Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) will intensify its efforts to get more business events from Asia, in particular South-east Asia, in line with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture’s strategic direction in attracting more regional tourists to Malaysia.
Zulkefli: investments to continue in relevant tradeshow presence
Zulkefli Sharif, MyCEB CEO, explained to TTGmice on the sidelines after the opening ceremony of Malaysia Business Events Week held at Resorts World Genting this week, that the direction was due to direct air accessibility where more than 70 per cent of arrivals into Malaysia are from Asia.
MyCEB’s key markets are China, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. Strategy to tap these markets included conducting roadshows and sales calls as well as participating in business events tradeshows such as IT&CM Asia and IT&CM China, and working closely and supporting Malaysian business events industry partners who are also tapping these markets.
Zulkefli stressed that MyCEB will also continue to attend tradeshows in Europe and the US to court the associations meetings market as 60 per cent of association headquarters are based out of these regions.
Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, the new deputy minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, told reporters at a press conference that business events will continue to remain a key component to the country’s prosperity.
He said: “Business events contributed three times more revenue compared with leisure tourists and created value beyond tourism that extends also to knowledge sharing and transfer, trade and investment opportunities, social development and networking opportunities among delegates.”
In 2017, business events contributed eight per cent of total tourist arrivals to Malaysia which stood at 25.9 million. The Ministry is targeting business events contribution to grow to 10 to 12 per cent of the total 36 million tourist arrivals targeted in 2020.
The business events industry is expected to contribute RM3.9 billion (US$952,126,500) in incremental Gross National Income and 16,720 jobs in two years’ time.
The Asara Villa & Suite Hua Hin has undergone a complete rebranding and refurbishment by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, and has emerged the Mövenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin.
The upscale resort overlooks the Gulf of Thailand, and features a collection of 96 private suites and pool villas. The 120m2 suites offer large balconies or terraces featuring day beds, as well as bathrooms with indoor and outdoor rainshowers and bathtubs. Meanwhile, the one- and two-bedroom villas span 150m2 and 200m2 respectively, and include luxurious indoor living areas, outdoor decks and private plunge pools.
Sea-facing villa with a plunge pool
Also available is a 400m2 two-bedroom beachfront villa with three separate pavilions, its own private beach area, large outdoor decks and a plunge pool overlooking the sea.
Facilities include the Asara Spa, a gym, outdoor infinity swimming pool, two restaurants, and a bar.
The property is located 10 minutes from the centre of Hua Hin and a two-hour drive from Bangkok.
Mövenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin is the latest addition to Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ extensive collection in Thailand. It joins six existing hotels in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka has joined the portfolio of 12 other Oakwood-branded serviced apartments in Japan.
The first international serviced apartment brand in the Umeda and Shin-Osaka areas offers both a total of 185 units, comprising 59 hotel rooms and 126 fully furnished serviced apartments.
Studio Hotel Room
Guests will have access to facilities such as a 24-hour gym, a meeting room, two laundry rooms, a car park, and the all-day Café O. Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka will also provide services such as concierge and reception services and housekeeping.
The property is situated within walking distance to Shin-Osaka Station, the gateway to Japan’s Kansai region.
Hilton Petaling Jaya's Kristal Ballroom in
theatre setup
Hilton’s eight hotels in Malaysia have launched a new meetings package entitled Next Stop: Success.
The Next Stop: Success package is open for bookings from now until September 30, 2018, for events taking place from now until December 31, 2018.
Hilton Petaling Jaya’s Kristal Ballroom in theatre setup
Benefits include six per cent off the master bill, one complimentary room for every 25 master billed room per night; one complimentary upgrade to the next category for every 25 master billed room per night; and 2,000 bonus points per event and double points (two points per US$1 USD spent) on all meetings and events within the Hilton Portfolio.
Hilton operates eight properties in Malaysia across two brands: Hilton Hotels & Resorts which include Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Hilton Kota Kinabalu and Hilton Kuching and DoubleTree Hotels & Resorts comprising DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru and two brand new DoubleTree properties in Melaka; DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka and Penang; DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang.
Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur has appointed Teekay Goh as general manager.
