Asia/Singapore Thursday, 7th May 2026
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Pushing all the right buttons

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Event brief
Organiser SingEx Exhibitions and international partner Deutsche Messe decided against replicating the world-renowned Hannover Messe as an Asian edition. Instead, they chose to focus on specific applications and opportunities for Asia-Pacific businesses to start, scale and sustain their industrial transformation journey.

The event covered sectors such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical sciences, chemicals, consumer goods manufacturing, electronics, marine and offshore, oil and gas, and precision engineering.

The aim was to create a strategic platform that could evolve with these industries, shaped by current leaders and experts, yet encouraging newcomers as well. Companies could exchange best practices and forge new partnerships to tap on the region’s growth.

Challenges
Starting a new tradeshow isn’t easy, let alone running it well to satisfy partners, exhibitors and attendees. From stimulating awareness and interest among companies to participate, the organising team then had to market the event, and draw buyers and visitors to the exhibition and simultaneous conference.

“We recognised the strategic importance of the event in spearheading economic progress and also synergies that can be drawn through community collaboration,” said James Boey, executive director, SingEx Exhibitions.

“However, companies would also have to recognise that transforming an organisation requires a mindset shift among leaders and staff alike. It is Workforce 4.0 who are crucial to the success of Industry 4.0.”

Another challenge was to maximise exposure for exhibitors while enabling buyers and visitors to cover the two halls (20,000m2) efficiently. A further consideration was to live up to the event’s name by using innovative technologies and creating multi-faceted, seamless touch points for attendees.

Solution
SingEx set about engaging governments and the business community. For a solid foundation, it first tapped Singapore government agencies to form the steering committee. An international advisory committee was also formed, comprising leading MNCs from the European Union and Japan with strong presence in Singapore, and trade associations.

The show featured five country pavilions. Many advisory committee members became partners with prominent stands.

While transformational roadmaps are important, in reality, players are of different sizes and at varying stages of adoption.

“We developed a unique ‘Learning Journey’ to help attendees navigate the event and maximise their return on engagement and learning,” Boey explained.

Beginners, early adopters and trailblazers were channelled to well-laid-out exhibition sections and sessions, which included two learning labs, two ‘sandboxes’ and a novel interchange booth – a SingEx knowledge-exchange platform to facilitate offline to online engagement among exhibitors and attendees. On the sidelines were a plenary hall and two ‘theatres’.

Some 2,400 visitors registered for 110 guided tours over three days.

“ITAP 2018 was well-represented by professionals from a wide spectrum of industrial sectors who shared their valuable knowledge and skills with over 15,000 global attendees,” noted Boey.

Founding partner Siemens’ big islands, for instance, stood out in the industrial automation and digital factory sections. Siemens had a separate registration desk in the foyer for invited visitors and conducted special tours of its pavilions.

For sustenance, Rasel Catering offered international F&B with local elements, such as curry puffs, laksa and chicken rice. It also introduced new technology – the ‘IBOX’, an innovative way to reduce queues and waiting time. People could use a tablet or download the app to order food in advance and collect at scheduled times.

Six food kiosks also drew a steady stream of people throughout the day, as did the casual dining area with complimentary refreshments for VIPs, speakers, conference delegates and media.

Key takeaways
ITAP 2018 was one year in the making. With strong public and private sector support, and creative planning and design, it drew a good turnout. It showed the business of Industry 4.0, not just gadgets or slick presentations.

Post-exhibition, several exhibitors hosted technical visits to demonstrate various advanced manufacturing facilities and innovation centres.

Event: Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific
Organiser: SingEx Exhibitions, with international partner Deutsche Messe
Venue: Singapore EXPO Halls 1 and 2
Date: October 16-18, 2018
Number of participants: 15,000 from 55 countries

Onyx appoints GM for soon-to-open Ozo Phuket

By TTGmice
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Onyx Hospitality Group has appointed Paul Halford as general manager of the soon-to-open OZO Phuket at Kata Beach.

Halford joins Onyx with close to 20 years of hospitality industry experience at hotels and resorts in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and Thailand, including a 10-year tenure across multiple Radisson Hotel Group locations. Most recently, he was general manager of Park Plaza Bangkok Soi 18.

In his current role, Halford will lead the pre-opening and positioning of the brand-new Ozo in Phuket, scheduled to open in June 2019; the family-oriented resort will feature 255 rooms and suites.

