The city of Busan has geared itself up, and is ready to welcome corporate events back
Busan, a large port city in South Korea, has adopted the tagline “Busan MICE Must Go On”, and is keen to let the world that it is ready to host both domestic and international business events as software and hardware upgrades are nearing completion.
The Haeundae Centum area (Centum City-Bexco-Nurimaru APEC House-Haeundae Beach), which was designated an international conference complex by the city government, will soon be completed. This comprises the Convention Ten Minute Zone, where in a 10-minute-radius, delegates will be able to easily access a convention centre, banquet hall, accommodation, shopping, and tourist attractions.
The city of Busan has geared itself up, and is ready to welcome corporate events back
The Busan Tourism Organization (BTO), initially had a support fund that went towards hosting international conferences, but this has since been expanded to include virtual and hybrid meetings. For instance, for events where 10 per cent of the participants attend in-person, the event will still obtain 100 per cent support.
In addition, BTO is also offering to cover costs for hybrid events to help reduce the burden on event organisers. This support covers various conference technology such as video conferencing platforms, participation registration platforms, conference equipment, and event management software. For offline events, BTO will provide support via venue rental and consumable expenses (facial mask, hand sanitiser, and thermal imaging camera, etc.) to ensure the business event runs smoothly and safely.
The Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) has also beefed up its portfolio, and now boasts 10 video conference rooms, rooms for studio-type shoots, a video conference transmission system, as well as digital marketing support. There is also a MICE Information Center in BEXCO’s Auditorium, which provides foreign delegates with necessary information.
Past large-scale international conferences Busan has hosted include the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit and World Diabetes Federation General Assembly. Through these efforts, Busan was ranked 13th in the world and fifth in Asia in the International Conference MICE Host City announced by the Union of International Associations in 2020.
The city of Busan has also been selected as an International Tourism City by the Korean government, where the project aims to attract foreign tourists to local areas; and foster and support a tourism base city beyond the domestic market.
CTMs need to keep an eye on with rising tensions and geopolitics.
Senior executives of ZeroRisk International have flagged “a different risk profile for corporate travel” in duty of care as global trips start to resume with more borders opening.
According to the high-risk consultancy company, the biggest concerns about corporate travel are still about being quarantined, being infected with Covid-19, borders closing, poor medical infrastructure at destinations and insufficient emergency response to help during a medical or security emergency.
Corporate travel managers need to keep an eye on rising tensions and geopolitics, and travel insurance policies
However, it is not just about the risk facing travellers today, Jamie Ross, chief of staff, pointed out, adding that corporates should have a roadmap for the next five to 10 to 15 years written by a competent safety and security professional.
Citing Hong Kong’s new security law and travel there and to China, Ross said companies need to be aware of access and barriers to operating in those jurisdictions or for employees to travel to those locations.
“Do not travel with anything incriminating on devices,” he said.
Additionally, it would be foolish to run anti-regime social media comments, he stressed during last week’s ITB Asia on The Resumption of Global Travel: Duty of Care.
Other considerations, such as “valid and relevant travel security policies”, and “full health screening and innoculation”, must be “constantly reviewed by a security and health adviser”, Ross advised.
Extra steps include downloading security apps that track travellers every 10 minutes and every three metres to guide them to an assembly point or point of safety as in the case of recent evacuation in the conflict in Afghanistan, he shared.
As for insurance, CEO Tony Loughran noted that those insured should not be caught out with family members not included, or if the terms and conditions were not updated.
He advised reviewing and conducting an insurance test, making sure that it is watertight and ensuring additional coverage for coup d’états, tsunamis, volcano eruptions, etc.
Last but not least, corporates must consider having “extra good flight service” for emergency flights where 24/7 access is embedded in the insurance policy.
Wellington wants to remain competitive in this business events market and Tākina provides a venue to allow that
Wellington has partnered with Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum of New Zealand, to be the operator for Tākina, the city’s convention centre opening in mid-2023.
Since opening in 1998, Te Papa has been a leading conference and events venue in New Zealand’s capital city hosting more than 900 events per year. By bringing Te Papa’s exhibitions and events experience to Tākina and working together with the Council and WellingtonNZ, it will support the promotion of the capital as a vibrant destination for hosting local and international events.
