Philippines takes a more serious, strategic look at business events

November 23, 2017

Benito_Bengzon_640x400jpg — Bengzon: targeting large groups

The Philippines’ first business events roadmap will be unveiled in mid-December to address issues impeding its growth and challenges in positioning the country as a competitive destination.

Tourism undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said part of the deliverables is to have an extensive business events database which will identify the delegates’ length of stay, preferred destinations, expenses in and outside the conference hall, the kinds of activities they do, etc.

Such information is lacking in the Philippines as business event trips are not captured in the arrival and departure cards of tourists, he explained.

TTGmice understands that the Department of Tourism’s marketing arm, Tourism Promotions Board, relies on statistics from ICCA which do not include government meetings, such as ASEAN-related meetings of which 283 have been hosted by the Philippines this year for 28,000 delegates.

Bengzon said the roadmap will also work on the supply side by addressing how the sector can bring in large groups of 5,000 to 10,000 participants.

The business events sector, one of the nine priority areas of the National Tourism Development Plan 2017-2022, is attracting mainly smaller and medium-sized events due to the limited capacity of convention centres and other event venues in the country.

It is also understood that the roadmap, which will be targeting an annual growth of 12 to 16 per cent, will provide the strategic direction so the benefits of business events will cascade to the grassroots and increase employment while encouraging investors to build more hotels, convention facilities and other necessary hardware.

Details of the roadmap is just being wrapped up, a joint endeavor of the Department of Tourism, Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers Inc. and government agencies including the Department of Trade and Industry through the Board of Investment and Commission on Higher Education.

More efforts to bring business events to Dubai

By S Puvaneswary

November 23, 2017

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dubai-skyline — CVB not keen on marketing through middlemen

Dubai Business Events, the convention bureau for Dubai, has revealed numerous strategies aimed at growing business events from Asia, where key markets are India, Greater China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

For instance, marketing efforts will now be directed to corporate clients – from key industries such as insurance, multi-level marketing companies, automotive and banking – instead of going through intermediaries such as outbound travel agents.

CVB not keen on going through travel agent intermediaries

Speaking to TTGmice at the welcome reception of the Discover Dubai Study Mission, Karina Lance, senior manager, sales and convention services, said another strategy was to have marketing partnerships with trade associations to obtain leads and provide exposure to the services that Dubai Business Events can provide.

Lance added that earlier this year, Dubai Business Events opened new offices in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia in its bid to grow the incentives segment.

Dubai Business Events’ three offices in China – Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou – have also expanded their coverage to provide marketing and support services to corporate clients and outbound business events agents based in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Dubai sees stronger incentive demand from Indonesia, Singapore

By S Puvaneswary

November 23, 2017

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Outbound business event agents from Indonesia and Singapore are reporting a growing demand for incentive trips to Dubai, spurred mainly by improved destination promotion as well as a desire for new places.

Speaking to TTGmice on the sidelines of an ongoing trade fam trip organised by Dubai Business Events, Richard Mulyanto, supervisor, International Events & Corporate Incentive with Jakarta-based Golden Rama, said Dubai has become a “hot” destination for incentives due to word-of-mouth marketing, with the company recording a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in incentive business to the emirate.

Mulyanto: word-of-mouth driving incentive interest

“When one company travels to Dubai, it attracts others to follow,” he said.

Beny, supervisor, operation management of Jakarta-based Panorama JTB, revealed that his company’s “biggest incentive group” was a 700-pax movement from a multi-level marketing company that “chose Dubai because they were looking for a new destination”.

Mulyanto said Dubai’s new theme parks such as IMG Worlds of Adventure, Dubai Parks and Resorts integrated resort, and the lure of a desert safari adventure are all magnets for clients wanting an incentive programme.

Meanwhile, Singapore-based MICE Matters project executive, Nigel Ng, said Singapore corporate companies that have previously organised incentives to Europe and the US now see Dubai as a new option.

He said: “Dubai provides a whole new experience, (due to) the (destination’s) cultural and historical aspects. Most incentives will be 5D/4N and it usually ends with a gala dinner. I usually advise clients to stay in an average-priced hotel, and spend on tours and gala dinner (instead).”

For Lynn Ng, director of business development at Singapore-based Events Master, Dubai is perceived as an opulent destination and it attracts high-end clients from the banking and insurance sectors.

Indonesia to host major ASEAN MICE show next year

By Mimi Hudoyo

November 23, 2017

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Indonesia will play host to the first B2B travel mart specialised in South-east Asian business events.