Sabah puts CVB plans on hold

By S Puvaneswary
0
A rendering of the upcoming Sabah International Convention Centre

A reliable source within the Sabah Convention Bureau is correcting the misconception that the formation of the body has been terminated by the Sabah State Government, stating that the process has instead only been put on hold.

Since its inception in January 2018 until January this year, the source described the bureau as being “in-transition” while waiting for its endorsement from the state government.

A rendering of the upcoming Sabah International Convention Centre

It is understood that staff from Sabah Tourism Board’s MICE unit who were seconded to the future bureau have temporarily returned to the parent. They report to Noredah Othman, acting general manager at Sabah Tourism Board.

The MICE unit supports business events related educational programmes for the travel trade and attends related overseas tradeshows organised by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau.

With limited budget allocated by Sabah Tourism Board, the MICE unit cannot perform the traditional roles of a convention centre, such as fully supporting business events held in Sabah, actively bidding for international business events or marketing the destination overseas.

Malaysia’s travel trade is unanimous in their belief that a dedicated state-based convention bureau that actively went out, marketed the destination, and bid for international events, was the way forward for Sabah.

KL Tan, president of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, stressed: “It is imperative that the government set up a dedicated convention bureau to further tap the large potential of the business events segment and to go out and market and bid for major events.

“Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) which reports directly to the chief minister of Penang, has helped the business events sector in Penang grow from strength to strength, and the state has experienced a 62 per cent growth over three years in business events, with an estimated economic impact of RM808 million (US$194 million) reported for 2016, compared with RM1.3 billion for 2018,” Tan added.

“Having a state convention bureau in Sabah will realise the potential that Sabah has and will help the business events sector grow as well.”

Mike Cannon, managing director, Business Events – Asia Pacific and former managing director of Sarawak Convention Bureau, believes that the “government should own and fund the convention bureau”.

He added: “If a government is honest about addressing the three basic necessities for society, i.e. health, education and security, then meetings are the answer. Sarawak’s leadership understood the need, and back in 2006 created a convention bureau and convention centre, as well as a government-funded sponsorship so as to attract a multitude of business events that (help bring about) benefits to society.”

Also pushing for the formation of the Sabah Convention Bureau is Gracie V Geikie, director of Place Borneo (Sabah), a PCO with business locations in Kuching and Kuala Lumpur.

She opined: “Sabah has all the dynamics in attracting high-yield and mega conventions as it has the infrastructure to support these. The soon-to-open state-of-the-art Sabah International Convention Centre speaks volumes on why a convention bureau is much needed to steer Sabah, especially Kota Kinabalu, as the next big destination for business events.”

Demand rises for Yogyakarta

By Tiara Maharani
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Interest in second-tier destinations like Yogyakarta (pictured) are on the rise

Diverse experiences and affordable ground services are endearing Indonesia’s Yogyakarta to business event planners, say destination specialists at last week’s Indonesia International Mice Expo (IIME) in Jakarta.

Rudy Po, president and director of Cosmo Holidays Indonesia, has recorded greater demand for Yogyakarta over the last two years, some from repeat clients and others from new groups that desire fresh experiences.

Interest in second-tier destinations like Yogyakarta (pictured) are on the rise

Po elaborated: “Yogyakarta appeals to corporates because of its cultural attractions and experiential tourism, such as taking part in a batik workshop or temple hopping.”

Shaharin Bin Samsuri, manager of KAA Travel & Tours, Malaysia reported similar booking patterns. He shared: “Corporates in Malaysia are no longer looking at Bali or Jakarta because they have become too touristy. They are more interested in Indonesia’s second-tier destinations, such as Yogyakarta and Surabaya.”

Shaharin added: “Surabaya is more popular, but since Yogyakarta is cheaper we see more corporates choosing Yogyakarta for incentive programmes.”

This growing demand has prompted KAA Travel & Tours to develop more Yogyakarta packages, offering clients the opportunity to team-build in Prambanan’s backyard or have dinner on Prambanan temple grounds followed by a Ramayana dance performance.

For Indonesian corporate buyer Aphul Juliawan, general affair manager of Isna Agung Mandiri, Yogyakarta is an ideal destination thanks to its diverse tours and activities and accessibility by airplane, train and bus.

“For Indonesian corporates, train is the best option at the moment because airfares are so expensive,” he explained, adding that corporates are now tightening spend.

Aphul shared that his company is planning to two incentive trips to Yogyakarta and one trip to Semarang this year. “Overall, the total (ground) cost of Yogyakarta and Semarang are similar. But Yogyakarta is more charming, so when we announced that the company will be making a trip to Yogyakarta, our employees were excited,” he said.

