China is ready to roll out ICESAP’s (Incentive, Conference & Event Society Asia Pacific) accreditation scheme, following its Asia-Pacific debut earlier this year, as the Chinese translation of the 42-page application document has been completed.

According to ICESAP’s Beijing-based regional vice-president, Alicia Yao, the programme will be ready to launch within a month once some terms and conditions – like currency conversions and Chinese corporate practices – are “fine tuned”.

The accreditation scheme is open to open to all agencies, not just those owned or managed by ICESAP members, that manage corporate events, corporate meetings and corporate incentives.

In a press statement, Jack Yao, secretary general of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Commercial Sub Council, said there are in excess of 30,000 intermediary agencies in China working in the incentive travel, association conferences, corporate meetings, business events, and trade exhibitions sector. It is estimated within two years at least 6,000 of these will be accredited under the CCPIT-ICESAP scheme.

Yao told TTGmice that there are some 90-plus China members out of ICESAP’s 600 total in the Asia-Pacific.

The China rollout will be further boosted during the 4^th ICESAP Annual Conference in Shanghai in early-September, where agencies will receive “training” and earn points towards their accreditation, she added.

About half of the 250-plus conference delegates are expected to come from China.

Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral has recently introduced its own food truck to cater to its own private outdoor events, as well as to the corporate crowd in the vicinity.

Called Re:Fuel On Wheels, this is the first food truck to be offered by a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Greg Gubiani, general manager of Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, said the food truck and crew can be rented for outdoor catering services and private functions. He said: “We can tailor-make the menu and food, which is always served fresh as it is prepared in the truck.”

He further explained that the idea of the food truck came about as there was no such offerings from hotels in the city. He added: “It was very well received by event organisers, as they are assured that the hygiene and food standards are the same as that offered by the hotel.”

Just a day after the launch on July 18, a request came for a 1,000 pax request from a nearby mall. At press time, it was currently the truck’s largest catering event.

Within Earth Holidays’ executive director, Saini Vermeulen, shared: “The food truck gives us the flexibility to offer quick bites and lunches when we conduct outdoor events in areas where it is difficult to get good quality food. Aloft’s newest offering is very much welcomed because it brings an international branded chain’s food right to you, wherever that may be.”

Re:Fuel On Wheels is a derivation from the hotel’s 24-hour grab and go concept store, Re:Fuel, which offers self-serve gourmet eats.

Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral is also maximising its location, within the city’s transportation hub of Kuala Lumpur Sentral and surrounded by corporate offices, to draw in meetings. Its bar, W XYZ was been revamped recently to make it more comfortable for dining and discussions.

“It used to be more like a lounge in the past,” said Gubiani.

The rooftop bar area which initially had a cigar room has been turned into a multifunctional room with natural daylight, and is equipped with meeting facilities such as a projector.

FCM Travel Solutions strengthened its reach in Asia-Pacific with a recent partnership forged with Yangon-based Oway Travels and Tours, Myanmar.

Oway Travels is a venture-capital backed, IATA approved company with over 250 employees.

“This new partnership for FCM will increase our already-established presence in Asia and is a valuable addition to our growing global network. A presence in Myanmar strengthens FCM’s service offering for current clients and prospects operating in the region – we are implementing several new clients at present with the Oway Travels team,” said Caroline Kerr, general manager for FCM’s Asia Pacific Partner Network.

Nay Aung, CEO and founder of Oway Travels and Tours, said in a statement: “Our dynamic market is seeing more travel demand as investments pour in and it is a great opportunity for us to partner a global company like FCM.”

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau’s (TCEB) newest president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, is keen to use the business events industry to play a larger part in developing Thailand.

“It is expected that in the 2017 budget year, there will be a total of 27.1 million MICE travellers in Thailand, generating revenue of 155 billion baht (US$4.6 billion), separated into 1.1 million international MICE visitors, generating a revenue of 101 billion baht, and 26 million domestic MICE travellers, generating 54 billion baht in revenue,” Chiruit pointed out.

Chiruit added: “To build MICE into a key sector in developing the country requires the use of four directions for enhancing the MICE industry to create more stability.”

The four steps he indicated are:

1. Growing in parallel with the development of the country, which focuses on keeping the current market and finding new markets by placing business events in parallel with the development of the country’s economy, pulling the industry into other target industries, such as those covered by Thailand 4.0, as well as into special economic areas
2. Growing in a high potential market, focusing on the regions with high growth and strong connection with the development of Thailand’s economy, such as South-east Asia, Greater Mekong Subregion, East Asia/South Asia and Australia/New Zealand
3. Growing with equality, by increasing the opportunities for business events industry growth in provinces with potential, such as Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Pattaya/Chonburi and Songkhla
4. Growing strongly, which involves the development of an internal system to meet the needs of the market, developing the organisation and regulations to better support the industry in the future

Five strategies will be undertaken to achieve the four directions. They include developing and enhancing the capabilities of local business event operators through certification; integrating public and private sectors to attract more world-class events into Thailand; distributing economic development to other regions through the business events industry; driving the use of innovations and building business events Intelligence to support and enhance competitive capabilities; and improving TCEB as an organisation with good governance.

Meanwhile, Chiruit also shared that Thailand will play host to a number of international conferences this year, such as the 2017 PCMA Global Professional Conference – Asia Pacific, UIA’s Associations Roundtable Asia-Pacific 2017, IT&CM Asia & CTW Asia Pacific, and SIGGRAPH Asia. In 2019, the country will also play host to UFI The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and SITE Global Conference 2019.

The Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizers (APFAO) and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) have signed an MoU on June 29 which will see the implementation of programmes and activities based on mutual interests.

For example, the two organisations will support NTOs in setting up national associations for associations executives, and enhance the engagement of association executives at ICCA and APFAO events.

Octavio B Peralta, APFAO pro-tem head of secretariat and founder of the Philippine Council for Associations and Association Executives, has also indicated that the two organisations are thinking about organising joint events.

Peralta pointed out that ICCA has supported APFAO since its inception, and works with associations to build their capacities and grow their network with ICCA members.

“They helped us ‘tell the story’ to their members – convention and visitors bureaus, tourism boards, meeting planners, etc. – to relate with associations in their respective countries, and to encourage the formation of national association of associations like APFAO,” he said.

Peralta added: “On its part, APFAO is supporting ICCA’s Association Meetings Programme which brings associations and meeting professionals to one forum.”

Earlier in April, APFAO also signed a memorandum of cooperation with the American Society of Association Executives, which Peralta said includes jointly organising conferences and forums on association governance and management, credentialing programmes, networking and strategic alliances among members.

Destination NSW has appointed Celine Dong as the new business development manager for Shanghai.

Prior to joining Destination NSW, Dong was with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) where she held the position of manager, Eastern China.

In addition, Christine Tang has been appointed the first business development manager for the newly-opened Guangzhou office in Southern China.

Prior to joining Destination NSW, Tang was manager, Southern China, also with STB.

Both Dong and Tang will be responsible for building relationships with key travel trade partners, wholesalers, retailers, airlines and online agents to increase the awareness and sales of NSW tourism destinations and products in Eastern China and Southern China respectively, Sandra Chipchase, Destination NSW’s CEO, said.

China is the number one inbound visitor market for Destination NSW. In the year that ended March 2017, New South Wales welcomed more than 700,000 visitors from China who spent close to A$3 billion (US$2.4 billion).