Wellington wants to remain competitive in this business events market and Tākina provides a venue to allow that
Under a new business unit, Tākina Events, Te Papa will market and operate its existing facilities and Tākina to attract and deliver a wider range of conferences, exhibitions and events. This will provide multiple benefits to clients, which includes the ability to access and book the spaces and services of two of Wellington’s conference venues together.
Tākina boasts 18,000m2 of flexible, multi-purpose conference and exhibition space, spread across three floors, is across the road from Te Papa and is within walking distance to other venues around the city.
Seoul Book Bogo is one of the latest to join the Unique Venues list
The Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) has upped its list of Unique Venues from 53 to 71, citing the increase in small- and medium-sized business events a key factor.
Some of the new Unique Venues include Seoul Book Bogo, a public secondhand bookstore repurposed from a large, deserted warehouse. It was built as a publicity and purchasing platform for small second-hand bookstores, as well as a place to bring independent publications and donated books to readers. The academy space of the Seoul Book Bogo has a stage and audience seats, making it a potential venue for seminars and talks.
Seoul Book Bogo is one of the latest to join the Unique Venues list
Next, Rakkojae is a hotel that retains the traditional elements of a hanok (Korean house). In the basement of the Rakkojae Culture Lounge, lies a modern hall that can be used as a dining area. Elsewhere, Jeongdong 1928 Art Center has been repurposed from a 90-year-old Salvation Army Central Hall into a multipurpose complex that can now house various events such as performances, exhibitions, and lectures.
The additional list is as follows:
In addition to convention centers and hotels, Unique Venues include places where event organisers and participants can meet and network while experiencing the scenery, culture, history, and daily lives of Seoulites.
For a place to be selected as a Unique Venue, STO indicates that it has to be capable of serving food and signifying styles, stories, or sustainability unique to the city of Seoul. It should also be linked to major hotels, convention facilities, and tourist destinations in the city.
Hosting the World Congress of Neurology in Korea will contribute greatly to the recovery of not only the domestic MICE industry but also tourism and related businesses
South Korea has won the bid to host the biennial 27th World Congress of Neurology, slated to be held from October 12-16, 2025, at Coex Convention Center in Seoul.
Held by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), the World Congress of Neurology is a representative conference in the field of neuroscience gathering experts in the field from 120 countries around the world. More than 6,000 delegates are expected to attend.
Hosting the event will help speed up the recovery of South Korea’s domestic MICE industry
For this year’s bidding process, representatives from each member country of WFN voted among bidding countries, which included Australia (Brisbane), China (Beijing), and Turkey (Istanbul).
The success of this bid comes as a result of the preparation of the Korean Neurological Association with active support from The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).
In preparation for the bid, KTO appointed Jeon Beom-seok, professor of neurology at Seoul National University College of Medicine as a ‘Korea MICE Ambassador’.
KTO also provided support for promotion activities, including the production of a new video and online promotional materials.
Moon Sang-ho, director of MICE marketing team at Korea MICE Bureau said: “Hosting the World Congress of Neurology in Korea will contribute greatly to the recovery of not only the domestic MICE industry but also tourism and related businesses. We plan to invite more international conferences to Korea in the future through close cooperation with related organisations.”
The city of Wellington in New Zealand has won the hosting rights to the 22nd International Sedimentological Congress (ISC) in 2026.
The ISC is one of the largest international conferences dedicated to the study of sedimentary rocks and the processes by which they are formed. The ISC is rarely held in the Southern Hemisphere but in 2026 it will be hosted by Geoscience Society of New Zealand’s Sedimentology Special Interest Group.
Wellington will be hosting the ISC in a few years’ time
The congress is expected to attract up to 1,000 participants to Tākina, Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre and deliver an estimated NZ$3.4 million (US$2.4 million) to the economy.
The theme for the congress will be ‘Sedimentation on active plate margins through time and space’, and will include field trips across the country covering as broad a range of sedimentary systems in Zealandia as possible. Topics relating to Māori and Pacifica views of the sedimentary process will also be included.
