Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, is part of the Chubu region
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is actively encouraging business events and leisure visitors to go beyond the well-known destinations of Tokyo, Osaka and Hokkaido.
This comes as Japan is attempting to avoid overtourism in popular cities such as Kyoto, where congestion has weakened their appeal, said Tetsuhiro Nakano, JNTO’s senior director, Singapore. And there is no better time to do a reset than post-lockdown, having just recently opened its borders on October 11.
Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, is part of the Chubu region
Nakano pointed out there are other regions such as Sanin, Shikoku, Tohoku and Chubu that would be suitable for both business events and leisure visitors.
This would appeal to the Singapore outbound market, where enthusiasm for Japan runs high, Nakano noted. Moreover, Singapore is currently the biggest business events market from South-east Asia to Japan.
To attract more business events from Singapore, the JTNO Singapore office is planning to hold an online business events seminar in November between meeting planners and buyers from Singapore with Japanese suppliers.
In the same vein, Sapporo Convention Bureau’s director, Marico Ogi, told TTGmice that her short-term plan is to grow the business events market from South-east Asia, as well as from South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
For South-east Asia, the Sapporo Convention Bureau is promoting its capital, Sapporo, as a potential business events destination during the winter and early spring (November to April), which are the city’s off-season periods.
At press time, Ogi shared that there were already several high-end meetings from South-east Asia heading to Hokkaido this year, and she expects incentive trips – which were postponed during Covid-19 – to return next year.
Overall, Japan is targeting 60 million international tourists and 15 trillion yen (US$100 billion) in tourism revenue by 2030.
A rendering of the upcoming New Zealand International Convention Centre
In the 2021/22 financial year, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has won 102 business events, which are expected to inject NZ$75.5 million (US$43.3 million) into the region’s economy in the coming years.
Head of Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB; a specialist unit within Tātaki Auckland Unlimited), Ken Pereira, said in a press release that the wins demonstrate Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s global profile as a business events destination, lauding the work that goes into securing world-class events for the region.
A rendering of the upcoming New Zealand International Convention Centre
“Our team has worked incredibly hard to research new opportunities, bid for international conferences, and secure business events for Auckland.
“In the past financial year, we supported 305 potential opportunities for events to be held here between now and 2028. If successfully brought to Auckland, these events are expected to generate a total economic impact value of just over NZ$140 million and more than 300,000 visitor nights.”
The number of conference visitors would also fill 8,000 of Auckland’s city centre accommodation rooms for 38 days.
On average, an international delegate spends just over NZ$2,000, a domestic delegate a little over NZ$1,000 and a local delegate NZ$600.
“The business events sector is an important stimulus for Auckland’s economy,” Pereira noted. “Delegates need to eat and sleep somewhere, plus they love to explore the region they visit so our hospitality and accommodation sectors and transport, retail and tourism operators are all benefiting.”
In the past year, ACB recorded a total of 1,794 referrals to Auckland industry partners, up 18 per cent from the previous year.
“Auckland’s appeal for event organisers relies not only on its events infrastructure, but its manaakitanga (our unique welcome for visitors) and the range of attractions and activities it has to offer.
“Beyond the economic benefits for the region, these events also provide valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing, research collaboration, networking and investment discussions which deliver a positive long-term impact for Auckland and New Zealand,” Pereira said.
Major wins in the last year for Auckland include the Federation of Asia Oceania Pest Management Associations Pest Summit Conference, which will bring approximately 2,500 delegates to the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in 2026.
Other upcoming events include a 2022 Conference on Robot Learning, and in 2024, the Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Conference, and 8th International Teaching Games for Understanding Conference.
Pereira added: “With the NZICC coming online, a newly refurbished Aotea Centre and the Viaduct Events Centre available from 2023, the future is exciting for Auckland conferences and events.”
Kershaw: the collective power of Asia’s enormous corporate community can help travel and tourism be conducted more sustainably
Corporate travel managers in Asia can move the needle faster towards sustainable tourism goals – only if they opt for eco-friendly itineraries, opined Tom Kershaw, chief product & technology officer at Travelport.
Explaining his belief, Kershaw said travel makes up eight per cent of global emissions, while 80 per cent of travel emissions are attributed to air travel. Due to the vastness and geographical diversity of Asia, air travel is usually the most viable option for residents to traverse the region.
