Chinese personal healthcare company Infinitus has chosen the Gold Coast for its week-long incentive programme taking place in May 2018, giving the region its biggest business event to date.
The programme, expected to bring to the city 8,000 delegates and generate over A$50 million (US$37 million) in expenditure, was secured by Gold Coast Business Events, a division of Gold Coast Tourism, in collaboration with Tourism and Events Queensland and Tourism Australia.
Explaining why this represents a major achievement for the destination, director of Gold Coast Business Events, Anna Case, said: “To win this prestigious event, we had to demonstrate that our city has all the elements essential to delivering an extraordinary programme that will leave Infinitus delegates inspired.
“The Gold Coast has a winning mix of business events infrastructure, experiences and service. When you add to this our pristine beaches, spectacular hinterland and climate, it really is an unbeatable combination.”
Commented general manager of Infinitus China Jacky Hu: “We are truly amazed at the endless choices we have to help us put together a one-of-a-kind business travel incentive holiday for our delegates. Already, we are very impressed by the attentiveness of Tourism Australia and Gold Coast Tourism.”
Wyndham Hotel Group’s 100th hotel in South-east Asia and the Pacific Rim has opened in eastern Bali.
The 222-room Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali, positioned as Wyndham’s newest flagship hotel in Indonesia, is located on the beachfront in Klungkung where rice paddies are abound.
Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali, Suite Pool room
Away from the city’s hotspots and close to the heart of nature, the resort offers guests an environment that is designed with natural elements made of wood, stone and water that blend cohesively into its surroundings.
Besides rooms and private pool villas, Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali also welcomes corporate groups with four meeting rooms – one with capacity for 20 delegates, and the other three can be combined to accommodate up to 30 delegates.
Other facilities at the hotel includes unique dining destinations such as Bumbu Restaurant by the beach and which offers gourmet lunchboxes for guests looking to venture out to sea or the nearby villages; and Tirta Spa which utilises ancient Balinese traditions in its treatments, delivered in eight beachside garden huts.
The hotel is a 10-minute drive to world-class surf break, Keramas.
Meanwhile, Wyndham Hotel Group is furthering its expansion in the region with a pipeline of more than 30 properties, the majority of which are new-builts, due to open by 2020. These new hotels will add a further 8,776 rooms to the Wyndham portfolio in the region, bringing the total number of rooms to 24,030.
The Banyan Tree Group is offering a range of scenic meeting spaces from its resorts across South-east Asia, touted to be unlike the usual bland and drab venues usually found.
At Banyan Tree Phuket for instance, the daylit Cassia Room is designed to provide room for creativity and exploration. Quest, a corporate training centre, also now operates in Laguna Phuket and is on hand to assist with team-building needs.
Angsana Lang Co
Meanwhile, the boardroom at Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali, seats up to 12 pax and offers views of the surrounding greenery. The resort’s Presidential Three-Bedroom Villa looking out to the ocean also makes for a unique meeting venue for groups of up to 15 people. Team-building activities at the resort include surfing, paintball and yoga, all which can be capped off with a cliff-top team dinner.
And at Banyan Tree Lang Co in Vietnam, boardrooms come complete with views of the gardens or coastline. Team bonding activities such as visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mountain biking, hiking and group cooking classes can also be arranged flexibly with half- and full-day meeting packages, among other offers for planners, available.
The meetings industry in Asia will continue to thrive in the face of political uncertainty and changes taking place in Europe and the US, according to industry leaders interviewed at ICCA Congress 2016.
Destination marketers in Asia predict that demand is set to grow as people will require more face-to-face meetings and networking sessions to find solutions for the common good and to solve issues affecting the world.
“Meetings help with problem solving. The weakened US dollar and sterling is not going to have any impact on the choice of destination for the next meeting for an association headquartered in Europe or US because the decision on where to go is decided by votes from the majority and not by a particular person,” said Mike Cannon, CEO at Sarawak Convention Bureau.
While political uncertainties in the UK and US had negatively impacted a basket of major currencies, resulting in longhaul travel into Asia-Pacific becoming relatively more expensive, it is not likely to negatively influence attendance from longhaul destinations into Asia, opines Khoo Cheng-Hoon, executive secretary of Asia Oceania Geosciences Society.
