PCEB sets sights on India’s corporate groups

March 8, 2018

The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau is intensifying its efforts to go after the Indian meetings and incentives market starting this year, as it is among the Malaysian city’s top five markets for business events.

This comes off the back of the Malaysian government’s initiative to introduce the free e-visa facility in 2017.

Ashwin: India is a huge market and holds potential for PCEB

PCEB’s CEO, Ashwin Gunasekeran, said its inaugural roadshow in January to four Indian cities – Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru – with 18 Malaysian partners including hoteliers, PCOs and event management companies was “very fruitful and positive”.

He added: “It was an eye-opener for many Indian agents we met as they did not know Penang had so many interesting and diverse products to offer for incentives and post tours. We have heritage attractions, hills, shopping, food and beaches. They were amazed. We will soon be organising a media and agent fam trip for Indian agents from those cities.”

“In 2018, we plan to do a repeat of the Indian roadshow. We will invite new partners, as well as extend our reach to new cities in India. India is a huge market and we are just scratching the surface,” he revealed.

Next month, Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre will be the venue for the V-Conference. It will bring in approximately 20,000 participants, a majority of whom are from India.

Acomodeo receives funding to support global expansion quest

By TTGmice

March 8, 2018

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Screen-Shot-2018-03-08-at-10.15 — Acomodeo bconnects long-stay accommodation with the global travel market

Acomodeo, a marketplace for serviced apartments, has received a mid-seven-digit investment volume for global expansion.

As a first step, three international offices will be opened to expand business in India, South-east Asia and the US. The new offices in Mumbai, Singapore and on the American west coast will initially start with procurement. In a second step, the internationalisation of sales and the expansion of global market leadership will be initiated.

Acomodeo connects long-stay accommodation with the global travel market

Currently, about 170,000 professionally managed serviced apartments in more than 100 countries can be booked online via the marketplace. Acomodeo’s software ecosystem now covers five solutions along the value chain between apartment operators and corporate customers.

The goal is to aggregate 50 per cent of global supply by the end of 2018, and 90 per cent by 2020.

To achieve this goal, Acomodeo developed the “Acomodeo AMS” (Apartment Management System), an administration software for apartment operators. With the AMS, serviced apartments cannot just be offered online for short stay, but for several months or even years. The system replaces the traditional manual booking processes which is still predominant in the market of long-stay accommodation.

“By digitising supply and bundling demand, we were able to reduce our customers’ overnight accommodation costs in the long-term segment by up to 35 per cent in 2017,” explained Eric-Jan Krausch, CEO and co-founder of Acomodeo.

In 2016, Acomodeo had already received 2.5 million euros (US$3.1 million) in financing for developing of the first marketplace for serviced apartments.

Melbourne Airport to get dual-brand Accor hotel

By TTGmice

March 8, 2018

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dualbrand_accor_hotel_in_melbourne — Melbourne Airport has teamed up with AccorHotels to build this dual-branded hotel in its new property precinct, The Hive

Melbourne Airport is teaming up with AccorHotels to build a 464-room hotel operating under the three-star ibis Styles and four-star Novotel brands in the airport’s new property precinct, The Hive.

To be located just steps away form Terminal 4, the mixed-use hotel will feature a wellness centre, conference rooms, pool, gym and rooftop garden, cafe, bar and combined restaurant facilities.

Melbourne Airport has teamed up with AccorHotels to build this dual-branded hotel in its new property precinct, The Hive

Melbourne Airport chief of property, Linc Horton, said the hotel expansion will support the airport’s growth in aviation.

“Demand for air travel in and out of Melbourne is at an all-time high – and it’s going to continue to grow strongly,” he said, adding that the new hotel will help support forecast passenger figures of almost 70 million travellers by 2038.

“Currently our on-airport hotels are operating at significant capacity year round so it is crucial we expand our hotel amenity,” he explained.

Construction is set to commence in the 2H2018, and public consultation is underway on the preliminary development plan. Comments close on March 19, 2018.

New Holiday Inn hotel slated for Cebu Business Park

By TTGmice

March 8, 2018

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InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has partnered with The Erawan Group to open a new Holiday Inn hotel in Cebu Business Park.

Set to open at the end of 2020, Holiday Inn Cebu City will feature 180 rooms. Facilities include a fitness centre, swimming pool, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, as well as meeting facilities.

The new-build property will be located in the same tower as Erawan Philippines’ owned Hop Inn hotel, but on the upper floors with its own separate entrance, lift and lobby. The building is situated at Samar Loop in the Cebu Business Park, close to the nine-hectare Ayala Center Cebu shopping mall.

Rajit Sukumaran, IHG’s chief development officer EMEAA East, commented: “With the upcoming completion of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport – the second busiest airport in the Philippines – later this year, we are expecting a further increase in visitors, including those travelling on business.”

Beyond Asia: Ibis Styles Budapest Airport, FIBO USA, and East Wintergarden

By TTGmice

March 8, 2018

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Budapest gets its first airport hotel
Ibis Styles Budapest Airport is the first hotel in the Hungarian capital to be directly connected to Budapest Airport’s Terminal 2. The property offers 145 soundproofed guestrooms including six suites, a restaurant, and a lobby bar. In addition, there are six meeting rooms, where the largest space can take a maximum of 100 people.