Goh embarked on his travel career with Mayflower Acme Tours and thereafter built up a career in the hospitality industry in the following two decades.
His vast hospitality experiences encompass a spectrum of hotels, resorts and serviced suites, including various senior sales positions with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, Pangkor Island Beach Resort, Lanson Place Ambassador Row Kuala Lumpur and Parkroyal Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur.
Desaru Coast in Johor, Malaysia, believes it is well placed to capture the attention of meeting planners, corporate companies and outbound travel agents across Asia, with several more internationally-branded hotels and a conference centre coming online soon.
The first two hotels developed by Desaru Development Holdings One – the 365-room Hard Rock Desaru Coast and 275-key The Westin Desaru Coast Resort – as well as Desaru Coast Conference Centre which will be managed by The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, are scheduled to open from end of 3Q2018. The conference centre can host up to 1,000 participants in a theatre-seating.
A rendering of the soon-to-open Desaru Coast
Roslina Arbak, CEO of Desaru Development Holdings One, said: “Event planners seeking to combine teambuilding activities can benefit from the centre’s close proximity to the Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, as well as the Desaru beach.”
Towards the end of 2018, incentive planners can also look forward to the One&Only Desaru Coast. The 52ha beachfront development will have 42 suites, two luxury suites and an exclusive four-bedroom villa. This will be followed by the opening of Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas in 2019.
Roslina shared that key foreign markets Desaru is targeting for business events include Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and India, as well as international tourists travelling to Malaysia via Singapore.
To capture as much of the market as possible, Desaru Developments Holdings has set up trade representatives in key markets such as Singapore, Indonesia, China and India. It is also working closely with Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau to raise awareness of the destination regionally and globally.
Roslina elaborated: “We are actively leveraging on international tourism trade events including PATA Travel Mart and ITB Asia to help us bring focus to Johor as an international business hub, and Desaru Coast’s advantageous location in the southern gateway into Malaysia, especially for those coming from Singapore or Indonesia.”
She added that Desaru’s close proximity to Singapore also bodes well, as the destination is 1.5 hours by road from Singapore. By sea, from Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal, and from there it’s a 30-minute drive to Desaru Coast.
“In addition, we have also recently launched our Desaru Coast Shuttle Service which provides accessibility to and from Desaru Coast via Singapore and Senai Airport. For those travelling to and from Senai Airport, there are four scheduled shuttle trips daily,” Roslina shared.
Mega-show veteran India Exposition Mart Ltd (IEML) held the inaugural India International Hospitality Expo last week at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, an event said to be the country’s first exhibition that showcases various facets of the hospitality sector including F&B equipment, decor solutions, architecture and food.
The event, inaugurated by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, India’s minister for food processing industry, saw participation from 203 exhibitors, with international brands being represented by their local agents.
Kumar: India International Hospitality Expo will become the single sourcing platform for India’s hospitality sector
Explaining how the India International Hospitality Expo stands out from other similar shows, Rakesh Kumar, chairman, IEML, said: “The existing hospitality industry exhibitions in the country are mainly focused on food. We have, however, brought service providers and equipment providers onto a B2B platform. Our aim is to build this event along the lines of Hotel Expo Dubai.”
He also aims for the event to be regarded as “a single sourcing platform for the entire hospitality sector”.
Other unique features of India International Hospitality Expo included a culinary theatre curated by renowned Indian chef Devender and a curated fashion show for the hospitality industry by Sunil Sethi, chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India.
Kumar expects the second edition of the show to see more exhibitors especially from around the globe.
Monica Lee-Müller, HML, managing director and primary driver of the Think Before Plastic initiative
Why the name Think Before Plastic?
We’ve thought about naming the campaign, Say No to Plastic, but we know that it is impossible to avoid plastic completely in reality. Think Before Plastic is more practical and achievable. It is catchy and easy to remember too.
It asks visitors to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and members of the general public to think carefully before using any disposable plastic items such as bottles and cutlery. We need to ask ourselves, “are the disposable plastic items really necessary? Is there any non-disposable plastic alternative?” before we buy, before we ask for, before we use them.
