliance with Uniglobe Travel) benefits our operations, as we (can provide) global support for our clients. Our next step is to roll out a new website and embrace the online business platform. We may also consider offering 24-hour client support in the future,” said Ma.

THE ASIA Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC), which succesfully debuted in Kuala Lumpur in April, has accepted Thailand’s invitation to take the event to Pattaya in 2013.

Ng Eu Shen, general manager of Liberty Golf Services and co-organiser of AGTC, told TTGmice e-Weekly that the Thai tourism authority had approached the UK-based International Association of Golf Tour Operators – owners of AGTC – after “observing the effectiveness of the convention”.

The inaugural AGTC was attended by 138 buyers from 100 golf tour operators in 38 countries, and business meetings were conducted between the buyers and 243 suppliers from 16 countries. Most of the suppliers were from Asia, with some coming from as far away as Fiji and Mauritius.

Buyers were also taken on familiarisation trips to popular Malaysian destinations including Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Malacca and Sabah.

Ng said: “Hosting the AGTC (in Malaysia) helped to raise the country’s profile for golf tourism, which is not so well known yet.”

The organisers aim to surpass 2012’s attendance figures during next year’s AGTC, which is scheduled to run from April 29 to May 2.

The convention will be held on an annual basis and rotated around Asia.

Article by N Nithiyananthan.

SINGAPORE-based AoniaMICE, the specialised business events division of Aonia, has won management contracts for specific events hosted by Symantec and McDonald’s Singapore.

AoniaMICE will manage Symantec’s Partners’ Technical Bootcamp 2012 in Indonesia and a key product in Singapore – both will take place this month, as well as the restaurant chain’s annual staff rewards event in August.

THE KOREA Tourism Organisation KTO has zoomed in on Indonesia in its efforts to grow international MICE arrivals.

According to KTO Jakarta office deputy director Hwang Kun Hyok, Indonesian MICE arrivals into South Korea have been growing.

The destination welcomed 120,000 Indonesian visitors in 2011, 30 per cent of which are MICE travellers. A target of 150,000 Indonesian visitors has been set for 2012.

Hwang said: “(Indonesia) is one of the major target markets for us. We (organised road shows) in Jakarta and Medan last March, and next year we will head to Surabaya.”

To further establish its presence in Indonesia, KTO has stepped in as the country partner for the Indonesia MICE & Corporate Travel Mart (IMCTM), which will conclude on May 18.

Hwang said KTO’s participation in IMCTM had yielded an event win – a 60-pax Sequislife incentive trip this year.

“South Korea has a lot to offer MICE groups, and we are positioning South Korea as a destination for (delegates to) recharge and revitalise (their) energy,” he said.

To emphasise the positioning, KTO has introduced Energy Korea itineraries which are built around Gi (universal energy), Heung (happiness) and Jeong (bond, love, care).

INDONESIAN national bank BNI is aiming for growth in corporate card clients and travel and entertainment (T&E) transactions through the Indonesia MICE & Corporate Travel Mart, which is organised in partnership with RajaMICE.

BNI Card Business Division general manager, Dodit Probojakti, said: “This is a golden opportunity (for us) to expand our corporate client base. Currently, we have more than 300 corporate clients from over 10 industries. The total T&E spend by this segment is 30 billion rupiah (US$3.3 million) per month and we expect to increase that amount by at least 15 per cent.”

Dodit said that airfares was one of the drivers of corporate spend.

“Customers will (charge airfares to their) credit cards in order to earn points and gain mileage. So, we have come up with corporate cards for airlines, as well as a 16-digit virtual travelling card with Garuda Citilink, Batavia Air and Sriwijaya Air,” he said.

According to Dodit, BNI is presently in talks with Garuda Indonesia to develop a co-branded credit card.

TAIWAN and Hawaii have been selected as host destinations for Amway China’s Leadership Seminars in 2013, and up to 17,000 top achievers are expected to head to Taiwan, the larger of the two events.

Michelle Ko, corporate and MICE manager of East Shanghai International Travel Service, which handles all travel procurement for Amway China’s incentive movements, said the two destinations were chosen for their ability to host group sizes of such scale, appeal and “freshness”.

She explained that both events were rewards for top achievers, although the smaller event – the one in Hawaii – was reserved for the highest echelon of incentive winners, who would also be guaranteed a slot in Taiwan.

