Dubai Business Events (DBE) won a record number of 129 bids and proposals for upcoming business events last year, a 79 per cent increase from 2015, with much of this success attributed to its ambassador programme and partnerships.

Notable wins include Congress of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Annual Congress 2017, World Congress of Cardiology 2018 and World Down Syndrome Congress 2020.

BestCities Global Forum 2016

One main driver for this performance was the Al Safeer Ambassador Programme, through which over 350 prominent local scientists, healthcare professionals, business people and government officials assisted DBE in bringing international events to Dubai.

Ambassadors helped secure bids for 25 meetings and conferences, with an expected attendance of over 30,000 delegates between now and 2021.

Bids were also won in partnership with local stakeholders such as Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates Airline, hotels as well as DMCs and PCOs.

The economic impact of these events is estimated at close to 400 million dirhams (US$108.9 million) and will bring an estimated 75,000 additional visitors to Dubai over the next six years, according to a DBE statement.

Victories for 2016 also include events held in Dubai for the first time, such as the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, which saw participation from 7,500 oil and gas professionals from 91 countries.

And in December 2016, DBE hosted the first BestCities Global Forum, which attracted 35 international association executives to Dubai, in addition to representatives from all 11 of the BestCities partner cities.

Armed with stronger funding for Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) this year, along with new tourism products and softening hotel room rates across the city as a result of Western Australia’s mining and energy industry downturn, bureau CEO Paul Beeson said “the stars are aligned” for the destination to intensify its courtship of corporate incentives, particularly from South-east Asia.

In an interview with TTGmice e-Weekly on Monday morning, Beeson explained that the focus of the bureau had “really been association conferences” since its establishment in 1974.

Perth city skyline

He said: “Ninety per cent of our remit for the past 40 years has been on not-for-profit organisations (and their) conferences. Corporate incentive groups account for only 10 per cent of our remit.

“(But) with the amount of accommodation coming up over the last two years, the range of leisure products we now have, our proximity to South-east Asia and the wonderful air links we have with the region, we’ve decided to change our strategy towards corporate incentives, particularly out of South-east Asia.”

Beeson aims to grow the share of corporate incentives to total business events in Perth from 10 per cent in 2016 to 40 per cent in four years’ time.

He believes Perth’s offerings are perfect for the South-east Asian markets, as travellers from the region appreciate a safe environment which they can explore at ease, abundant nature and easy access to varied landscapes available across Western Australia.

Besides the newly opened six-star, 500-key Crown Towers Perth, Beeson pointed to the work-in-progress Elizabeth Quay and Perth City Link as new districts which will house even more accommodation options including The Ritz-Carlton Perth which will offer 204 luxury suites, recreational facilities, as well as varied leisure options and event venues.

Other new products that he thinks will add value to corporate incentives bound for Perth are luxury barges on Swan River that can be used for exclusive events and “countless” new restaurants.

PCB will assign internal business development staff to handle South-east Asian markets, having recently ceased its contract with an external agency based in Singapore that used to cover Singapore and Malaysia.

To promote the city of Kanazawa as an emerging destination for incentive travel, leading Tokyo-based MICE provider, Event Services, will be launching a new division, DMC Kanazawa, in April or May this year.

President of both companies, Lucky Morimoto, said: “Kanazawa has not been spoiled and that is one reason why I believe it will be a popular destination for incentive travel.”

Kanazawa train station

The city has a reputation for being as attractive as Kyoto, although on a smaller scale, and without the hordes of visitors.

Moreover, Morimoto believes that the city will prove attractive to MICE buyers because of its proximity to both Osaka and Tokyo, thanks to the opening of a new shinkansen stretch in March 2015.

“Corporate buyers overseas who come to Japan for incentive travel generally start by sending groups to Tokyo and then spread out to Osaka, Kyoto and smaller cities such as Sapporo,” Morimoto told TTGmice e-weekly.

“But mature clients have already been to these places and are looking for attractive new destinations. Kanazawa is ideal because the new shinkansen line means it is only two hours from Tokyo and 90 minutes from Osaka,” he added.

Morimoto said DMC Kanazawa will target incentive groups of between 50 and 300 people, primarily at the higher end of the market, and he has identified a number of local venues such as Kanazawa Castle as potential locations for events.

Also, the Ishikawa Prefectural Government is also working with the Tokyo Convention and Visitors’ Bureau to attract more overseas tourists to the region. The organisations have set an annual target of 400,000 foreign tourists.