And why this major drive dedicated to eliminating plastic?
I am a nature lover. In the past, I have encouraged my team to study how we could save energy and water, and to come up with sustainability initiatives. I felt so bad when I read the news about our nature and ocean being damaged by human beings for the sake of convenience. There should be no more delays in cutting out disposable plastic.
Plastic is one of the most harmful materials to the environment and the ecosystem. It takes hundreds of years to decompose plastic into small pieces and those seep into the soil. Animals are also seriously affected. Our ecosystem is being damaged and the impact will come back to human beings at the end. It is time to strengthen our awareness and take action on plastic reduction.
Would the move result in greater use of paper then? Humans are creatures of habit, and may simply migrate to indiscriminate use of single-use paper products in the absence of plastic. How will HKCEC prevent or at least discourage this?
We do not encourage the use of paper as replacement. We have stopped providing plastic straws at all restaurant outlets and concession stands. We only offer paper straws upon request. All plastic disposable cutlery are replaced with non-plastic alternatives at all HKCEC restaurants and concession stands. We have sourced wooden cutlery and are looking for other sustainable materials.
HML is also reducing paper usage in the office. We monitor monthly paper consumption of each department and remind departments with high consumption to come up with ideas and strategy to reduce usage. HML has started using FSC-certified paper (eco-friendly paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council) for printing materials years ago to reduce impact on the environment. We are moving towards paperless communication internally with more e-forms developed or are being developed.
Part of the initiative involves encouraging event attendees at HKCEC to use personal water bottles. That’s commendable but I foresee this needing a lot of education and reminders. Will HKCEC be working with event organisers to enforce/encourage this, and how?
We are encouraging visitors and event attendees to bring their own bottles when attending events at the HKCEC, and to make use of the 18 water fountains in the venue for free refills. We have posted this message on the HKCEC Facebook fan page. To promote the water fountains, prominent signs have been added in exhibition halls and meeting room corridors.
Eliminating plastic bottles, straws and cutlery is only the beginning of our plastic reduction initiative. We have a strong desire to influence the event industry and achieve a greater impact. Education and stakeholder engagement are always keys to success of any sustainability initiative. HML continues to engage event organisers and contractors through our regular HML Organisers/Contractors Meetings to explain our new initiatives, measures and alternatives.
Our education and engagement efforts also cover different channels for various segments of the target audience, such as through the HKCEC Facebook fan page, website, quarterly e-newsletter Centrepoint, publications, signage, in-house advertising spaces in the HKCEC, etc.
We also share green insights at the operations sub-committee meetings of the Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association.
Can you give an example of how Think Before Plastic is being pushed out through events hosted at HKCEC?
At the Hong Kong Book Fair 2018, we promoted waste separation and recycling plus our new campaign Think Before Plastic to the exhibitors, contractors and visitors during move-in, show days and move-out. We deployed 54 green ambassadors to assist exhibitors in separating and recycling waste properly at the end of the Book Fair.
To ensure that the message of waste separation and recycling was delivered by our ambassadors appropriately, we invited Edwin Lau, founder and executive director of The Green Earth, a local charitable green organisation, to conduct an environmental awareness seminar, explaining the mission and the recycle measures at the Book Fair, and to enhance the awareness of environmental protection among the ambassadors.
We also placed two additional temporary water stations in the food court of the Book Fair for visitors to get free refills (as part of Think Before Plastic’s effort to encourage visitors to use their own water bottles).
Prior to Think Before Plastic, what other sustainable event campaigns did the company and venue run?
HML has a huge F&B operation. We run seven restaurants in the HKCEC and several concession stands during exhibitions and conferences. We serve over 350 banqueting events every year. We seek to reduce the amount of food waste going to the landfill and at the same time help those in need by donating unconsumed food from our restaurants and events.
HML has been supporting Food Angel’s Food Rescue Programme since 2011. We regularly collect and donate unconsumed food from Congress Plus, the HKCEC restaurant which serves lunch and dinner buffet, to Food Angel. Our event managers also proactively engage banquet organisers to donate unconsumed food from their events to Food Angel. Donated food is carefully handled by HML chefs and prepared as nutritious hot meals before being redistributed to the underprivileged community in Hong Kong by Food Angel. In FY17/18, we donated 2,080kg of unconsumed food to Food Angel.