Kershaw: the collective power of Asia’s enormous corporate community can help travel and tourism be conducted more sustainably
“Ultimately, the impact that Asia is going to have (on sustainable achievements) is going to be more important than the rest of the world combined because of the practicality of air travel in this region,” he told TTGmice.
Kershaw, who led a session at ITB Asia 2022 on how travel technology can contribute to a smarter and greener global tourism industry, also noted that Asia is home to conglomerates and large firms with global footprints. These companies have to be mindful of their global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings, or risk not being allowed to sell their products to US and Europe due to poor ESG scores.
Apart from meeting corporate commitments and obligations to the environment, Kershaw believes that companies can reap economies of scale while cutting their carbon footprint.
To help travel managers make greener travel procurement decisions, search functions can be improved to prioritise sustainable options, he suggested.
Another way is to incentivise business travellers to go green, by providing them with proper documentation of their responsible travel outcomes which they can then use to report to their management and obtain tax credits where possible.
Kershaw opined that the environmental awareness of travel in Asia and the US is currently lower than in Europe.
There is also a lack of standardised measurement of sustainable options, which can lead to confusion and frustration.
Meetings amid sun, sand and sea a reality in the Maldives, says its NTO
The Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC)’s move to change the common perception of the destination as one that is solely for honeymoons and luxury escapes is paying off.
Since its launch in October 2021, Maldives’ Redefining MICE Global campaign has been well received by meeting planners and delegates alike, shared MMPRC’s CEO and managing director, Thoyyib Mohamed, who added that “tons of media coverage and publicity” are in the bag.
Meetings amid sun, sand and sea a reality in the Maldives, says its NTO
The campaign aims to position the Maldives as a unique destination for business gatherings. Instead of focusing on event venues – something that other destinations tend to do, Thoyyib and his team are promoting natural beauty and activities, such as snorkelling with manta rays and swimming with whale sharks. The intention is to redefine the business environment and demonstrate that the Maldives has exciting venues for different types of events.
Thoyyib said: “Imagine scenic views, cocktails on the beach, and an array of stimulating experiences at luxury properties. Imagine having a teambuilding activity on a private beach or business negotiations on a liveaboard in the middle of the ocean (surrounded by) the open sky and sounds of lapping waves.”
The campaign also encourages business travellers to extend their stay in the Maldives by merging business with leisure, and shows how they can curate their own holiday experience.
Redefining MICE Global will be an ongoing project spilling into 2023, said Thoyyib.
It will join other campaigns that seek to strengthen the destination’s tourism performance. The other critical goals are to increase arrival figures for the dive tourism segment, and to encourage visitors to take part in sustainable tourism practices.
Malta Tourism Authority's Xiaolong Wu and Francesca Camilleri promoting the destination
Malta, an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast, is positioning itself as a fresh incentive destination, as well as a dual-city proposition with major European cities, for potential Asia-Pacific groups.
In an interview with TTGmice, Francesca Camilleri, executive, Conventions Malta, Malta Tourism Authority said the region was an “unexplored market” for the bureau.
Malta Tourism Authority’s Xiaolong Wu and Francesca Camilleri promoting the destination at ITB Asia
She believes that a teambuilding or incentive trip to Malta could be designed as an extension of a conference in Paris or Amsterdam.
“It’s easier to convert these sort of trips, as opposed to asking Asia-Pacific conference groups to hold events in Malta,” Camilleri said.
Malta Tourism Authority had earlier engaged with regional planners at ITB Asia in 2019.
When asked if any regional groups have materialised since, Camilleri said: “There was one confirmed group from Indonesia that was supposed to come to Malta in 2020, but the pandemic happened. (This time at ITB Asia 2022), we met the organiser again, and she is interested to hold an event in Malta for 2023! This is very encouraging.”
Camilleri hopes to welcome corporate groups from Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia in the near future, with 20 to 35 people in attendance.
She suggested that incentive groups visit Malta’s archaeological sites, temples and UNESCO-listed capital city Valletta, as well as indulge in water-based activities such as diving.
“English is one of our main languages, Malta uses euro, and it is part of the Schengen Area. We are a safe location for incentive groups,” Camilleri stressed.
Malta is home to five convention centres. The largest venue, the Mediterranean Conference Centre, previously hosted the Samsung Forum 2020 which had 3,000 delegates from all around the globe.
From international hotel chains to boutique properties, the islands offer over 11,700 rooms, ensuring that groups will have no trouble finding accommodation.
