Never resting on its laurels

May 22, 2015

While Meet Taiwan has generated good revenue, the trade recommends new products to be pushed to keep the Chinese coming, writes Prudence Lui

The five-year MICE promotion programme led by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Ministry of Economic Affairs, Meet Taiwan, will be drawing to a close come 2016. The programme has proven to be successful, given the new high of US$1.2 billion in revenue derived from MICE activities in 2014.

Taiwan registered about 544 MICE events last year, up 21 per cent year-on-year. Asia continued to be the powerhouse for Taiwan’s international meeting and corporate incentive business – out of the nearly 190,000 international MICE travellers who visited Taiwan, about 150,000 were from Asia, and mostly from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. As such, two sales missions to Asia have been planned for this June (Busan, Osaka and Fukuoka) and July (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok), comprising seminars and meetings with potential buyers.

A TAITRA spokesman said: “As with last year, Asia-Pacific and the exhibitions segment remain our targets, but we are focusing more on Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia this time, in conjunction with the launch of our Super Team in Asia – Season 2 programme in May. We added Australia this year because compared with American and European tourists, Taiwan is much more accessible to Australian tourists.

“Moreover, around 10,000 Australian business travellers visited Taiwan last year, way fewer than the other five Asian countries. Therefore, we want to make Taiwan more attractive as an incentive destination for Australians.”

Super Team in Asia inaugurated last year and invited enterprises in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to form teams to plan their ideal trip to Taiwan online and campaign for votes on community websites. Teams most popular on the Internet thereafter entered the next leg of the competition held for five days in Taiwan. Singapore’s Seng Hua Hng Foodstuff emerged the winner and took away an incentive travel package worth US$50,000.

Meet Taiwan has also launched two other programmes aimed at drawing overseas MICE. The Taiwan Value Go highlights Taiwan’s vibrant and diverse culture by presenting nine activities across Taiwan, such as Taiwan International Orchid Exhibition, Ilan Green Expo, Sanyi International Woodcarving Festival and Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival. Overseas MICE visitors can include these international exhibitions around Taiwan in their itineraries.

The Taiwan Meeting and Incentive Rewards Program meanwhile offers subsidies to overseas event organisers and Taiwanese travel consultants which arrange groups to Taiwan for corporate meetings and incentive travel. Groups of more than 20 people from foreign companies staying two consecutive nights in Taiwan for a meeting, training, company visit, awards ceremony, teambuilding activity, etc are eligible to apply. Whether they are for an inspection package or group package, subsidies range from NT$10,000 (US$328) to NT$100,000, depending on group size.

However, in addition to dangling new perks, overseas DMC Qingdao Jiahua Wenhua International Travel deputy general manager, Yu Zhong, pointed out the importance for the authorities to gain repeat traffic with new products. He said: “We have been in this business for six years but the traffic volume now can’t be compared with the early days when the destination first opened its gates to Chinese residents.

“A lot of Chinese may have already visited Taiwan…In fact, most of the itineraries are standard, round-the-island programmes. In order to excite the clientele and drive repeat traffic, we are exploring new tour products, such as Penghu and Jinmen.”

Local event organiser Asia Concentrate Corporation manager, Pairry Chiang, concurred: “From our conversations with Chinese travel agencies, we found that most Chinese tourists are tired of the same attractions, such as Sun-Moon Lake and Ali Mountain. But Taiwan has more to offer, and our culture is the highlight!”

The company stays competitive by rolling out new ideas, such as a coffee tour, to woo incentive groups. With a choice of economical and luxury packages to suit different budgets, this five-day tour guided by a barista takes participants into the local coffee culture and production through visits to coffee farms, factories and special cafes in Tainan.

Chiang shared: “Everyone was eager to know more about the coffee tour. Even local travel agencies have asked me to work with them on this tour.

“We believe most travellers, especially business travellers, are looking for unique experiences they can share back home. This kind of tour makes Taiwan feel like a theme park, where you can discover more than you have expected.”

Ideas – Two-day trip in scenic Yilan

Day 1

Morning: Set off by coach from Taipei to Yilan on the east coast of Taiwan. The county is blessed with natural beauty and a rich culture. Visit the reputed LuoDong Mingshen Market, the biggest marketplace in the county for daily necessities, and the best spot to experience local life. Then head to Luogong Forest Showroom to trace the history of the local logging industry.