This June, HML started transporting food waste to the government’s newly-built Organic Resources Recovery Centre in Siu Ho Wan of Lantau Island. Prior to this implementation, we ran a pilot test with 123 small-scale banquets where we collected food waste.
At the same time, we promoted the message of food waste reduction in our community through the Waste Less. Save Food HKCEC Poster Design Competition 2018. Participating students were asked to design a poster, including a creative slogan, that would promote the Waste Less. Save Food message to event visitors and patrons of HKCEC restaurants. The competition received 314 entries from 23 schools in Wan Chai and successfully fostered students and public awareness of the best ideas on reducing food waste at source.
These are great achievements. How deeply is the sustainability commitment entrenched in the people at HML?
HML is the first organisation in Hong Kong to achieve the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System recognition in 2015. As the professional management company responsible for the HKCEC’s day-to-day operation, HML has established a clear event sustainability policy. Our event sustainability management system, operation procedures and guidelines ensure the concept of sustainability is fully incorporated into the entire event management cycle, from bookings, event planning and F&B services to procurement, waste management, staff training, on-site delivery and billing, as well as customer feedback handling.
At HML, we take pride in committing continuous efforts and resources in attaining these significant recognition. We hope these benchmark achievements do not only motivate our staff members to continue to strive for improvement and to support the company’s sustainability initiatives, but also influence our customers, event organisers, contractors, suppliers and stakeholders and other event industry players to join hands for a greener future for the industry.
Busan Port International Terminal Exhibition & Convention Center
Two of South Korea’s most populous cities, Seoul and Busan, have massive infrastructure development plans up their sleeves to further grow their ability to welcome more leisure and business travellers far into the future.
In Seoul where Coex – the city’s most prominent convention and exhibition centre – is operating at close to full capacity year-round, plans are are being worked out to redevelop the 720,000m2 plot of land between Coex and Jamsil Sports Complex into a single, massive Coex Center Jamsil which will house a new convention centre, hotels, and shopping and entertainment facilities.
Busan Port International Terminal Exhibition & Convention Center
The project, undertaken by Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the owners of Coex, will also see renovations to Jamsil Sports Complex to enable it to support large-scale business events.
However, with Coex Center Jamsil expected to only be ready in 2030, Coex’s current solution for the space crunch is to “work with customers to find alternative event dates or offer a mix of spaces that can fit their needs”, according to MJ Cho, manager of Coex’s venue sales team.
She shared that occasional events that cannot be accommodated at Coex are directed to aT Center, which is also owned by KITA.
Cho also revealed that her team has developed a ranking system to determine which bookings to accept.
“We look at the number of times the show has been held at Coex, its size, its history, etc, to make that decision. Simply put, shows loyal to Coex get priority. However, international exhibitions and conventions overtake them all, especially if the events are beneficial to the national economy,” she added.
Another immediate solution to the space crunch is improved use of the venue’s existing space. A recent renovation transformed all its meeting rooms on level two into a more popular square space from its previous round shape.
“Round rooms are good to look at but difficult to use. Ever since we’ve relaunched the square meeting rooms, demand and bookings have risen,” she said.
Also new to the meeting rooms are fingerprint door locks which let registered organisers in, and in-room cameras that allow people outside to see what’s happening behind closed doors, thereby minimising disruptions. These are features requested for by many planners, according to Cho.
At the southern end of South Korea, Busan has kicked of two of three massive city developments which “make up Busan’s next-stage tourism growth”, said Yoon Joong Hwa, convention marketing manager, Busan Tourism Organization, Convention Bureau.
The first is the East Busan Tourism Complex in Busan’s Gijang district. Spanning 365 hectares, the East Busan Tourism Complex – also known as OSIRIA – is positioned as Busan’s new luxury tourism enclave.
Hilton Busan and Ananti Cove are the first in the complex to welcome guests.