She believes content is paramount in boosting delegate attendance even from destinations that may be hit by uncertainty and changes in government. “For scientific conferences, what is important is having good content,” she said.
Jill Henry, an associate at GainingEdge in Australia, said associations plan their meetings three to five years ahead. Uncertainties such as those arising from a surprise US election result or Brexit will not affect attendances at conferences hosted in Asia as delegates would have already made a prior commitment to attend.
She added: “However, I do foresee more regional meetings taking place and this has been a trend over the last five years that will continue to grow.”
The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) in Asia-Pacific is intensifying efforts to promote Japan as a MICE and leisure destination with the opening of four new marketing offices in Asia in 2017.
“The new offices will be based in the capital cities of Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Manila and New Delhi, and will be opened in stages after JNTO’s new fiscal year in April,” said Susan Maria Ong, MICE director Asia Pacific at JNTO.
“Each of these new offices will be tasked to offer support and assistance to meeting and incentive planners as well as outbound leisure travel agents to further develop MICE and leisure tourism in Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and India,” she added.
These four additions, plus existing ones in Bangkok, Jakarta and Sydney, will be looked after by the JNTO Singapore office that oversees the Asia-Pacific markets.
Other initiatives planned by the JNTO in 2017 include conducting MICE seminars and workshops for industry partners and to market directly to associations in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Seoul MICE Alliance (SMA) gained 36 members in October, bringing its membership strength up to 230 ahead of the SMA Annual Meeting and as it continues to strive towards boosting the city’s MICE competitiveness.
The new members come from a range of industries and include the recently opened Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Namdaemun, food tour operator O’ngo Food Communications, Sejong University Convention Center and numerous new duty-free shopping malls.
National Folk Museum located within the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds
The association also welcomed 11 unique venues, among which are the National Folk Museum, Seoul Grand Park, Han River cruise ship operator Eland Cruise and hotel rooftop bars within the city centre.
The full alliance will gather at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul – also an alliance member – for the SMA Annual Meeting on November 24. Scheduled events include workshops, presentations and discussions on the past and future of SMA, official induction of new members, and entertainment. The meeting also coincides with Seoul MICE Week.
Major upcoming events in 2016 held at SMA venues include the World Engineering Education Forum 2016 (Coex, 2000 participants), Meeting of the Internet Engineering Taskforce (Conrad Seoul, 1,200 participants), and the 5th Biennial Scientific Meeting Asia Cornea Society (Grand Hilton Seoul, 700 participants).
Convention bureau Meet Taiwan is utilising creative means to boost its destination profile and branding during travel trade events.
Earlier this year, it developed the High Five Taiwan campaign that has been used in five travel trade shows this year including IT&CM China, IT&CM Asia and IMEX 2016 to boost traffic to its Meet Taiwan booth, and results have been phenomenal.
At IMEX for instance, the campaign generated 373 per cent more traffic to the booth compared to the previous year. “The campaign was developed specifically to solve the problem of getting buyers to our booth and it has produced results,” said Walter Yeh, executive vice president of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.
The initiative involved visitors placing their palms on an iPad provided by Meet Taiwan and an app will then detect the person’s body temperature and suggest a travel activity they can do in Taiwan. More than 175,000 trade participants have used the app so far since it made its debut at IT&CM China in April, said Yeh.
During the ICCA Congress, Meet Taiwan and Kaohsiung also saw an opportunity to be creative during a lunch they sponsored by inviting younger delegates to sit with and interact freely with industry veterans, such as CEO of ICCA Martin Sirk, at the VIP table.
Sirk said: “It is a clever way of branding which no other sponsor at ICCA Congress has thought of in the past. It sends a clear message that Meet Taiwan and Kaohsiung are also interested in the next generation of leaders, and not solely focused on driving traffic to their destinations.”