Korea emphasises varied, year-round appeal at latest Singapore MICE roadshow

By Karen Yue
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A ‘360-degree’ tagline took centre stage at Korea Tourism Organization’s (KTO) MICE roadshow in Singapore last Friday, as the tourism body hopes to convince local planners of the destination’s year-round appeal for event attendees of all ages and interest.

Explaining the motivation, KTO’s director Yoon Seung Hwan, said activities at the destination are “not limited to just kimchi making, K-pop or Kdrama”.

Meeting with tourism suppliers at the KTO roadshow

Yoon said: “South Korea is an interesting destination with many hidden gems. There are programmes and places that travellers do not know of. We also wanted to emphasise that even local experiences such as harvesting seasonal fruits and sampling seasonal food can create interesting team-bonding opportunities.”

He added that in addition to South Korea’s diverse calendar of festivals which corporate groups can partake in, there was always a constant stream of new and unique venues to keep participants entertained.

“The Singapore MICE market is sophisticated and planners want something new in South Korea for their clients. We have to invest greater effort in identifying, and promoting new and trendy experiences and venues to planners here,” he said.

The 360-degree destination appeal would also help to maintain the high level of interest event planners and attendees have in Pyeongchang county and Gangwon province, where the 2018 Winter Olympics was held.

Yoon said the Games had brought heightened media and traveller attention to Pyeongchang, Gangwon and South Korea in general, and much of the interest was centred on the ski resorts in Gangwon.

Besides promoting the corporate event capability at ski resorts in Gangwon, the Singapore roadshow also drew attention to the province’s seasonal delights.

“We are collaborating with Gangwon to promote its attractiveness throughout the four seasons. Travellers can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring, fun at the water park in summer, autumn foliage along the mountainous areas in autumn, and snow in winter,” said Yoon.

Eventbrite launches in Hong Kong

By TTGmice
0

Eventbrite, a global ticketing and event technology platform that powers millions of events, has added Hong Kong to its global presence and brought with it a raft of new features designed to empower local event creators.

The localised platform at eventbrite.hk will be one of the first in Asia to benefit from Eventbrite’s Publish To Facebook feature – an integration allowing event-goers to purchase tickets directly through Facebook – alongside payment processing in Hong Kong dollars, curated local content and seamless native checkout.

A screenshot from the localised Hong Kong website

The company’s launch in Hong Kong is further bolstered by a landmark partnership between Eventbrite and Louis Vuitton Hong Kong, which saw Eventbrite power ticket sales for Louis Vuitton’s recent Objets Nomades showcase at Tai Kwun.

The launch of a localised platform in Hong Kong is the latest move in Eventbrite’s Asian expansion, following the company’s debut in Singapore in February.

In a press statement, Eventbrite reported that more than 2.2 million tickets have been processed in Hong Kong since the platform’s inception. The company has observed strong organic growth in health and wellness, food and wine, and music events in Hong Kong, and a generally growing local events industry that is supported by a committed community of event creators.

Eventbrite believes that its opportunity in Hong Kong is fuelled by the city’s growing appetite for live experiences. Research released by Eventbrite in conjunction with Ipsos reveals 84 per cent of Hongkongers attended an event in the past 12 months; with over one-third (37 per cent) of respondents stating they intend to increase the number of events they attend in the next year.

MICE organisations recognised at Singapore Tourism Awards 2019

By TTGmice
0

On May 9, the Singapore Tourism Awards 2019 dished out two unique awards and six best-in-class awards to business events specialists, among other top contributors to Singapore’s tourism industry.

Southeast Asia’s largest and most established food and hospitality MICE event, Food&HotelAsia (FHA) by UBM Singapore, was awarded a Special Recognition award for strengthening Singapore’s position as a global business hub and marketplace. In 2018, Singapore hosted FHA’s largest event ever, with over 80,000 participants from 105 countries.

Amy Lim (left) took home the Best Business Event Champion award

Amy Lim, director of events, Asia Pacific at Herbalife Nutrition, was commended as the Best Business Event Champion under the Experience Excellence (MICE) award for her strong advocacy of Singapore as a MICE destination. She played a vital role in anchoring Herbalife Honors 2019, as well as Herbalife South East Asia Extravaganza which has been held in Singapore five times over the past decade with over 10,000 attendees each time.

Ace:Daytons Direct (International), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists & Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society of Singapore collectively took home the Best Association Conference Organiser for their RCOG World Congress 2018.