FIBO expands to US
The world’s largest fitness trade show FIBO is heading to the US, and is slated to take place from December 6-8 this year at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

FIBO USA is specifically targeted at trade visitors from fitness studios and health and wellness facilities, trainers and instructors, country clubs and hotels as well as at buyers from public-sector institutions such as schools, universities, the military and large retail buyers. It will be an event where providers of fitness equipment and concepts meet with health, fitness and wellness professionals from the private and public sectors.

Virtually visit East Wintergarden
Canary Wharf’s iconic East Wintergarden in London has unveiled its 360 degree virtual reality venue tour, a key marketing tool in the venue’s overseas marketing strategy.

East Wintergarden boasts a 27-metre-high arched roof and glass exterior, and is suitable for an array of events, from a workshop for 20 to a grand gala dinner for 500. The venue comprises three events spaces; the Main Hall, The Gallery and the Promenade Room.

GLION Museum, Japan

By Julian Ryall

March 8, 2018

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Concept
Occupying a network of refurbished red-brick warehouses dating from 1923, the GLION Museum is the largest collection of classic vehicles in the Kansai region. It houses more than 250 famous cars and motorbikes from around the world, including a 1926 Model-T Ford, a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom II and a Studebaker that rolled off the production line in 1928.

The museum is divided into four halls, with one given over entirely to world-famous Japanese vehicles, such as the 1973 Nissan Skyline and the 1970 Mazda Cosmo Sport. Displayed in one corner of the museum are Japanese motorbikes that have graced the world’s roads. The museum also includes a showroom where anyone with some spare yen can splash out on a classic Corvette Stingray, Triumph TR3 or a 1965 Nissan Fairlady.

MICE application
The venue offers a number of possibilities for events.

One of the former warehouse buildings today stands as a stylish steakhouse with room for 80 people (table seating) and wall booths upholstered in dark leather. Black-and-white pictures of vehicles from the golden age of motoring cover the walls and meals are served by waiters in bow ties and white gloves. The restaurant can also be converted to cater to groups of up to 400 people for standing receptions and buffets.

The spacious Cafe 1923 occupies another building and can be hired for events for as many as 200 guests, while showrooms offer a stunning walk-through space for receptions.
The museum is also able to host outdoors events, with the broad road that runs between the parallel warehouse buildings decorated with classic cars and ideal for music events or evening cocktail receptions.

Address
Kaigan-dori, 2-6-39, Minato-ku, Osaka, Japan 552-0022
Contact
Tel: (81) 6 6573 3006
Website: https://osaka-info.jp/en/page/mice-glion-museum

JNTO offers “matchmaking” service for associations

By Julian Ryall

March 6, 2018

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09SEPT-26-Etsuko_Kawasaki — Etsuko Kawasaki

A new campaign and English-language website will be leading Japan National Tourism Organization’s (JNTO) push to attract more association events.

A new campaign for the “New ideas start here” initiative was launched in December to drive branding recognition both at home and abroad, said Etsuko Kawasaki, executive director of the Japan Convention Bureau.

Kawasaki: broad aim to link associations with appropriate cities with relevant industries

The campaign will be ramped up from the start of the fiscal year, in April, with the release of a new English-language website and promotional videos targeted at the associations market, detailing why organisations take their meetings to Japan.

“We have conducted our own research and it is clear that Japan is able to attract a large number of events involving the medical, scientific and industrial sectors, so we are focusing on these areas for our associations campaign,” she told TTGmice.

Kawasaki added that the national government is very enthusiastic about developing unique venues for networking events and for the business events market. Local governments have also begun to follow suit.

Twelve cities across Japan have been designated Global Cities as they meet all the requirements for association events, including accommodation, infrastructure and events. The remaining 40 cities with international convention status are more suited to smaller events and associations that are more modest in size are being channelled towards those locations.

Japanese cities are encouraged to play to their industries’ strengths. The city of Kitakyushu, for example, is strong in recycling industries and companies that develop environment-friendly technologies, and is open to working with associations in the same sector.

“Each city has something unique and special. We are encouraging them to make the most of those cultural assets,” she said.

“We want to link appropriate cities with the appropriate associations. It is almost as if we are providing a matchmaking service,” Kawasaki concluded.

Showtime Event expands offering for business events

By Adelaine Ng

March 6, 2018

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Brad_Dabbs_at_AIME_2018 — Brad Dabbs at AIME 2018. Photo credit: Adelaine Ng

Melbourne’s Showtime Event Group (SEG) plans to secure at least four more properties for exclusive catering within a year as it expands its operations to meet the demands of business event clients.

The company, formerly known as Showtime Events Centre, was re-launched as SEG at the hosted buyers welcome for AIME 2018 held at the Old Melbourne Gaol, which was its first event as the new exclusive venue caterers for the historic jail and Old Magistrates Court.

Brad Dabbs at AIME 2018. Photo credit: Adelaine Ng

SEG’s managing director Brad Dabbs says he’s been looking at the ongoing changes in the inbound business incentive programs, with smaller groups that have a greater focus on sampling local culture and more innovative events.

