Why the world is choosing Busan for its MICE events

October 25, 2022

BTO 1_640 — Busan's continuous hosting of fruitful events serves as a constant reminder to the world of its capability as a MICE city

Busan’s continuous hosting of fruitful events serves as a constant reminder to the world of its capability as a MICE city (Photo: Busan Tourism Organization)

Brought to you by Busan Tourism Organization

Second-largest city in South Korea, Busan, is a global MICE city whose reputation as an ideal venue option is growing from strength to strength.

In the first half of this year alone, the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) held over 100 more events than it did all of 2021.

MICE experts highlight the geographical advantages of Busan and its world-class MICE infrastructure as some of the city’s strengths as a top business events destination.

Busan's MICE appeal

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Ideal city to host international events
Busan’s coastal environment won it acclaim as South Korea’s only bleisure (combination of both business and leisure) city.

One of Busan’s most compelling draws is the myriad of seaside activities business travellers can engage in.

The coastal pursuits are clustered in “Haevenue”, an area in the Haeundae district in Busan that is at the centre of the city’s MICE infrastructure, including BEXCO and Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center (BPEX), as well as a host of accommodation choices and tourist attractions.

Due to its close proximity to the Gimhae International Airport, Busan also doubles up as a transportation hub.

Business success for events
So far in the second half of 2022, BEXCO has hosted a diverse range of successful international conferences, such as the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) World Congress.

Delegates of events held at BEXCO can enjoy tasty culinary fare and exciting sightseeing opportunities while in town.

One of the world’s 10 busiest ports, the city’s continuous hosting of fruitful events serves as a constant reminder to the world of its capability as a MICE city – one that should not be overlooked when selecting a host city for any upcoming business event.

Sea sports and nautical leisure activities
The beautiful beaches of Busan allow for all kinds of seaside leisure activities throughout the year.

Paddle-boarding is popular, and board rentals are readily available at both Gwangalli Beach and Dadaepo Beach.

The best time to go paddle-boarding is in the late afternoon, when the adventurous will be rewarded with stunning sunsets over the water.

Event organisers in Busan do their best to ensure delegates have the time of their lives, and strive to provide a range of tourism products for them to create unforgettable memories.

More events in the pipeline
In May 2022, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) board of directors selected Busan as the venue for the 2025 WADA World Conference, in a vote of confidence for the city.

The board conducted an initial three-day inspection of Busan in September. The four-day 2025 WADA World Conference is scheduled to commence on October 10, 2025.

Busan is honoured to be hosting the first-ever WADA World Conference to be held in South Korea and sees the event as an opportunity to demonstrate its MICE appeal globally.

While the coastal city’s world-class MICE infrastructure makes it the ideal host city for international events, Busan is not resting on its laurels and is constantly seeking to improve and make every event held on its coastline better than the last.

Interested in organising your next business event in Busan?

For more details on why Busan is the Best Bleisure City, visit here.

Find out more about the MICE support available here.

MyCEB to groom local signature events

By Rachel AJ Lee

October 24, 2022

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DAY3_p1_Noor_Ahmad_Hamid_640 — Noor: a new initiative on Malaysia’s part

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is partnering with homegrown PEOs and PCOs to grow their events in a bid to accelerate the recovery of the business events industry.

MyCEB’s chief operating officer, Noor Ahmad Hamid, explained: “The homegrown events that we invest in today will be the event that will reward (the country) with international delegates in the future. By supporting these events, we will be able to revive the business events economy.”

Noor: a new initiative on Malaysia’s part

While this approach is common in other MICE-focused countries, Noor said this is the first time that Malaysia is grooming local events. MyCEB’s pre-pandemic focus was on attracting international association meetings.

MyCEB is also working to bring more B2B and special exhibitions into Malaysia.

“In the past, we were also not big on exhibitions, and tended to focus more on tradeshows and conferences. We are now in talks with several PEOs around the world, to explore how they can bring an event to Malaysia. We want to help (such events) become a signature that will stay on for five to seven years,” Noor detailed.

When asked how the CVB plans to future-proof Malaysia against potential shocks, he said: “Other than ensuring a certification programme for health and safety is in place for future delegates, we are embarking on capacity building.

“(For example), we need to identify the type of business events that we want for the country, which can benefit the community and not just the industry and suppliers.”

On the sustainability front, MyCEB is working with local agencies appointed by the government, to ensure that the business events industry is aligned with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, organisers must show their sustainability efforts.

“Moving forward, we also need to be more inclusive in the type of conferences we do, such as an autism-related conference. It’s not about the number of delegates, the impact on the economy, but more of how such business events can benefit the community at large,” Noor stated.

Japan encourages corporates to go beyond well-known cities

By S Puvaneswary

October 24, 2022

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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.

Auckland secures 102 MICE events over the past fiscal year

By TTGmice

October 24, 2022

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NZICC-640 — 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.”

Asian corporates are key to sustainable tourism

By Serene Foo

October 24, 2022

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DAY3_p1_Tom_Kershaw_640 — 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.

Maldives’ MICE pitch gains more traction

By S Puvaneswary

October 24, 2022

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Maldives-640 — 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 keen to court Asia-Pacific groups

By Rachel AJ Lee

October 24, 2022

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Malta_Tourism_Authority_Xiaolong_Wu_and_Francesca_Camilleri — 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.

Annette Gregg helms SITE as CEO

By TTGmice

October 24, 2022

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Annette_Gregg_640 — 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 announces three senior recruitments

By TTGmice

October 22, 2022

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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.

Lachlan Hoswell leads Radisson Hotel Group, Australasia

By TTGmice

October 21, 2022

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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.

Why the world is choosing Busan for its MICE events

MyCEB to groom local signature events

Japan encourages corporates to go beyond well-known cities

Auckland secures 102 MICE events over the past fiscal year

Asian corporates are key to sustainable tourism

Maldives’ MICE pitch gains more traction

Malta keen to court Asia-Pacific groups

Annette Gregg helms SITE as CEO

The Anam Group announces three senior recruitments

Lachlan Hoswell leads Radisson Hotel Group, Australasia

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