Make your event a memorable one by showcasing the culture of the destination while celebrating local talent. Here are some unique performance groups that you can call upon here in Asia-Pacific to leave a lasting impression
Cambodia Living Arts, Cambodia
Cambodia Living Arts (CLA) is an NGO launched in 1998 to revive the country’s traditional arts, which were wiped out during the Khmer Rouge reign. CLA trains young Cambodians to professional standards in a range of art forms, and talented troupes are on hand to wow private and public audiences with their artistic feats. Dance troupes showcase different dances from Apsara to the ethnic buffalo sacrifice dance. The ancient shadow puppet shows have also been revived, with large and small puppets performed in both traditional and modern ways, while musical groups are on hand to perform with instruments such as the pinpeat (wind and percussion instruments), and chapey dong veng (two-stringed, long-necked guitar).
Urban Drum Crew drum is touted as the “definite showstopper whenever and wherever they perform”. This performance group based in Singapore is able to rouse the crowd by playing a number of rhythmic instruments, producing music with a creative blend of innovative ideas.
Among the many unique acts it offers is the water LED drums where lights and water come alive with the drumming beats.
Urban Drum Crew is also able to bring Singapore’s multicultural elements into its performances.
Best suited for… Any private events. For indoor performances requiring the use of water LED drums, Urban Drum Crew will bring its own water retention carpet and ground sheet.
Bhangra is known to be one of the most energetic dance forms from the northern Indian state of Punjab. It has been showcased in many Bollywood musicals.
The dance form is both serious and vibrant at the same time, making it suitable for opening ceremonies in the morning, as a mid-conference energiser, for award dinners and all other events in between.
Event planners can have a Bhangra troupe, wearing colourful traditional dresses and playing a dhol (drum), welcome delegates as they enter the venue. The performers can also escort delegates to their respective seats.
Delegates can also be invited to be part of the performance, by having some members of the troupe urging them on, while other performers entertain the rest with their acrobatic feats.
Best suited for… Any private events
Contact info@tic-india.com; www.tic-india.com
Circular Rhythm, Australia
Circular Rhythm is essentially run by Lucas Proudfoot, a one-man-band, who provides interactive and informative performances designed to educate audiences on Australian Indigenous culture.
Located on the Gold Coast, Proudfoot is a member of the Tweed Coast/Aboriginal Islander community and has over 20 years of experience as a cultural performer. His shows feature a plethora of instruments ranging from the guitar, stomp box and didgeridoo to indigenous instruments such as clap sticks and boomerangs.
Each performance ranges from 10 to 20 minutes in length and is tailored to the client and audience, linking in with corporate branding and key messaging.
Macanese group Tuna Macaense was formed in 1935. Today, the band still performs, and its members are of Portuguese and Chinese descent. They are able to provide live music in the form of Cantonese and Chinese ballads, carnival songs, and Anglo-Saxon pop music.
One of the many non-verbal South Korean performances that have earned an international following, Fanta-Stick tells a love story that had begun at the dawn of time using a mix of traditional Korean melodies, heart-pounding percussion beats and electrifying dance moves.
The audience are encouraged to clap and chant to the beat, providing a wholly immersive and memorable performance.
Although Fanta-Stick offers regular, scheduled performances at NH Art Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, the crew is open to private event hire at other locations.
Best suited for… Opening and closing dinner events, and award functions
Hailing from Hong Kong, Children’s Cantonese Opera’s roots can be traced back to 1998, when it was formed by a charitable company, the Cha Duk Chang Children’s Cantonese Opera Association (CDC).
CDC’s performances are based on scripts that have been specially written for children, where the theme revolves around their daily lives.
Performance durations can be anything from 10 to 30 minutes and is flexible depending on the organisers’ need. Famous
Cantonese opera stories, based on original scripts, can also be relayed in English.
Best suited for… Any private events
Contact info@chadukchang.com
www.chadukchang.com
El Gamma Penumbra, the Philippines
The grand winner of the first season of Asia’s Got Talent in 2015, the all-male El Gamma Penumbra performance group weaves beautiful stories, leaves inspiring messages, and raises awareness on contemporary issues such as trophy hunting, the ill effects of blast fishing and climate change through their shadow acts.
Their mesmerising acts is a study in grace and artistry, requiring high concentration, good balance and extreme body movements.
Best suited for… Any private events, especially gala dinners, incentive parties
Xam singing is a traditional art form which originated from Vietnam’s northern regions.