“We are also investing greatly in our external catering operations to activate Melbourne’s iconic public spaces and I shall be taking these new products on the road,” he added.

SEG is also looking at getting access to “big time” events like the Grand Prix and Australian Open.

“We want to become the major player in the meetings industry in Melbourne. Conferencing with a difference is where we’re all heading, which is fantastic,” Dabbs told TTGmice.

The company is one of five strategic partners for the Melbourne Convention Bureau, which means it effectively has a representative in Asia.

“Asia is really important to me, especially the incentive market. I’ve been to China for the past two years with Tourism Australia for Business Events week and I’m planning on going again this year. My first year was a real eye-opener for me to get to know who you’re dealing with and different cultural beliefs,” he continued.

Dabbs believes it’s important to both follow the trends but also challenge them.

“There are certain things you just have to follow but to position yourself as a leader in the industry you need to set the trend as well. Some people questioned our decision to use the Old Melbourne Gaol to host events, for example, and thought we were crazy. My answer is that it’s not crazy, it’s different and people will see that in the future. Bookings for the Gaol are skyrocketing and people love it,” he said.

SEG’s venues include art galleries, distilleries, exhibition spaces, warehouses and yacht clubs, catering from five to 5,000 people.

Royal Caribbean Cruises wants more Malaysian corporate groups onboard

By S Puvaneswary

March 6, 2018

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While Malaysia was the fastest growing market for Royal Caribbean Cruises for all of Asia last year, much of the country’s meetings and incentive segment has yet to be attracted to cruising.

Sean Treacy, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ managing director, Asia Pacific, revealed that in 2017, the Malaysian market saw more than a double percentage-point growth over 2016. However, most guests were FITs and affinity groups.

Treacy: much room for growth for Malaysia’s MICE groups

This is because there is a low awareness from corporate companies, where they don’t think of cruising as an option for incentive trips and corporate meetings. The segment is still small, as compared to more developed meetings and incentives markets like Indonesia, India and Vietnam.

To grow the business events segment out of Malaysia and Asia-Pacific in general, Royal Caribbean has developed meetings and incentives brochures for its preferred sales agents to show corporate clients.

Another new initiative was inviting select Malaysia-based agents specialising in business events to visit cruise liners when they called at Penang or Port Klang to showcase the ships’ facilities and what could be done onboard for corporate incentives.

Treacy added that staff from the MICE department from Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Miami corporate office were also in Malaysia last month to conduct sales calls for preferred sales agents in Kuala Lumpur, as well as provide appropriate training on how to sell cruises to corporate companies and further entice them on the benefits of cruising versus a land-based holiday. This is the first time that personnel from MICE department have travelled to Malaysia to conduct such agent training.

“We are also exploring the option of having sales resource people based in Kuala Lumpur who are focused on developing the business events segment. They will be reporting to our office in Singapore,” Treacy shared.

Content, social-worthiness are what draws event attendees: UFI conference speakers

By S Puvaneswary

March 6, 2018

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Driving traffic to their event is the main concern of event organisers, and making admissions free may not necessarily translate to a higher turnout, revealed speakers at the recent UFI Asia-Pacific Conference 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.

Event organisers stand a higher chance of driving traffic to the event by ensuring attendees feel invested in the event, and the content is relevant to their needs and offers some kind of value to them, opined Atul Todi, co-founder & CEO of 10times. 10times is an India-based online platform which serves as a database of events and as a marketing tool for organisers and venues.

Attendees have to feel invested in an event, regardless of whether they are drawn by trends and reviews, or influenced by the content

Based on a survey done by 10times in 2017, first-time millennial attendees are more attracted to trends and reviews posted by third-party sources on social sites, as compared with first-time Gen X attendees who are more influenced by content and insights posted by the exhibitor.

The survey also revealed that engaging millennial influencers show the highest promise as they will share and tweet about the event and influence at least 10 people, as compared with Gen X who may influence their close circle and influence two to five people.

Talk2 Media & Events’ managing director, Matt Pearce – who organises the Fitness Show and the Good Food & Wine show both in Australia – revealed that running a consumer show could be more challenging than a trade event as there is no compelling reason for consumers to buy an admission ticket in advance.

This makes it difficult for organisers to estimate how many people will eventually turn up to the show. Pearce added that while leisure shows reach a broader audience, the challenge is competing for time and attention of potential event goers.

To attract them to an event, one has to have curated content with an added element of fun and entertainment because one of the top reasons for attending a consumer show is to have “a good day out”, Pearce shared.

PCEB sets sights on India’s corporate groups

Acomodeo receives funding to support global expansion quest

Melbourne Airport to get dual-brand Accor hotel

New Holiday Inn hotel slated for Cebu Business Park

Beyond Asia: Ibis Styles Budapest Airport, FIBO USA, and East Wintergarden

GLION Museum, Japan

JNTO offers “matchmaking” service for associations

Showtime Event expands offering for business events

Royal Caribbean Cruises wants more Malaysian corporate groups onboard

Content, social-worthiness are what draws event attendees: UFI conference speakers

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