Penang hosted 1,251 events with an estimated economic impact of RM808 million (US$182 million) in its CVB’s first year of operations in 2016, according to an industry review released by the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB).

Of these, PCEB supported 37 international and national business events in the state, totalling an estimated 29,030 participants and 91,616 in room nights.

The report further showed that the majority of international business events hosted in Penang last year originated from Singapore and South Asia.

For incentives, national groups formed the bulk at 82 per cent followed by groups from Singapore at 16 per cent.

As well, the average number of participants per congress and corporate event was 97.9, an indication of Penang’s suitability for small and medium-sized events.

Of the 257 events that make up national congresses, most were centred on sectors related to education, culture and ideas, medical sciences, government, social sciences and economics and industry, coinciding with Penang’s national status as a hub for these sectors.

Major cultural celebrations, festivals, and anniversaries of significant events, have significant bearing on business event patterns in Penang. February and June showed lower numbers of events, participants and room nights attributable to Chinese New Year and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Also showing a correlation with a decrease in meeting numbers are anniversaries and memorials of unfortunate events such as the Malaysia Airlines double tragedies in March and July 2014, according to the report.

With many of Nay Pyi Taw’s hotels and conference centres standing almost empty, Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has launched a series of initiatives to try and breathe life into them.

Previous complaints about high rates and inconvenient connectivity have been tackled by slashing hotel prices, while talks are underway to add to the current direct flights from Bangkok and China, as well as four daily domestic connections.

Hilton Nay Pyi Taw

Kyaw Min Htin, joint secretary general of Myanmar Tourism Federation, said: “We are ready. Nay Pyi Daw is like a resort. We’ve got two conference centres, the fastest Internet in Myanmar, more than 60 hotels with 5,000 rooms, and great roads for transport. Also, all the ministries are based there.”

He further indicated that the ministry is also working towards adding more international flights in the near future to make the destination more accessible.

Daw Khin Than Win, deputy director general of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, added that with Bagan and Mandalay sitting three hours away and Inle five hours, the capital would also be promoted as an ideal destination for business leisure travellers.

Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) and its partners have landed 83 more business events in 2016 – 59 bids won and 24 bids supported – to be held between 2017 and 2020.

Along with attracting another 35,000 delegates in the years to come, 2016 marked a booming decade of business events in Sarawak with the hosting of the 55^th ICCA Congress.

Borneo Convention Centre Kuching

“Over the long term we can expect these 35,000 delegates to import to Sarawak vital research, knowledge exchange, technical expertise and trade partnerships, while in the short term they will spend RM56 million (US$12.6 million) in Sarawak in Direct Delegate Expenditure,” said Mike Cannon, group CEO and managing director for SCB and Sarawak Tourism.

Sarawak is also readying to host at least 27 major events in notable fields this year, including the 5^th Asia Pacific Conference on Public Health 2017, IEEE International Conference on Signal and Image Processing Applications 2017, and 29^th World Congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with The 21^st Malaysian Conference of Psychological Medicine 2017.

Conference delegates can now hop on a boat to get to events at the International Convention Centre Sydney.

Able to carry 60 passengers each, two passenger catamarans MV Blackwattle Bay and MV Cockle Bay will run regular transport services between Darling Harbour and Circular Quay.

Business Events Sydney chief executive, Lyn Lewis-Smith said that the new twin catamarans are able to provide business delegates with a unique way to navigate around the city.

“The route offers the best of Sydney – views of the stunning Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House coupled with the convenience of point-to-point transportation between the heart of Circular Quay and Sydney’s business events district,” Lewis-Smith added.

The fuel-efficient and eco-friendly boats will also operate services for Captain Cook’s Hop On Hop Off, White Bay ferry service.

Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary received a sizeable donation from an Asian meetings market pioneer, for its conservation efforts of endangered Bornean Orangutans.

Anthony Wong, group managing director of AOS Conventions and Events, donated his prize winnings of 1,000 euros (US$1,062) – received from the prestigious Moises Schuster Award 2016 of the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA) – to the sanctuary, which he nominated as his top choice for most outstanding charity.

(From left) AOS Conventions and Events’ Anthony Wong, and ICCA president Nina Freysen-Pretorius at the award ceremony

“Like many others working over a lifetime to promote sustainability in this sector, I was truly inspired by Sarawak’s efforts to use conferences as an excellent global platform to reawaken interest in conservation or charitable programmes; in this case, to promote the plight of our ‘Man of the Forest’,” said Wong.

Named after one of ICCA’s “founding fathers”, the award recognises individuals in the international meetings sector who model the values of inspiring business success, leadership, and contribution to ICCA’s development.

Wong, a regional champion of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, received the honour in November last year at the 55th ICCA Congress in Kuching, Sarawak.

Wong’s choice is also a strong nod of support to both ICCA and Sarawak Convention Bureau, who jointly ran the successful ‘Borneo Orangutan Project’ as the Congress’ flagship corporate social responsibility project to an international audience from Barcelona and Melbourne, to Shanghai, Bangkok and Las Vegas.

The Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) has mapped out plans for a learning, credentialing and career development centre, as well as a consulting unit.

In the works, president and CEO Octavio Peralta said in a report to members, is the PCAAE Academy that will “work with pioneers and leaders in association governance, leadership and management (to) offer educational programmes at fundamental, intermediate and master’s levels”.

Peralta: Industry experts will boost PCAAE Academy 

Under this is the existing Certified Professional Association Executive (CPAE) programme which has already graduated over 10 PCAAE members, including Peralta.

“There are a few who are only lacking points and will graduate soon. This core of association professionals will be the resource pool for associations wanting to be more sustainable into the future,” Peralta told TTGmice e-Weekly.

PCAAE Academy will also reach out to students via a “summer school” and tie up with learning institutions to expand curriculum and partners.

Also in the works, Peralta said, is the PCAAE Consulting to serve as the association’s professional advisory and technical assistance business unit.

It will have a pool of practitioners and experts who are members, as well as those recommended by members, that will provide fee-based advisory and technical assistance on association governance and management.

PCAAE is also in the process of building the speakers and authors bureau, a database of resource persons who are members, as well as member recommended experts.

The goal, Peralta said, is to develop “homegrown” talent for the PCAEE Academy, PCAAE Consulting, CPAE, Association Executives Summit and other knowledge programmes.