With deep lyrics that narrate daily life stories, the art form was considered to be a treasured cultural item, and was an important part of the Vietnamese people’s spiritual life.
The artform was at risk of being lost, but it was revitalised recently and once again, holds a special place in Vietnam’s heart.
Since 1956, the Vietnam National Academy of Music has been training students in a range of traditional art forms, with troupes ready to showcase their talents to the backdrop of authentic Vietnamese music.
Best suited for… Any private events
Contact hvan@vnam.edu.vn; www.vnam.edu.vn
Angklung Orchestra by Saung Angklung Mang Udjo, Bandung, Indonesia
Angklung
An orchestra of angklung, a bamboo musical instrument from Indonesia, can perform a great variety of music, from the traditional and pop music to complicated classical numbers of composers like Mozart.
One of the most interesting parts is that at the end of the show, participants will be provided with an angklung and be taught how to play. The audience will then have a chance to play the instrument. Special arrangements are required if event organisers would like to gift their delegates the angklung to keep as a souvenir.
Best suited for… Cocktail receptions, pre-dinner or dinner functions, product launches, award nights and ice-breaker sessions
The Folklorico Filipino Dance Company is a group of professional dancers – dressed up in intricate Filipiniana costume and finery – who can add colour, glamour and grace to any event.
The skilled dancers will be able to entertain audiences with tricky performances such as tinikling, which requires balance and perfect timing as several dancers hop and dance in between bamboo poles; and the folk dance pandanggo sa ilaw, in which dancers balance glasses containing water on their hands and heads as they avoid spilling water despite their bodies moving faster and faster.
The group’s rondalla, the ensemble of stringed musical instruments, can add spice to the show.
Best suited for… Any private events
Contact www.facebook.com/folkloricofilipino
Devdan Show, Indonesia
Devdan is a musical and dance performance regularly performed at Bali Nusa Dua Theatre. The 90-minute performance tells the story of Indonesia’s cultural diversity through a mix of traditionally-dressed dancers and high-tech projections.
The story is told through the eyes of two children, who were separated from a tour group and found a treasure chest. The chest transports them to different parts of Indonesia, and at the same time, the audience is introduced to the people and culture of destinations such as Bali, Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua.
MICE groups can either book the entire show at the theatre, or have a portion of the show performed elsewhere. As such, event organisers will be able to incorporate their event’s theme into the performance. In a product launch event, for example, the show can become the means of the product launch itself.
Best suited for… Opening and closing receptions, gala dinners, award ceremonies/dinners and product launches
This six-person Sarawakian band At Adau experiments with the fusion of modern and traditional instruments to create enchanting tunes.
For example, a rendition of the classic Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin, is accompanied by the sape, a traditional string instrument from Sarawak. Or a round of the ever-popular Pat-a-cake hand-clapping game can be done to a chant of an old Malay rhyme titled buah cempedak di luar pagar or jackfruit outside the fence.
These gigs coalesce tribal and contemporary instruments to produce fusions of various rendition acts that is both engaging and interactive.
Best suited for… Opening ceremonies, ice-breaker sessions and gala dinners
Contact terence@truevents.my www.truevents.my
The Wrecking Crew Orchestra, Japan
An eight-piece dance group that is based in Osaka, the Wrecking Crew Orchestra has performed its unique blend of hip-hop and acrobatic moves around the world.
What sets them apart, however, is the group’s use of light; they perform their tightly choreographed moves in suits and face masks that are illuminated with brightly coloured LED lights against a black backdrop. The combination of sound, light and movement is mesmerising.
It will probably be a hit with a younger crowd, although anyone can appreciate the spectacle.
Best suited for… An evening reception in an indoor venue
Hands Percussion Malaysia has been part of the Malaysian performing arts scene since 1997.
Its highly creative and artistic drumming performances incorporate varied influences from communities around Malaysia. In addition, it also uses shigu drums and South-east Asian musical instruments.
The group has been invited to participate in international arts festivals such as the World Culture Showcase World Music Festival on Drum and Dance in Taiwan in 2007; World Congress & Performing Arts Festival for young people in Adelaide in 2008; and the New Taipei City International Music & Dance Festival in Taipei in 2012.
It can also be hired for private events.
