COEX convention and exhibition centre in Seoul has become the first venue of its kind in South Korea to offer a prayer room for Muslim visitors.

Explaining the move, Bo Kyung Byun, president and CEO of Coex, said: “As the number of our internationally oriented exhibitions has increased, so too have the numbers of our Muslim guests. We want to make sure our international guests feel at home at Coex, no matter where they are from.”

The new prayer room is located on the third floor of Coex and features separate rooms for men and women. To accommodate daily prayer schedules, the room is open from 03.00 to 22.00.

Other prayer necessities, including Qu’rans, clocks, carpets and a Qibla which indicates the direction towards Mecca, are also provided for the convenience of Muslim guests.

“This prayer room not only offers convenience to (Muslim) buyers and MICE visitors coming to Coex, but also encourages cultural exchange in the fields of trade and tourism,” said Mohammed Chraibi, chief director of the Korea-Arab Society.

THE five-star Meliá Yangon, which is targeting a May opening, is reaching for high level ASEAN and APEC meetings to establish a strong foundation in Myanmar’s MICE industry.

Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly in an interview, Susie Moe Aung, director of sales & marketing with the 430-key hotel’s opening team, said Meliá Yangon will appeal to such high profile meetings with its extensive meeting facilities and luxurious suites that can “support political events and their participants”.

The hotel’s Grand Ballroom, Junior Ballroom and six meeting rooms offer more than 2,000m² of space altogether.

“Meeting planners do not have to worry about service quality and reliability of function space and support equipment because the property comes with the Meliá brand promise and is of international five-star standard,” said Susie Moe Aung, adding that the hotel’s dining facilities are also designed to support large groups.

Its 375-seat all-day dining restaurant, for instance, is said to be the biggest hotel restaurant in Yangon.

Susie Moe Aung believes that event delegates will appreciate the hotel’s location on the main road and 15 minutes by car from the airport and city centre, which allows them to escape the traffic jam.

“Plus, the hotel is linked to Yangon’s largest and newest mall, Myanmar Plaza, and the new office tower, Myanmar Centre,” she added.

“We may be months away from opening, but MICE interest has been strong. We have many enquiries for rates and information from conference organisers, in particular medical ones. So besides aiming for government meetings, we are also paying attention to corporate events,” Susie Moe Aung said.

INCENTIVE groups from Cambodia are increasingly skipping destinations along its borders and choosing to fly to South-east Asian destinations farther afield, encouraged by affordable direct flights.

Ang Kim Eang, president and CEO of Great Angkor Tours and president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, told TTGmice e-Weekly that Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines are gaining in popularity among Cambodian corporate clients.

“These destinations are accessible by many direct flights, so it is easy to move people,” Ang explained, adding that clients’ thirst for new experiences is also driving the new trend.

Most Cambodian incentive groups have been to nearby countries like Vietnam.

Ang has seen a 20 to 30 per cent increase in incentive travellers in 2015 over 2014. Some 60 to 70 per cent of his MICE groups choose to visit South-east Asian destinations.

Mann Ratana, general manager of Worldwide Tours Agency in Cambodia, shares similar observations and believes that the strong presence of LCCs in the region has made flying more affordable.

Malaysia, and especially Singapore, are bestsellers and many of her clients are making repeat visits. She had to charter flights in order to accommodate her groups.

According to Ang, most of the bookings come from the corporate banking, insurance, microfinance, trading and spare part businesses, with group sizes ranging from 30 to 60 people.

While longhaul demand is meagre in comparison, Ang has noted a five to 10 per cent year-on-year increment in 2015.

MELBOURNE Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has welcomed new hires across various departments, including operations, event planning and F&B.

Samantha Kent, who was from Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, joins the venue’s customer experience and optimisation team in the newly created position of business development manager. She has many years of experience in business development and events, and has worked in the UK and New Zealand across hotels and stadiums.

Neil Mather, who is named MCEC’s senior manager food and beverage, was last director of food and beverage at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. He has worked with iconic Melbourne venues including Zoos Victoria, Melbourne Arts Centre and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Grant Padula, who is now senior manager operations, recently played a key role in the opening of the new Melco Crown Entertainment Studio City Casino in Macau. He brings with him more than 17 years of experience gained from working in large integrated resorts and the hospitality industry.

Joining MCEC from Diversified Communications and taking on the role of planning manager, Elissa Duke has a wealth of knowledge across all aspects of event planning and execution. Duke will lead the venue’s planning team.

Prue Rogers and Paul Rumble have also taken on senior manager roles in customer experience and technology services respectively.

THE inaugural Global Exhibitions Day will be staged on June 8 this year, to commemorate the people working in the exhibitions industry and display career opportunities that the industry has to offer.

An initiative by Paris based UFI and Dallas based International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the campaign is expected to see participation by exhibition organisers, venues, associations and service providers worldwide.

It aims to promote the value of exhibiting for companies, the role of exhibitions for development of trade and internationalisation, as well as their role in driving innovation and competitiveness of companies.

“There are many great national and regional initiatives, addressing exhibitors, visitors, policymakers and other stakeholders. Uniting these achievements under one common umbrella will strengthen the messages and multiply the reach”, said UFI president Sergey Alexeev and IAEE chairperson Julie Smith.

THE 347-key Conrad Manila expects to generate a “pretty substantial” one-third of business from MICE when it opens in March or April, said its general manager Harald Feurstein.

Business events will come naturally for the luxury hotel as it will be connected by footbridges to SMX Convention Center in the convention and exhibition hub within the Manila Bay area.

Feurstein said the facilities are complementary.

With the hotel’s proximity to the Arena sports and entertainment venue and Manila’s business centres and tourist attractions, as well as its two levels of upscale retail shops within, Conrad Manila is also expected to draw “other market segments”.

Feurstein remarked: “We can be all things – MICE, leisure and business (travel). We’re a little bit of everything but we’re really good in all of that.”

Conrad Manila will satisfy the need for a business-friendly luxury address in the Manila Bay area, which currently offers five-star hotels in the integrated resorts of Solaire and City of Dreams, which may appeal to a different type of travellers.

The hotel’s comprehensive facilities include a ballroom for up to 1,000 pax, a junior ballroom for 450 pax, seven meeting rooms, a boardroom that can seat 20 to 50 pax and the Verandah outdoor function space for up to 400 pax.

Dining options include the Sea Lounge Bar, China Blue which is led by Chinese master chef Jeremy Leong, and Brasserie on Three which offers healthy cuisine made with organic ingredients.