DEMAND growth for business travel is projected to slow down next year, according to the 2013 Industry Forecast by Advito, BCD Travel’s independent consulting unit.

The study said continued eurozone woes would soften growth rates in other regions, even in historically strong driver markets such as China. Demand, however, will continue to outpace supply, with airlines keeping a particularly tight hold on inventory. As a result, buyers are warned to brace for low- to mid-single digit price hikes in airfares and hotel rates.

Bob Brindley, principal at Advito, said: “With the current macroeconomic situation uncertain and limited capacity going into next year, it’s more important than ever that buyers have a clear understanding of their buying power going into their negotiations, make better use of data analysis in their decision making process, and closely monitor their travel spend.”

He added: “For instance, with airfares projected to increase, buyers should pay close attention to fare restrictions and recommend smarter purchasing behaviour for their travellers. On the hotel side, options include searching for internal savings such as minor downgrades in accommodation standards and expanding the number of properties used in high demand markets to improve the likelihood of booking availability.”

For the first time, the 2013 Industry Forecast also analyses secondary spend categories including dining, mobile roaming and ground transportation. These expenses are estimated to account for 18 per cent of total T&E, and will become a major savings opportunity in 2013 and beyond.

THE OCEANFRONT Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk Hotel in Fukuoka city, Japan is offering a limited edition meeting package for groups with 20 to 50 delegates.

Priced at JPY11,500 (US$147) per person, the Eureka package includes full-day use of a meeting room, lunch at Seala Buffet or take-out Japanese lunch box, two coffee breaks with refreshments, basic audiovisual equipment and stationery, and LCD projector with screen or flipchart.

Meeting delegates will also enjoy access to the hotel’s Iwaburo Stone Bath & Sauna once a day.

The Eureka package is valid from now till December 28. Contact Jeremy Nam, assistant director of sales at jeremy.nam@hilton.com or (81-92) 844-7901.

FOUR Seasons Hotel Singapore is offering complimentary environmentally friendly options for meetings booked by November 30 and held before the year is over.

Priced at S$90 (US$73) per person per day (full-day meeting package) and $75 per person per day (half-day meeting package), the Value Meeting Plus deal offers meeting planners the opportunity to use chinaware and silverware instead of disposable plating and utensils, enjoy a ‘green’ menu with vegetarian options upon request, and donate event decorations and display materials to a local organisation for recycling, among other green efforts.

To qualify for this sustainable meeting experience, a minimum booking of 10 guestrooms is required. Terms apply. Contact Chinen Phillips, director of sales, at chinen.phillips@fourseasons.com or (65) 6831-7007.

DAVID Barrett, former executive manager at Diethelm Events, has joined ONYX Hospitality Group as executive director, events at Amari Watergate Bangkok and Amari Orchid Pattaya.

THE INDIA Expo Centre and Mart (IECM) in Greater Noida, Delhi, India is planning to enter into a joint venture with the private sector to build a 400-key five-star hotel and grow its inventory of exhibition halls by 2015.

IECM is the largest conference and exhibition venue in Delhi, equipped with eight exhibition halls of 4,000m² each and several conference halls and meeting rooms. It has hosted several international events including the recent Conventions India Conclave and IT&CM India in August, and is gearing up for the Asian Development Bank general meeting, which will be attended by 5,000 international delegates, later this year.

The new hotel will augment the room inventory in the Greater Noida region, which is now supported by Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, Radisson Blu Greater Noida Hotel, and several four-star properties. These properties, which sit within a 10- to 30-minute drive from IECM, offer a total of 2,700 rooms.

Chander Mansharamani, vice chairman of the India Convention Promotion Bureau, said: “IECM building a hotel on its premises is great news. This will make the venue more attractive for large MICE events due to increased room capacity (in the vicinity) and new F&B options.”

SINGAPORE S MICE industry is set to receive an unprecedented boost when the Singapore Sports Hub opens its doors in April 2014.

World Sports Group, which is in the midst of developing a compelling line-up of sports events encompassing football, cricket, rugby and athletics, alongside major concerts for the centrepiece 55,000-seater National Stadium, is keen to draw a mix of local and foreign spectators. Some 140 events will be staged at the stadium each year, bringing in a projected two to three million visitors,

“We are designing a diverse calendar, peppered with huge events that will transform tourism as well as the local sporting and entertainment scene in Singapore,” said Adrian Staiti, the senior vice president of corporate partnerships & National Stadium Club.

He added that leisure and MICE spectators were equally important to the success of the entire project.