Resorts World Sentosa won the Best Meetings/Incentives Organiser award for its delivery of Amway India Incentive Movement.

Singapore EXPO and MAX Atria was handed the Best Business Event Venue Experience for its Singapore FinTech Festival 2018.

The Best Business Event Service Provider award went to Jublia for its handling of the World Cities Summit 2018.

SingEx Exhibitions bagged two awards

SingEx Exhibitions scored two trophies – the Best Exhibition Organiser with partner Deutsche Messe for their Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC 2018, and Best Trade Conference Organiser with Monetary Authority of Singapore and The Association of Banks in Singapore for their Singapore FinTech Festival 2018.

Brisbane Marriott Hotel sports a new look

By TTGmice
0

Brisbane Marriott Hotel, which turns 21 this year, has emerged from an A$20 million (US$14 million) revitalisation that saw an extensive redesign of its 267 guestrooms and suites, Executive Lounge, two floors of event space and its signature restaurant.

The works took place alongside the revitalisation of the hotel’s neighbouring Riverside Precinct.

Guestroom

Malaysian-based company Duoz Design incorporated the hotel’s unique natural and historic surroundings into the new design, and used ambient lighting that are reminiscent of a balmy Brisbane evening, as well as neutral tones that recall the surrounding nature.

Guestrooms have also been fitted with the latest technology, including ASSO ABLOY Orion system, which controls each room’s lighting and air conditioning. This advanced technology also enables front desk staff to adjust lighting and air conditioning upon guest check-in to ensure a welcoming first impression.

The hotel’s signature restaurant, Motion Dining, has been redesigned to include an array of dining offerings and experiences. Diners can be seated at tables overlooking the Grill, sit at high tables at the M bar, or enjoy alfresco dining overlooking the river on MDeck.

Event planners will appreciate the hotel’s selection of 12 flexible spaces divided across two floors, which comes supported by an expert event team.

MICE momentum builds in Shanghai

By Caroline Boey
0
View of the Pudong new district of Shanghai

Shanghai’s ability to remain fresh and exciting, with the continuous addition of new infrastructure and attractions for business events, has earned the city a strong business events reputation.

According to CWT Meetings & Events, it holds the top spot among the top 10 cities in Asia-Pacific in 2019, and industry members are upbeat the city will continue to do well.

View of the Pudong new district of Shanghai

Violet Wang, destination manager, Pacific World China, commented: “We have 200 airports in total in China, while another 240 are being planned or are under construction for completion before 2022, which means air capacity could double over the next three years. Ongoing projects include Terminal 3 of Pudong International Airport, and this will definitely benefit the future of international events.”

Wang added Shanghai’s safety factor, booming business environment – including surrounding areas like Suzhou, Taicang and Hangzhou – good hotel and conference infrastructure, as well as increasing numbers of professionals, all make the city attractive for corporate and association meetings and incentives.

“Business is definitely increasing, at least for our company. Our event volume nearly doubled in the past year and will continue to increase,” she said.

The growth potential for business events in Shanghai saw international carrier Delta Air Lines launching a non-stop daily service between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2018, linking China’s business centre and the American carrier’s US hub, which offers more than 1,000 departures a day.

Wong Hong, president, Delta, Greater China and Singapore, said the new service complements Delta’s existing direct flights between Shanghai and Detroit, Seattle and Los Angeles, providing the city with non-stop service to and from four US gateways.

For Shanghai-based Sam Braybon, director of The Bespoke Travel Company, the opening of Shanghai Edition hotel with nine different F&B venues, the revival of Columbia Circle – an historical area with good event potential – and the reopening of the Shanghai History Museum  with a 9,800m2 exhibition area home to around 1,100 artefacts – are giving DMCs and meeting planners new options.

He added Shanghai’s varied dining and restaurant scene, which caters to differing budgets, has given rise to food-related activities being “super popular”.

“Our company is just about to launch a new cooking class in a French Concession villa,” he shared.

Other new ideas for activities that might appeal to international meeting participants include an art tour of the city’s best galleries with an art industry insider or, a jog through new and super cool paths in the South Bund area, he added.

On the city’s outlook, Braybon said: “We forecast growth of about five to 10 per cent for Shanghai in 2019, as there are a lot of good opportunities since many companies continue to be curious about China’s rapid evolution.”

Demand for Shanghai last year was high with room rates rising despite the increase in hotel inventory, and market sentiment for 2019 continues to be buoyant.

