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.

Japan’s exhibitions industry has reacted with fury and incredulity at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s decision to close Tokyo Big Sight for seven months to use it as the international media centre before and during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The industry says the decision means the largest purpose-built venue of its kind in the city will be unavailable for exhibitions between April and October 2020, forcing the cancellation or significant down-sizing of 170 exhibitions to be held at Tokyo Big Sight during the seven-month period.

Tokyo Big Sight

This will cause an estimated 1.3 trillion yen (US$11.39 billion) in damages, with exhibitors losing out 1.2 trillion yen and service companies forfeiting some 100 billion yen.

The decision by the city government – which owns Tokyo Big Sight – also threatens the survival of 38,000 SME exhibitors that rely on events for a large portion of their annual revenue.

Most worrying, the exhibitions industry says, is the high possibility that exhibitions that have been Tokyo stalwarts for many years will go elsewhere in Asia and not return in the future.

“We organise Comiket, the largest manga and anime event in Japan, at Tokyo Big Sight every August and many of the companies that take part rely on that exhibition for as much as 50 per cent of their annual revenue,” Hajime Okada, president of Hiroshima-based publisher Eikou, told TTGmice e-Weekly in an interview.

“To not be able to use the venue for seven months is going to be absolutely devastating to these companies,” he said.

Tad Ishizumi, chairman of the Japan Exhibition Association, said the Tokyo government’s decision was as brutal as the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which had hit the business events industry just as hard as exhibitors and visitors stayed away from the country.

Ishizumi said: “Even when exhibitions were cancelled for just one month in 2011, many companies were on the verge of bankruptcy. Imagine what the impact will be if Tokyo Big Sight is unavailable for seven months.”

“In Rio de Janeiro, London and Beijing, no exhibitions had to be scaled back or cancelled entirely (during the Games),” he pointed out.

And while a suggestion for a temporary facility is welcomed, the proposal is only for a venue one-quarter the size of Tokyo Big Sight, Ishizumi revealed.

A metropolitan government spokesman told TTGmice e-Weekly that a 23,000m2 replacement facility will be made available close to Tokyo Big Sight between April 2019 and November 2020, but declined to respond to other questions.

Meliá Hotels International (MHI), which is opening six new hotels in China in the next three years, is speeding up its digital strategy to tap and seamlessly satisfy the needs of the increasing number of millennial bleisure travellers.

Rubén Casas, senior director of sales and marketing Asia Pacific, said: “We have taken a new approach to marketing and adapting to this segment of guests. For example, 83 per cent of all displays, social media and mobile will be managed through programmatic platforms in 2018.”

Meliá Shanghai Hongqiao

“This automation means we can better and more quickly tailor the message for the millennials in each market. Overall this is part of MHI’s digitisation programme where we will see better integration of our processes,” he said.

MHI also has a new Professionals Portal, which is being adapted to help travel agents, meeting and event planners, and corporate travel managers.

To cater to its bleisure guests who tend to be in the 25-35 age group and work in pharmaceuticals, direct sales, fast-moving consumer groups and manufacturing, MHI is taking a “more fun” approach to deliver more opportunities to mingle and partake in communal activities, Casas added.

MHI’s expansion in China focuses on urban hotels in the bleisure segment in first- and second-tier cities, and high-end resorts in tourist destinations. It will also introduce the INNSIDE brand to the country.

The 190-room Meliá Shanghai Hongqiao, targeted to open in March, is one of the most anticipated openings for the group as the flagship brand makes its entry into China’s business and financial hub, joining Gran Meliá Xi’an, a popular bleisure destination, and Meliá Ji’nan.

Other hotels in the pipeline are INNSIDE Zhengzhou (March 2017), Gran Meliá Zhengzhou (February 2018), Meliá Chongqing (February 2018), Meliá Zhengzhou (September 2018) and Meliá Tianjin (March 2020).

Tourism Australia has decided to host its signature Dreamtime incentive travel showcase in Queensland’s Brisbane for the first time from December 3-6, 2017.

As part of the Dreamtime programme, Australian industry will have the opportunity to meet and do business with qualified buyers from key markets including Greater China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, New Zealand, the US and the UK. The programme also includes a destination showcase, dedicated media event and networking opportunities.

Brisbane skyline

Tourism Australia’s managing director John O’Sullivan said: “The event has produced solid results in raising the Australia’s profile internationally and developing new businesses. A survey of those who took part in Dreamtime 2015 confirmed the event generated over 60 incentive business leads worth A$40 million (US$29.6 million).”

Brisbane’s lord mayor Graham Quirk added: “Dreamtime gives us the opportunity to showcase our vibrant hotels, venues, teambuilding offerings and leisure experiences to key global incentive decision-makers, who are responsible for bringing in large groups that support our tourism industry and broader visitor economy.”

AIME Welcome Event for 2017 will take place on Monday, 20 February at Carousel by food&desire, one of Melbourne’s most iconic event venues. revealed Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), presenter of the highly anticipated event.

Karen Bolinger, CEO of MCB, said the AIME Welcome Event will be a celebration of the business events industry.

“The AIME Welcome Event is one of the only events in the Asia-Pacific region that brings the global business events industry together. As we celebrate 25 years of AIME it provides us with an opportunity to showcase the best of our city, and in 2017 we chose our creative industries.”

“This year’s event will enable attendees to revel in the imaginative creative scene spanning arts, culture, screen and design, that our city is so renowned for,” she added.

The event, produced for the first time by Solution Entertainment, will feature extensive networking opportunities as well as pop-up entertainment that nods to the city’s creative culture and arts including traditional and contemporary dance, theatre, visual and performing arts.

Tickets are on sale now at www.aime.com.au/welcomeevent.