“Museums and spaces like the Upper Barrakka Gardens and even a town square can be closed off for corporate events. We are extremely flexible in allowing private events to take place all across the city,” she added.
Although Malta stands as an enticing destination, Camilleri acknowledged that the road ahead would be challenging, for corporates would need sizeable budgets to travel to Malta due to the lack of direct flights from Asia-Pacific.
Gregg: PHOTO CAPTION:
Several new initiatives were introduced, and industry connections that will benefit SITE members were spotlighted
The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) has appointed Annette Gregg, as its new CEO, serving both SITE and SITE Foundation.
She takes over from interim executive director Rebecca Wright.
Gregg joins SITE following her role as chief revenue officer with Meeting Professionals International and a career-long legacy in the business events industry working across the whole business events spectrum, from corporate end users to destination marketing organisations.
The Anam Group has appointed Laurent Myter as group general manager to lead and oversee the company’s growing number of properties.
From left: Laurent Myter, Martin Koerner and Ye Chang Sheng
Myter has almost three decades’ experience managing luxury hotels and resorts, and joins the group after working at YTL Hotels for 26 years. He has also been an executive director and the president of Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s International Advisory Board of Hoteliers for three years and two years respectively.
Martin Koerner is the group commercial director and returns to the Anam Group after previously working for about four years as the group’s director of sales, marketing and distribution.
Ye Chang Sheng has been promoted to resort manager of the group’s second property, Anam Mui Ne after having worked for the group’s first resort Anam Cam Ranh since its 2017 debut.
Radisson Hotel Group has appointed Lachlan Hoswell as managing director, Australasia.
With over 20 years of hospitality experience, Hoswell will be supporting his team and driving the growth of the group’s portfolio across major towns, cities and upcoming destinations across Australia and New Zealand. He will also lead operations and be responsible for all strategic initiatives in the region, working closely with key business partners to strengthen Radisson Hotel Group’s branding in-market.
Prior to joining the group, Hoswell held the position of company director, general counsel and commercial officer of Minor Hotels Australia and New Zealand.
Monaco’s main markets may currently be North America and Europe due to the proximity, but that does not stop the principality in looking towards Asia Pacific with keen interest and concrete plans to further develop the inbound business events sector.
Christine Barrabino, head of Monaco Convention Bureau, told TTGmice: “The Asia-Pacific region is an important market for Monaco, particularly for incentives. Main sectors that contribute to incentives programmes from the region are automotive, insurance, banking, electronics, and MLM companies.
The Grimaldi Forum Monaco is the largest convention centre in the French Riviera
“Many countries in South-east Asia are represented, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Thanks to our representative based in Singapore, we have been increasing our market share in these markets, and look forward to more business events to come. We also hope that China will follow soon.”
To this tune, the Monaco Convention Bureau launched a campaign called ReEvent in 2021, which revolves around six themes – safety, medical, green and sustainability, mobility and connectivity, value, and service. The campaign is a rallying cry and invitation to industry professionals to organise events again in Monaco.
Benoit Badufle, the Singapore-based regional director of the promotion bureau of the Principality of Monaco, told TTGmice: “We are preparing for a very ambitious multi-market fam trip for the MICE segment for end 2022, in partnership with an airline and a major tour operator active in the region.
“We have also started to reconnect in-person with key travel partners in the Asia-Pacific region, and will participate in several major tradeshows such as ILTM Asia, ITB Asia, and IT&CM Asia.”
A red-carpet event organised by Monaco Mediax Events at the Grimaldi Forum
Aside from the software, Monaco’s events hardware is also being expanded.
For example, a new 60,000m2 district was carved out in between the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo and Place du Casino. Named One Monte-Carlo, a reference to its prime address, it includes a new 1,445m2 conference centre. The largest space is the 301m2 plenary room – an identical reproduction of the legendary Salle des Arts in the former Palais des Beaux-Arts – which can host up to 300 people. There is also a 154m2 amphitheatre with 80 seats.
This new conference centre doubles the space dedicated to business tourism around the Casino square, previously made up of Hotel de Paris, Monte-Carlo and Hotel Hermitage.
These recent additions build onto Monaco’s existing range of extensive meeting facilities comprising hotels like the Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel, Fairmont Monte-Carlo, Novotel Monte-Carlo, as well as unique venues like the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.