Julien Delerue, founder and CEO, 1000meetings, an RFP technology platform with a database of hotels in China spanning the past 10 years, said: “For the last two years, the average five-star room rate was around RMB1,000 (US$146). Now the rate ranges between RMB1,300 and RMB1,500 during peak periods,” Delerue commented.

But meeting planners considering Shanghai also have access to less-expensive options, and Delerue pointed out Shanghai also offers plenty of four-star and lower-category room options below RMB1,000.

Kin Qin, deputy general manager, Century Holiday International Travel Group, is also upbeat about Shanghai. He commented: “There are certainly a lot of air access choices to Shanghai, and the supply of new hotels has been increasing over the last two years.

“With the continued increase in air capacity and hotel inventory, Shanghai continues to be a popular destination, and its image will also get stronger.”

A star is born

By Tiara Maharani
0
Indonesia Convention Exhibition

South Tangerang (Tangerang Selatan), which lies on the south-western border of Jakarta, is gearing up to become a major player on the global business events destination stage, as more events and new developments arrive in the city.

In 2015, Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE), the largest convention and exhibition centre in the country, opened with 220,000m2 of events space in South Tangerang’s Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) area.

An aerial view of Indonesia Convention Exhibition

Since then, the number of events in Banten province – which includes South Tangerang – has been on the rise.

According to the Indonesian Exhibition Companies Association (IECA), only 15 events were held in Banten province in 2016. That number doubled to 33 events in 2017, and rose further to 58 events in 2018.

“Of the 58 events, 80 per cent were held in South Tangerang. This shows that Banten’s MICE activities are centred in South Tangerang,” Deden Sunandar, IECA’s Banten chapter chairman said. “Events have not only increased in quantity, but also in quality.

“Before ICE opened, most events in Banten were only on a local scale. Now more than 50 per cent of events are international,” he added.

Irvan Mahidin, vice chairman of Indonesia Event Industry Council (IVENDO), said organisers are starting to consider South Tangerang because it is closer to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Exhibitors can easily transport goods from the airport or seaport to the exhibition hall.

“The local government is very cooperative in helping organisers – from immigration, customs to taxation. Organisers are truly spoilt in South Tangerang,” Mahidin noted.

However, conveniences such as these have not yet attracted Chinese organisers to South Tangerang. One of the main reasons, said Mahidin, is because most people only think about the capital city of Jakarta. As the largest metropolitan city in Indonesia, Jakarta is still more attractive than South Tangerang.

That is why ICE is very focused on promotions and has been proactively participating in tradeshows and conducting roadshows, Ryan Adrian, president director of Indonesia International Expo (which owns ICE), said.

Adrian added: “Over the past three years, ICE’s business has grown 30 per cent. However, the number of international events held at ICE remains relatively low. We want to increase international events, and one way to do that is to attract the Chinese market.”

The largest Chinese event held at ICE thus far, in October 2017, was the 19th TeoChew International Federation Convention with 5,000 participants.

“Several exhibitions from China have been held in South Tangerang. The scale is still small, but every year it always gets bigger,” Adrian shared.

For 2019, Mahidin has targeted the Chinese market, and aims to grow it by 40 per cent.

“There are still many sectors that have not been worked on, and we have not yet explored many Chinese regions. Currently, most events come from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Guangzhou,” Mahidin said.

The potential for growth in South Tangerang has inspired Alcor Prime – which oversees The Kasablanka Hall, Upperroom, and Bekasi Convention Center – to open a multipurpose venue in Alam Sutera, Banten province. This new 10,000m2 venue, expected to open in December 2019, will feature a 6,000m2 grand ballroom and another 1,000m2 ballroom that can be divided into six breakout rooms.

Jim Tehusijarana, director of Alcor MICE, noted that the demand for event space by corporates in the area were relatively high. As such, Alcor MICE were “targeting corporate and community events”.

Tehusijarana added: “At Tangerang, companies need space to exhibit their products on a small scale. At ICE, the space is too big for them. We want to bridge that gap by providing medium-scale spaces that are also flexible for large events.”

With continued infrastructure growth and strong commitment from the local government, the future of South Tangerang’s business events industry is bright. And if this growth continues over the next five years, industry players say the city could well rival Jakarta as the centre for business events in Indonesia.

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Sister Publications
TTG Asia TTGmice TTG India TTGassociations TTG Asia Luxury
TTGmice | Switzerland eyes China’s MICE rebound with budget hike and tailored roadshows
TTGmice | Running a different race
TTGmice | JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa names director of operations