Best suited for… Gala dinners and opening receptions for tradeshows or conferences
The brainchild of Melbourne-based Icon Entertainment, Iconic Creatures sees talented performers – adorned in costume and body paint – bring four Australian icons to life.
The four icons – Frill Neck Lizard, Sulfur Crested Kangaroo, Eucalyptus Tree and a Kookaburra – first appeared at the AIME 2016 Welcome Reception. Each character takes close to three hours to transform, and the finished product is perfect for meeting and greeting guests, resulting in a host of Instagram-worthy snaps!
A Wattle Tree and Echidna will soon be added to the Iconic Creatures’ mix.
Best suited for… As a welcome feature during opening and closing receptions, and product launches
Contact info@iconent.com.au www.iconent.com.au
Jon Santos, Philippines
One of the Philippines’ top comedians and impersonators, Jon Santos has the extraordinary ability of imitating the voice of presidents, politicians and other famous people regardless of whether they are male or female, right down to their accents and mannerisms.
During performances, his physical appearance will also be effectively transformed, thanks to skilled make-up artists and costume designers.
Santos’ forte in political satire will keep the audience in stitches. Neither corny nor offensive, his spoofs are hilarious, and the punch lines delivered with good timing. He writes most of his scripts, and he can also also sing.
Best suited for… Any private events
Contact www.twitter.com/jonsantosako
Kathak, India
Kathak is one of the 10 major forms of Indian classical dances and it gained popularity in the courts of the Indian rulers as an entertainment option and classical form.
Considered one of the most dynamic theatre arts in the world, kathak performers tell stories from Indian scriptures like Ramayana through dance, music and mime. The performers will mesmerise the audience with their gestures, expressions and rhythmic foot movements.
Performed in a palace-like setting, the ambience will allow guests to experience how past Indian kings used to spend their evenings.
Best suited for… Gala dinners, award dinners and incentive parties
Contact info@tic-india.com; www.tic-india.com
Shadowgraphy, Singapore
Founded in late-2013, Shadowgraphy specialises in shadow dance where dancers manipulate light with their bodies, casting shadows on a screen to create silhouetted images that tell an engaging story.
Shadowgraphy is able to customise the performance to convey messages or to match a theme the event organiser desires.
This is the first performance company in Singapore to offer this dance form, and it has been engaged for performance overseas.
Swissôtel Nankai Osaka in Japan has relaunched its brand new 1,120m2 Grand Ballroom Naniwa, said to be the largest ballroom in southern Osaka, capable of hosting up to 1,400 guests in theater style.
The US$1.5 million makeover gave the venue new wall coverings, an elegant wall-to-wall carpet inspired by Swissôtel’s iconic Swiss Circles silhouettes, and ceiling paint. A rich colour palette of purple, blue and grey is applied to create an opulent ambience.
The expansive foyer space now features eclectic wall art incorporating natural and unique circular designs.
The renovation of Grand Ballroom Naniwa follows the recent refurbishment of the hotel’s Swiss Executive Club floors, which saw double rooms being converted to twin and triple rooms to cater to the growing number of MICE travellers.
Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels has unveiled its latest baby, The Els Club Desaru Coast’s Ocean 27-hole golf course in Johor, Malaysia.
The Ocean is the first of two major golf developments to open in Desaru Coast where The Els Club is located. The Troon-managed Ocean course features three distinct nine-hole courses: the Coast, Ridge and Lakes. It is also home to The Els Performance Golf Academy – the first of its kind in the region – and two casual dining restaurants including an all-day café and bar created as an ode to designer Ernie Els’ PGA Tour record-breaking 72-hole aggregate in the 2003 Mercedes Championship.
The Els Club Desaru Coast’s second course, The Valley, is scheduled to open soon after. The Valley will be an 18-hole course.
The newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok anchors the One Bangkok development with cosmopolitan elegance. Featuring the city's largest ballroom and a spectacular new penthouse suite, it delivers exceptional hardware and deeply authentic, soulful service for business and leisure travellers alike
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
Make your event a memorable one by showcasing the culture of the destination while celebrating local talent. Here are some unique performance groups that you can call upon here in Asia-Pacific to leave a lasting impression