Opened in July 2017, the five-star Hilton Busan sits on the water’s edge, featuring both leisure and event facilities. In barely a year, the hotel has drawn strong demand from holidaying families and couples as well as luxury product launches and residential meetings hosted by corporations and associations.
A hotel spokesperson opined that the hotel’s vast open spaces – many of them offering ocean views – are perfect for teambuilding activities, and the hotel’s in-house events team is able to tailor a suitable programme for residential meeting groups.
The adjoining Ananti Cove features a cluster of F&B outlets and trendy boutiques, offering supplementary recreational and dining options for hotel guests.
Come 2019, the tourism complex will debut a large-scale shopping mall with premium outlets, shared Yoon, adding that other facilities in the pipeline are a golf course and club, a water park and “possibly another hotel”. All facilities are projected to be in place by end of 2020.
“This luxury tourism district has been planned in the east because it is located close to the convention district, where the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (Bexco) and Busan Cinema Centre are, as well as our famous beaches like Gwangalli, Haeundae and Songdo.
It is a good complement to Busan’s business and leisure tourism offerings,” said Yoon, adding that a development of similar scale is no longer possible in the built-up city centre.
Another work-in-progress is the North Port Redevelopment Project.
Several container ports and logistic companies once located in Busan’s North Port have been relocated to the New Busan Port in the west, freeing up space to take in a future waterfront park, passenger port facilities and commercial buildings.
“There are plans to have an integrated resort, complete with casinos, a convention centre and hotels, in the future North Port. This project makes sense because it enjoys a prime location being very close to the old city centre, as well as the Busan KTX station,” said Yoon.
Currently, according to Yoon, “roads, harbour and wharf are all done” and construction of buildings could begin next year.
Busan’s third and final development project lies in the west, an area that has been earmarked to support the city’s bid for World Expo 2030.
While the project is still in the early-stages of planning, with approval from the government obtained only last year, Yoon is able to say that the area will be built for “MICE, residential and city administrative purposes”.
“The west may also have a convention and exhibition centre to supplement Bexco in the city centre and Busan Port International Terminal Exhibition & Convention Center (opened 2015) in the new North Port. With this, Busan will offer three major convention and exhibition venues, which will make the destination very convenient and attractive for business and association events,” he said.
This article was first published on TTGmice August 2018
DISCOVERYMICE, an affiliate member of UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), has collaborated with Europe-Asia Global Link Exhibitions (EAGLE) to organise the 1st World Food Tourism Conference in Chengdu, China from September 5-6, 2018.
The conference will simultaneously be held with the Travel Trade Market 2018 (TTM).
The future of a sustainable food tourism development will be discussed
Themed Charting a Roadmap for Sustainable Development of Food Tourism Destinations in Asia Pacific, the conference seeks to identify the most critical building blocks of an enabling regional ecosystem. It will outline concrete, achievable and practical initiatives and actions that public, private and international stakeholders can undertake collaboratively to put these building blocks in place over a reasonable multi-year time frame.
The roadmap that will emerge from this conference will form the basis for wider discussion across the region and presented to the regional UNWTO Affiliate Members (Asia & the Pacific) for their consideration and endorsement.
It will explore and identify the emerging niche food cultures in the next decade, the policy impacts in developing and supporting food tourism which will engage with two of the biggest industries in the world – the agriculture industry and the food and beverage industry, the importance of UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy inscription for food culture, traditions and heritage, as well as indigenous food for wellness and the innovative use of mobile applications and social media communications to promote food tourism.
Happening for the first time in Asia, the event will bring together about 100 high-level leaders and policy makers, professionals and experts, as well as academicians and media representatives to share ideas, knowledge and experiences and network.
Emanuele Guido, chairman of EAGLE, said: “Considering the strong growth of food tourism, our objective for the coming years is to grow this platform into one of the most important moments of food tourism in China and all (of the) Asia-Pacific region. We hope to be able to develop a sister event in other continents that connects the industry worldwide.”
The TTM tradeshow is organised by EAGLE and supported by the Chengdu Tourism Bureau. It is a B2B event that covers both inbound and outbound tourism sectors in China.
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.