The conference win is testament to both New Zealand’s strengths in earth science and its ability to provide fascinating first-hand experiences in the field, lead organiser and senior geologist at GNS Science, Mark Lawrence, said.
“Geologically New Zealand is very interesting. It has a whole range of geological attributes concentrated in a relatively small geographic area. Then you have the impact of tectonics, and climate change. It’s essentially a neat, small-scale laboratory,” he added.
Lawrence pointed out the congress is an excellent opportunity to engage the next generation of sedimentologists, who will be able to attend with fewer costs since the event is close to home.
“It will be particularly good for students who may otherwise be unlikely to attend such a prestigious event overseas. For those starting out in the field it’s a great opportunity to make these international contacts.”
Plans are also underway to ensure the conference has wider outreach to New Zealanders, through public lectures or learning experiences for school-age children.
Tourism New Zealand general manager domestic & business events, Bjoern, Spreitzer said: “Conferences like this showcase our expertise to the world and help grow our knowledge at home. They also deliver significant economic gains that benefit the New Zealand economy.”
Located on a stretch of Thailand’s Andaman Coast in the province of Phang Nga, the newly-opened Grand Mercure Khao Lak Bangsak is reminiscent of a traditional Thai riverside village.
The property welcomes travellers ‘working from home’ or by the beach, and is equipped with a business corner offering computers, printing and other business services. Meetings and corporate events can also be catered for at the resort’s 260m2 meeting space, which can accommodate up to 100 guests.
There are 195 guestrooms and suites in total, all of which feature private terraces overlooking the canal which winds through the resort, swimming pool, and gardens.
F&B options include a pool bar, all-day dining restaurant Patio, and Southern Thai restaurant Green Mango on the beachfront. In addition, recreational facilities include two swimming pools, gym, and Pran Spa.
The Standard has appointed Amber Asher as CEO of Standard International, parent company of Standard Hotels, Bunkhouse and Peri Hotels.
Asher succeeds Amar Lalvani who has been promoted to executive chairman, after serving as CEO for the past eight years.
Amber Asher
In her new role, Asher will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business. Her priorities include identifying and cultivating talent, building and mentoring successful teams and innovating in the hospitality sector.
Asher started her work with The Standard approximately 10 years ago as executive vice president and general counsel. In 2013, she led the sale of a majority stake in the brand to Standard International which was formed by Lalvani to make the acquisition and grow The Standard brand.
Following the successful closing of that transaction, she became the executive vice president and general counsel of Standard International and went on to be promoted to president in 2017.
Prior to joining The Standard in 2011, Asher served as the associate general counsel and senior vice president of Morgans Hotel Group where she oversaw all legal matters related to development, operations, intellectual property, employment, food and beverage, and financing.
Sofitel Singapore City Centre has appointed Jacqueline Poey as its new general manager effective since October 1.
In her new role, Poey will continue to develop and strengthen the hotel’s successful positioning in the Singapore luxury hospitality market.
Born and raised in Singapore, Poey brings with her over 30 years of industry experience, where she held senior management positions in international hotel brands and groups.
She was previously director, operations support for Asia Pacific for Fairmont Raffles Hotel International, and most recently, hotel manager for Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford for five years.
Asian corporate travel managers (CTM) are cautiously optimistic about 2022, but reiterate international business trips will continue to be restricted despite higher rates of Covid-19 vaccination and the loosening of lockdown measures in some countries.
At press time, they shared that top reasons for the outlook was based on closed borders, quarantine measures that could require travellers to be away from home for up to a month in some instances, and onerous visa and paperwork requirements.
Business travel is resuming where quarantine-free entry is possible
A matter of demand
While most CTMs said that travel budgets were not being cut, one Singapore-based CTM said his 2022 travel budget was “relatively flat” and noted that compared to the past, “allocation and investment were being directed towards new product launches”.
He said: “There was a lot less travel in 2021 than budgeted, and our approach for 2022 is on the expectation that teams are planning for full activity levels, but factoring in quarterly revisions.”
The best-case scenario, he noted, would be more borders reopening and no quarantine for business travellers as Covid-19 vaccination rates continue to climb.