Named DestinASEAN Plus, the event will bear the theme, Presenting One ASEAN to the World and Bringing the World to One ASEAN.

Jointly organised by Indonesian travel trade associations with support from the Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, the event supports ASEAN’s goal to position the region as a single business events destination.

The show will rotate across other ASEAN members.

Besides a B2B meeting component, DestinASEANPlus will also include a conference, investment forum, educational and networking events as well as a friendly golf tournament.

The inaugural edition, to be held at the Indonesia Convention and Exhibition (ICE) in BSD Tangerang, Greater Jakarta on April 9-11, is expected to attract 200 sellers, 200 international and 300 Indonesian buyers.

Indra Sukirno, chairperson of the DestinASEAN Plus organising committee, said: “(South-east Asia’s) 600 million-strong population, plus the region’s affiliated countries like the US, China and Indonesia, make up 90 per cent of the world’s population.”

The massive market gives rise to huge growth potential for business events, he opined, adding that DestinASEAN Plus could generate a business value of US$625 million within the next three years for exhibitors.

Esthy Reko Astuty, Ministry of Tourism’s tourism marketing development deputy, urged regional business event players to participate in the event, saying that “business events is a primary subsector in tourism. They come in groups, spend between three and five times higher than leisure travellers and they usually come back as (repeat) leisure travellers”.

Building for the future

By Rachel AJ Lee

November 23, 2017

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What do you think the meetings of the future will be like and what sort of facilities are needed?

The segment continues to evolve with new technology, a growing competitive landscape and an emerging millennial customer base for whom connectivity, culture and collaboration are trending.

With the Crowne Plaza brand, we spent a lot of time looking at insights of the ‘modern business’ traveller and built this into our design work. We know that the ‘modern business traveller’ has a contemporary, ‘lifeaholic’ and millennial mindset. Productivity matters but they also seek energising experiences and inspiration – living life to the fullest, trying new things and searching for efficiency.

This insight lies at the heart of the products and services that we offer to our business guests at Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts – a brand geared towards business travel that is ever more flexible, connected and mobile.

We offer Crowne Plaza Meetings Directors who are expertly trained via an exclusive global partnership with Meeting Professionals International; business-ready services and spaces; fast and fresh meal options specially designed to keep guests productive, and a Sleep Advantage programme to help perform at the top of their game.

Broadly, we see a trend for less structured meetings, freeing up more time and space for brainstorming and networking. Traditional boardrooms will give way to non-traditional venues, such as outdoor spaces, that create conducive settings for productivity, interaction, and creativity.

While face-to-face meetings are here to stay, technology will be essential for extending the reach of any meeting to those who cannot physically attend the event. Free wireless connectivity is no longer an option, but a must-have in every meeting.

Finally, the health and wellness trend in the meeting space will continue to grow, as companies strive to ensure maximum employee productivity. To help guests maintain wellness while travelling, IHG will be introducing the EVEN Hotels brand to Greater China, Australia and New Zealand over the next few years. As the industry’s first and only hotel brand created with wellness at its core, it offers a best-in-class fitness experience, healthier food choices and natural, relaxing spaces.

And how is IHG working with hotel owners to build properties that are better geared for meetings of the future?

The world of business has changed, and so has the way we work. Building properties to suit the needs of our guests starts by understanding who they are, what they like, and delivering an experience that meets their needs before, during and after their meeting (or stay) with us.

Outside of the meeting room, we’ve seen a continued trend for groups looking to immerse themselves in local culture and history, including activities and local fare to further enrich their travel experiences.

To cater for this, the Insider Collection by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts provides a range of delegate experiences that are rooted in the destination and can be tailored to meet different needs. These range from interactive off-site team-building activities to local speakers, or the opportunity for delegates to contribute to projects benefitting the surrounding community and environment.

Has IHG evolved the Crowne Plaza product to better cater to new meeting needs?

Crowne Plaza has implemented an innovative programme called Green Engage, an advanced online system developed by IHG for its hotels to measure the environmental impact of day-to-day operations. With deeper awareness of waste levels and energy usage, hotels are empowered with the right information to improve the sustainability of their operations.

Our Crowne Plaza brand also encourages nutritious menu options that can energise delegates and keep them engaged throughout meetings, while the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage programme provides a holistic approach to a better night’s sleep, through comfortable bedding, guaranteed wake-up calls, Quiet Zone Floors and aromatherapy.

Lastly, where will the upcoming Crowne Plaza and InterContinental properties be in the Asia-Pacific region?