Ko was speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly on the sidelines of the China Night gala dinner, a highlight of Amway China’s incentive programme to Laguna Phuket in April and May. The company flew more than 15,000 top achievers into the Thai leisure destination in daily batches over a one-month period, housing them in various hotels and resorts within the complex.

Ko said: “Amway China’s incentive programmes have been growing since they started six years ago. There were 7,000 participants at first, and this year there are 15,000.

“As China (its economy and its people’s purchasing power) is still so strong, we anticipate a bigger crowd next year despite higher sales targets being set.”

The mega incentive has effectively raised the Thai leisure island’s profile among Chinese travel companies and travellers.

Aaishah Bohari, director of sales & marketing, Angsana Laguna Phuket, said the resort was expecting a surge in Chinese guests during the upcoming Chinese New Year season.

“Because of the Amway China incentive, we have been getting a lot of calls from Chinese travel agencies that do not usually work with us. Many of these agencies have locked in room allotments for the festive season next year,” she said.

Ko added: “Amway China’s incentive in Phuket has been widely reported by Chinese media, and many Chinese companies are following the developments closely.”

“(These) companies want to see how well Phuket copes with such a huge event, to (help them) decide if they (should) bring their own events here in the future.”

ADVENTURE programme specialist, Quest, is seeing a resurgence of corporate teambuilding bookings in recent months, with May said to be the busiest month in the company’s history.
Alun Gathergood, regional manager of Quest, which operates adventure-based teambuilding programmes for corporate and schools since 1995, told TTGmice e-Weekly: “The corporate market had gone through some quiet time, but things are getting really busy now. We are getting three groups this week, one of them being Sony India.
“We’ve smashed all budgets with May’s business alone.”

He added that group sizes were also getting bigger, and a 400-pax group was due to arrive next month. The average group size for corporate teambuilding was five to 200 pax.

Business is largely driven by international companies with offices in Asia, although C-level personnel from the US and Europe will be among the participants.

China and India were also churning out increasing demand for corporate teambuilding programmes, said Gathergood, adding that Quest was asked to conduct a programme in Rajasthan, India.

“We have, in fact, done programmes in Hong Kong and Macau,” he said.

Quest will begin operations in Vietnam’s Laguna Lang Co integrated resort next month, following the launch of Quest Bintan this January.

THE CAMSUR Watersports Complex (CWC) in the southern Luzon region of the Philippines is looking to extend its positioning as a top sports tourism destination into the MICE sphere by offering its facilities for corporate rental.

The complex, which is managed by the local government, offers three halls of varying sizes that total more than 10,000m2.

Camarines Sur provincial governor Luis Villafuerte Jr said facilities at CWC were capable of supporting MICE activities and special events such as weddings.

Corporate groups that take their events to CWC can also engage participants in watersports such as wakeboarding, wakeskating and waterskiing.

CWC is also supported by 500 guestrooms, which Villafuerte acknowledged were more suited for “young adventure types”. However, he believes that CWC can offer corporates a fun approach to business events.

He is currently considering an offer by a five-star hotel brand to build convention facilties on site.

THE THAILAND Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has taken its 100 A-Head programme to India, as part of its efforts to attract more Indian visitors to trade exhibitions held in the kingdom.
The programme, which targets event promoters, MICE tour operators, DMCs, trade associations, chambers of commerce and trade publications, will see TCEB dishing out US$100 per pax to groups with at least 15 participants who stay a minimum of three days/two nights in Thailand.

According to a TCEB publication, the 100 A-Head programme had helped India’s Doon Valley n Travel to bring a group of 70 poultry trade members to Victam 2012 in Bangkok this February. Jatinder Dhamija, operations head of the travel firm said: “The programme helped promoters like me to double the participants’ joy. They get to gain new knowledge at the exhibition and enjoy the benefits as well.”

Further efforts to court more trade show attendees from India will come in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that TCEB is likely to sign with India’s Ministry of Tourism in 2013.

Supawan Teerarat, TCEB director of exhibition, said the agreement would be in line with the bureau’s “strategic approach under the ASEAN MICE Collaboration, which is aimed at promoting the MICE tourism industry in the ASEAN region”.

Supawan said: “The Indian MICE segment is an essential market for Thailand. In 2011, India ranked second in terms of overseas visitors for trade shows in Thailand, and in 2012, we are projecting a 10 per cent increase in the number of MICE travellers from India.”

“We are looking forward to partner with the travel trade in India to enhance our overall efforts for promoting Thailand as a MICE destination.”