He continued: “More than half of our employees are willing to travel and insurance policies now includes Covid-19 coverage. But it is ultimately up to the employee to decide if he is willing or not to go on a business trip.
“Yes, people want to shake hands and there is a lot of pent-up (travel) demand for sure. But the new breed of traveller – and there is a larger group of them – will travel only when it is really necessary, are conscious of Covid-19, and will think twice because of a growing awareness about sustainability.”
Still, questions about overseas incentive trips are being asked to motivate sales teams and drive revenue, he said, adding that those who will be generating travel demand are in regional and global roles.
In the case of an IT company based in India, its CTM said there was no fixed budget and expected travel spend to be flat next year.
He explained: “I foresee travellers still hesitating to travel and organisations nervous about sending people out in 2022. So, the biggest challenge will be overcoming these psychological issues.
“Overall trip cost will increase due to border restrictions, quarantine requirements, vaccinations, PCR tests, etc, and this will result in a smaller number of trips based on the same budget.”
Travel outlook is more bleak for a global telecommunications company. Its Hong Kong-based regional travel manager revealed that staff would continue to “be under full travel restrictions” at least until early-2022.
Adriana Nainggolan, Autodesk’s travel programme manager, Asia-Pacific, told TTGmice that it was still a “wait-and-see situation” and international travel had not fully started yet for staff.
Nainggolan continued: “But if someone needs to travel internationally, and generally it is for customer engagement, vice president approval is required. It’s not so much about cost, but the approval to travel as a restriction is still in place.
“Our 2022 travel programme remains the same and still refers to our Covid-19 travel guidelines.”
While one Singapore-based pharmaceutical company has reopened its online booking tool in mid-July, its CTM, who attended a recent virtual buyer forum, told TTGmice that less than half of attendees polled had done likewise.
Domestic travel comes first
Commenting on regions that have resumed corporate travel, Nainggolan pointed out that domestic travel in China and the US had resumed, followed by Australia but this was subjected to regional lockdowns.
Challenges for Nainggolan were still safety and security in conjunction with country restrictions on vaccinations, quarantine resulting in travel bubbles that keep on changing, and how much the TMC would be able to support in these areas.
Expressing some optimism, Benson Tang, executive director, corporate travel, Informa Markets, believed 2022 would be a better year, also referencing his outlook on the resumption of domestic business trips in China, the US and intra-regional Europe.
But compared to pre-Covid, Tang noted travel levels next year would still be significantly lower as most international borders were still closed, that only around 30 per cent of the global population have been vaccinated, and new virus variants such as Delta Plus and Mu had emerged.
For Peter Koh, Asia strategic sourcing manager, travel and professional services, Corning, “predicting when international business travel can resume” has stopped.
Koh noted: “It boils down to when borders reopen, so planning an in-person meeting is difficult. However, we can and should be prepared.”
Koh revealed that his company’s 2019/2020 budget was unused, and half of the unutilised 2021 budget would be carried forward into 2022.
He continued: “With what we are seeing with the more contagious Delta variant and the emergence of new strains, the outlook is not very positive. But we can look forward to the end of 2022 and the industry going back to normal in 2023.”
Optimism on the horizon
Following the bulk of interviews completed in September, several Asian governments made much-welcomed announcements to resume travel for fully vaccinated travellers.
Singapore announced 11 quarantine-free Vaccinated Travel Lanes with various countries, two of which – Brunei and Germany – were in force at press time. The others to come include South Korea, Canada and France.
The Vaccinated Travel Lane with Germany has been well received by city-state-based business travellers, who used German cities as a central meeting point with business partners and colleagues from across Europe and the US, according to FCM’s Vicki Parris, vice president for customer success in Asia.
Malaysia restarted interstate travel on October 11, while Indonesia aims to reopen Bali and the Riau Islands to foreign visitors from select countries in late-October, with on-arrival quarantine shortened from eight to five days.
Thailand is working towards unrestricted entry for air travellers from at least 10 low-risk countries, including Singapore, from November 1. – Additional reporting by Karen Yue
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
There are 195 guestrooms and suites in total, all of which feature private terraces overlooking the canal which winds through the resort, swimming pool, and gardens.