There will be 50 Crowne Plaza and 38 InterContinental hotels and resorts opening in here over the next three to five years, including properties in Greater China.

There will be new Crowne Plaza hotels opening in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu) and Australia (Sydney), just to name a few.

The other notable launch will be Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay, the company’s first Crowne Plaza in Phu Quoc and third in Vietnam, joining Crowne Plaza West Hanoi and Crowne Plaza Danang. The hotel will be part of the new Star Bay/Green Hill development and will be close to both the island’s town centre of Duong Dong and the new Phu Quoc International Airport – making it a prime venue for corporate and leisure events, complete with a business centre, a dedicated meeting and events team and six meeting spaces.

As for the InterContinental brand, new locations will include Indonesia (Jakarta), Laos (Vientiane) and Thailand (Phuket).

Beyond Asia: Under Canvas Mount Rushmore, The Principal London, and 2019 ICCA Workshop

By TTGmice

November 23, 2017

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Under Canvas Mount Rushmore to open next year
Adventure-hospitality based Under Canvas will open Under Canvas Mount Rushmore in the summer of 2018.

Located between Badlands National Park and Black Hills National Forest, the resort will offer luxury accommodations in safari-inspired canvas tents which feature amenities such as in-tent bathrooms and showers, king size beds, sleeper sofas and resort-like luxuries including daily housekeeping.

There will be an on-site restaurant, as well as coordinators to help organise activities.

Principal announces the opening of The Principal London
The latest addition to Principal – a collection of exceptionally located hotels based in landmark buildings – will open in London in early 2018.

Offering 334 rooms, the hotel will take up residence in Hotel Russell which occupies the eastern flank of Russell Square in Bloomsbury.

Aside from three F&B venues, the property’s meeting portfolio includes a grand, listed ballroom which can hold up to 450 guests, as well as eight other event spaces that range in capacity from six to 90.

2019 ICCA Workshop to be held in Florence
AIM Group, together with the Firenze Convention Bureau, have won the bid to host the 2019 ICCA Meeting Management Sector Client/Suppliers Business Workshop.

The event will take place in Florence from February 28 to March 2, 2019, and will be held at the Firenze Fiera Congress & Exhibition Centre.

Food waste prevention certification to launch soon in Thailand

By Karen Yue

November 21, 2017

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A food waste prevention certification programme – The Pledge on Food Waste – will debut across Thai hotels and event venues at end-November, following a ceremony by Sampran Riverside to mark its success as the first hotel to achieve this certification.

The Pledge, a third-party verified food waste prevention standard articulated around nine key guidelines and 85 criteria to cut food waste and save on food costs, is endorsed by organisations such as United Nations Development Programme and Business France, and audited by Audit Diagnostic Tourism Solutions.

Sampran Riverside is the first hotel to be certified in the food waste prevention programme

The programme seeks to help organisations understand and tackle food waste, by setting up a system that encourages hotels and venues to monitor food waste, build capacity among their employees and apply the right KPIs, among other things. Participants can also access a web-based Food Excess Monitoring Platform as well as LightBlue’s “complete attention and assistance throughout the process”, according to Benjamin Lephilibert, The Pledge’s secretary and managing director of LightBlue Environmental Consulting.

Programme implementation support right through to certification is provided by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), which dangles subsidies as encouragement for hotels and event venues to join.

Lephilibert told TTGmice that although the programme has been available for months, the decision was made to only publicise it after the first successful certification.

“We (want to) demonstrate that the programme can achieve real financial results and is a serious process that requires true commitment. Sampran Riverside’s success will be the base on which we will build our communications,” Lephilibert said.

Through the programme, Sampran Riverside, a family-run eco cultural destination located an hour from Bangkok, was able to cut food cost percentage by 3.04 points on average and food waste by 6,405kg, reduce 12.5 per cent in food cost per cover, and offset 19,215kg in carbon emissions within 10 months.

While Lephilibert believes that “TCEB’s backing will absolutely open doors for us in approaching business event venues and hotels in Thailand”, he admitted that there is still much resistance in the marketplace towards food waste prevention.

“Firstly, people are generally in denial about (food waste). Secondly, food waste is a relatively new issue that has only started to make headlines,” he explained.

He continued: “Also, there isn’t an accounting system to quantify food waste. Without understanding the extent of food waste being produced, it is hard to address it. For example, some major hotels we worked with were found to generate more than 1,000kg of food waste daily, which equates to an annual cost of more than US$1 million. The moment you can put a figure on it, people will…pay attention.”