Meanwhile, the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco’s flagship convention and cultural centre, is currently undergoing an expansion from 35,000m2 to 41,000m2.
Communications director of the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, Dany Rubrecht, posits that with this expansion, the venue will be “more attractive than ever” as it can host “larger events”, helping to build on Monaco’s appeal.
The new spaces include the 1,031m2 Galerie Diaghilev that can accommodate around 40 exhibition stands; the Carré and Salles du Patio which can be divided into eight meeting rooms; and the 3,980m2 Hall Pinède that can hold 1,650 pax for a sit-down dinner.
In order to take advantage Monaco’s 300 days of sunshine per year, 2,000m2 of outdoor spaces will also be created. These include the 100m2 Indigo terrace; the 585m2 Ravel terrace with a view of the open sea; and the 610m2 Parvis Émeraude, where the extension’s independent entrance will be located.
This massive undertaking sits within Mareterra, Monaco’s newest district currently under construction.
The six-hectare eco-district will offer housing, facilities, an entertainment harbour with pedestrian quays, a park, and a shaded coastal promenade. The eco-district will be powered by 1,500 solar modules that were installed on the Grimaldi Forum’s roof in 2019.
And though other international tradeshows and exhibitions have picked up, Rubrecht said: “We are fully open to Asian markets, but we don’t have recurring clients from this region yet. We once worked with a major IT company from South Korea, and hope to work with them again in the near future.”
Pierre Oudine of Raising Stones Monaco, has set his sights on the Asian market, stating that it has “great potential”.
Oudine elaborated: “Asia remains a focal point. We have just rehired some new collaborators, and we are investing again. In terms of development, Asia will once again become a priority next year.
But first, Oudine shared that DMCs like themselves have to “ride on the current wave of American, French, English and German markets” to rebuild their cash flow. The supply chain also has to be rebuilt, for “many operators have disappeared”.
Overall, Monaco’s image has not been dampened by the pandemic, as the destination handled the Covid situation well and only experienced one lockdown from March to July 2020.
For 2022, Rubrecht said that the year “got off to a good start”, as Grimaldi’s calendar is filled with more than 50 business events that will take place by end-2022.
“Monaco remains a unique destination for MICE. Our know-how, balanced with Monaco’s assets, gives us a real advantage,” opined Rubrecht.
An amber code is given to an inbound visitor from overseas; Hong Kong pictured
The first Policy Address by Hong Kong chief executive John Lee today underlines the government’s commitment to tourism and business events development, with fresh funding and improved hardware to come.
HK$600 million (US$76.4 million) will be set aside for the three-year Cultural and Heritage Sites Local Tour Incentive Scheme, which encourages Hong Kong’s tourism industry players to develop suitable products.
Hong Kong’s tourism and business events industries will get financial and development support
In addition, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will launch a new round of Spend-to-Redeem Local Tours and Staycation Delights, with increased quotas to enhance domestic consumption.
Building towards a stronger tourism future, a newly-appointed secretary for culture, sports and tourism will chair the Culture Commission, which comprises industry leaders tasked to map out the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development. This document will include plans to increase the number of museums in Hong Kong to 19 and the number of seats at performance venues by about 50 per cent.
One of the first fulfillments is the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, which will proceed in phases starting next year.
Further infrastructure investments will materialise in 2024 with the completion of the Three Runway System, which will strengthen Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub and enhance connectivity between Hong Kong International Airport and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities. The SkyPier Terminal, part of the system, will be commissioned next year to provide direct transfer facilities for passengers from the GBA and streamline immigration formalities.
On the business events front, the existing Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme will be extended to June 30, 2023 to enable more SMEs to secure overseas events, while a new HK$1.4 billion scheme will be launched thereafter to subsidise more than 200 exhibitions planned for Hong Kong over three years.
To support Hong Kong’s ambition for more large-scale international conventions and exhibitions, the AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2 project will proceed to result in the creation of Hong Kong’s largest indoor multipurpose performance arena with over 20,000 seats. At the same time, the Wan Chai North redevelopment project near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will substantially increase large-scale spaces for such trade gatherings.
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
The five-star property excels in backing its expansive facilities with seamless service and personalised attention, setting the benchmark for luxury in Bangkok.
Prior to joining the group, Hoswell held the position of company director, general counsel and commercial officer of Minor Hotels Australia and New Zealand.