According to Staiti, the stadium will house two 1,000-pax restaurants, which will also be utilised for MICE events. Other MICE venues within the Sports Hub include the Singapore Multi-Purpose Indoor area, which can be reconfigured to hold up to 3,000 seats, as well as the Sports Information Resource Centre, which is intended for exhibitions.

There has been a flurry of interest in the Sport Hub’s MICE facilities, but Jennifer Kelly, senior marketing director, Singapore Sports Hub said that it was too premature to roll out packages.

She said: “We are in the planning stages right now, and we will be working on some marketing packages in the coming months. At the moment, we will hold preliminary discussions with interested parties and will try to match up their needs with what we know so far about the Sports Hub.”

Global Spectrum Asia, a partnership between Global Spectrum, a facilities management company, and the Asian-based PICO group of companies, has been roped in to manage the MICE and retail facilities at the Sports Hub.

ORIENT-Express’ new river cruiser, Orcaella, will begin sailing along Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River in July 2013, adding to the selection of luxury MICE experiences in a country that is fast opening up.

Currently under construction in Yangon, the four-deck, 50-guest boat is christened after the dolphins inhabiting the Irrawaddy River. Sailing between Yangon and Bhamo, the boat will operate from January to April and July to December.

According to Eddie Teh, Orient-Express’ newly appointed general manager of Myanmar cruises, the new boat is suitable for both leisure and MICE travellers with its extensive facilities and intimate experiences.

He said: “The deck is large enough for 70-80 people, with enough space for themed activities and local entertainment on board such as movie nights, traditional dances and musicians. The F&B facilities are large enough to cater to MICE groups, and we are in the process of recruiting a chef to introduce guests to local cuisines particular to each region (the boat) sails through.”

Furthermore, both Orcaella and its sister boat, The Road to Mandalay, can be chartered in tandem to offer a total occupancy of 132 guests, opening up “a lot of flexibility” for bigger groups, Teh added.

Each of Orcaella’s 25 air-conditioned cabins feature floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open up to river-facing balconies. Besides the observation deck, there is an all-day lounge and bar, a swimming pool, a fitness centre, a spa, as well as a resident doctor.

With its shallow one-metre draft, the Orcaella will be able to sail the Chindwin River in western Myanmar to as far north as Homalin near the Indian border, making it the first luxury cruise to access this remote region.

Bookings for the new river cruiser will start in January next year.

THE SINGAPORE Flyer s High Tea flights, which were introduced in May, will undergo some tweaks in the next few months, having proven to be a potential hit for both MICE and leisure visitors.

“Since its launch in May this year, we have welcomed more than 700 (leisure and MICE) guests aboard. This has been particularly encouraging, and we are now in the midst of enhancing the high tea in the sky experience with different menus, a new in-capsule ambience, aesthetic enhancements and more,” said Angela Lam, the director of sales for the Singapore Flyer.

Lam said the changes were spurred by a realisation that customers are constantly looking for new and interesting, everything-under-one-roof meeting venues and experiences. “We want to encourage MICE organisers who hold events at our venues to combine their experience with a High Tea flight in the sky to break the monotony of a traditional tea break session in a conventional room setting,” she said.

The attraction will continue to pitch the High Tea packages to tour operators and DMCs through above-the-line channels.

Currently, organisers who desire a more exclusive networking and meeting session can opt for the High Tea Private Capsule, which can comfortably host up to 16 persons at $888nett (US$722) per capsule.

A MULTIPURPOSE convention centre, two international branded hotels, an entertainment village, theme parks and two designer golf courses will be among the facilities in Johor’s Desaru Coast, an integrated destination slated to open in early 2015.

Developed and owned by Destination Resorts and Hotels, which was formed by the Malaysian government’s investment arm, Khazanah Nasional, Desaru Coast’s MICE centerpiece is the Desaru Convention Centre. It is armed with 1,000m² of exhibition space, a banquet area for up to 1,000 guests, three meeting rooms, VIP lounges and pre-function rooms. Spaces are furnished with premium facilities, enabling it to cater well to corporate functions, meetings, exhibitions and entertainment events.

Lau Yin May, senior vice president, Programme Management & Corporate Communications of Destination Resorts and Hotels, said the Desaru Convention Centre would be open for bookings next year.

ABERCROMBIE & Kent Private Travel India has appointed Naina Malika Williams as general manager, who will be responsible for the company’s sales, marketing and business development in the southern region.

She joins Abercrombie & Kent from American Express where she was responsible for travel agency alliance. She is also armed with more than two decades of experience in the field of travel and tourism with organisations such as FCm Travel Solutions, International Travel House and People’s Travels.