Cost of implementing the programme and certification audit varies according to the size of food operations or number of covers sold a month, according to Lephilibert.

Malaysia Airlines strengthens proposition for corporate incentive groups

By S Puvaneswary

November 21, 2017

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Malaysia Airlines has introduced a slew of new offerings for 2018, specifically targeted at incentive groups.

Arved Nikolaus von zur Muehlan, chief commercial officer at Malaysia Airlines, said the new offerings will include dedicated check-in counters for incentive groups, special inflight announcements made by the cabin crew to welcome groups, special inflight menus, and meet and greet services for overseas groups arriving at any international airport within the country.

Arved Nikolaus von zur Muehlan: MAS to offer special fares domestically and internationally for corporate groups

The new offerings complement the national carrier’s existing ones for business event organisers and delegates under a partnership agreement with Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) to further promote Malaysia as a world-class business and major events destination.

This partnership also sees Malaysia Airlines offering discounted fares to members of any world bodies travelling to Malaysia for site inspections as well as local host committees travelling abroad to market their events.

“International delegates and speakers travelling on Malaysia Airlines to attend regional and international conferences in Malaysia are also eligible for special fares,” shared Arved.

In addition, special fares for domestic travel are available for a week prior to a conference as well as a week after.

Arved said: “We hope this will encourage foreign delegates travelling to Malaysia to extend their stay and visit other parts of the country.”

Egencia gives business travellers an Advantage

By TTGmice

November 21, 2017

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Egencia, the business travel arm of the Expedia group, has introduced Egencia Advantage, a new global programme of services designed to support business travellers throughout their entire journey.

The new programme prioritises corporate travellers

At launch, Egencia Advantage includes:

LoungeBuddy: Global aggregator of airport lounge information for business travellers. When travellers are delayed at the airport or have a long layover, booking into one of the hundreds of lounges available worldwide gives them quiet and comfort to get some work done while waiting, or the ability to grab a bite, rest and recharge.

Visa services: Through a global network of partners including CIBT visas, Egencia now offers travel visa processing services, which include visa application, renewal or replacement needs around the world.

AirHelp: The world’s number one air passenger rights company helps business travellers apply for compensation from the airlines following a flight disruption. AirHelp supports passengers who experience a delayed or cancelled flight, or a missed connection within the European Union (EU), leaving the EU or arriving in the EU with a European airline.

Traveller Risk Management: Egencia connects travellers with recommended providers for their specific duty of care needs.

Aside from providing travellers with extra perks on the road for greater efficiency and productivity, Egencia Advantage also gives companies the means to improve their travel programmes.

Egencia Advantage will continue to add services as relationships develop.

New rooftop events space debuts in heart of HCMC

By TTGmice

November 21, 2017

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The five-star Caravelle Saigon in Vietnam, located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, recently launched its 26^th floor event space, boasting unrivalled views of the cityscape and Saigon River.

Called Events on 26, the 215m² space has been covered with a grass turf and decorated with fairy lights. Guests must walk a red carpet, up a staircase, and through a skyline corridor – which meeting planners can also choose to decorate – before emerging onto the hotel’s rooftop.

Events on 26 can hold up to 150 people for standing cocktails, and up to 60 people for sit-down dinners. Event planners can delight their guests with gourmet canapes, live food stations serving international cuisine and imported meats, or set dinner menus, as created by the hotel’s chefs.

Now in its opening phase, a Standard Package for the venue is priced at VND 20,000,000++ (US$880++), and includes the use of the 26^th floor for the evening, a red-carpet welcome from the elevator on the 24^th floor, spotlights, plants and fairy lights, ambient music and speakers. The property can also arrange for add-ons such as projectors, fireworks, barbecue grills, bands and stages.

From now until the Tet Holidays (Vietnamese New Year), a special introductory 20 per cent discount will be given for all bookings.

Email events@caravellehotel.com.

Philippines takes a more serious, strategic look at business events

More efforts to bring business events to Dubai

Dubai sees stronger incentive demand from Indonesia, Singapore

Indonesia to host major ASEAN MICE show next year

Building for the future

Beyond Asia: Under Canvas Mount Rushmore, The Principal London, and 2019 ICCA Workshop

Food waste prevention certification to launch soon in Thailand

Malaysia Airlines strengthens proposition for corporate incentive groups

Egencia gives business travellers an Advantage

New rooftop events space debuts in heart of HCMC

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