Afternoon: Enjoy a traditional Yilan lunch at Eland-Chun Restaurant. After lunch, descend to Meihua Lake (Plum Blossom Lake) for a 30-minute bike ride. Then proceed to the National Center for Traditional Arts, where visitors can enjoy local arts and performances, handicrafts and snacks.

Evening: Return to the hotel for a buffet dinner.

Day 2

Jiufen Village Picture by nicholashan/123RF.com

Morning: After breakfast, set off to Wufongchi Scenic Area to explore the natural beauty of the Yilan region. The Wufongchi waterfall spans three levels and is connected by a 100m walking path. Ascend to the highest level which features the longest waterfall (50m) and is a popular cooling spot.

Afternoon: Head to W Nan Restaurant for a palatable menu created by the chef using local seasonal ingredients. Then take a leisurely walk around the neighouring towns such as Jiufen Village and Dansui Old Street to sample local street food, sightsee and shop.

– Itinerary provided by Willy Event Consultants

Need to know

New rooms at Regent Taipei Taiwan

Regent Taipei upgraded its guestrooms on the fifth and sixth floors and kicked off its Regent Balcony Premier last December. The rooms all feature a 56m² space which can accommodate up to four persons along with an extended outdoor balcony area. An exclusive Regent Balcony Lounge has been specially designed to accommodate guests staying on these two floors, offering business services and refreshments.

V Air offers connection to Macau

Taiwan-based V Air inaugurated its Taipei-Macau route on April 10 with round-trip services every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Flight ZV156 departs from Macau at 22:15 and arrives in Taipei at 00:45 the following morning. Flight ZV155 departs from Taipei at 20:10 and arrive in Macau at 21:55.

The route’s frequency is expected to be increased to daily service in June, after an Airbus A320 aircraft joins the fleet. The budget airline also targets to expand its network to Japanese and Korean destinations by end-2015.

Get to know comprehensive Taiwan tea culture

Asia Concentrate Corporation’s new tea tour is ideal for incentive groups interested in a comprehensive Taiwan tea culture experience.

The five-day tour covers Taipei, Taichung and Nantou, where clients visit tea plantations and experience the tea-picking, rolling and drying processes. A tea producer will accompany the group to share his knowledge of tea products and modern tea culture, such as Taiwan’s renowned pearl milk tea.

The package costs US$1,934 per pax including five-star accommodation and meals.

Ambassador Hotels presents a new brand in amba

The Ambassador Hotels has launched amba, a new brand which caters for a new generation of travellers.

Last April, the 90-key amba Taipei Zhongshan opened for business and is only a five-minute walk to Taipei Metro Zhongshan Station. The rooms ranging from 20m² Smart rooms to 31m² Balcony rooms are all equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi, a 42-inch TV, a wireless Bluetooth speaker as well as Taiwanese tea and fresh coffee from an automatic coffee maker. The Achoi restaurant on level one can be booked for small meetings and private events, hosting up to 80 guests for cocktails or 50 guests seated.

The group’s third hotel, amba Taipei Songshan, and the first amba resort, amba Kenting, are both scheduled to open in 2016.

Taiwan to welcome first Marriott in July

The 320-room Taipei Marriott will soft-open on July 3, followed by a grand opening in Q4.

Situated near Neihu Technology Park in a mixed-use complex housing a convention centre, a shopping mall and luxury apartments, the property features five restaurants and a bar as well as 3,000m² of space for a maximum of 2,000 guests.

The 1,260m² Grand Ballroom on the 21^st level is the largest pillarless ballroom in Taiwan’s International-hotel category, while an outdoor venue and a chapel are located on the eighth level rooftop garden.

The hotel will start receiving banquet guests in August.

Over coffee with… Katrina Leung

By Raini Hamdi

May 21, 2015

The new executive director of Messe Berlin Singapore, who is tasked with spearheading ITB Asia and developing Messe Berlin’s regional business, talks to Raini Hamdi about the conference and tradeshow market in Asia

Before joining Messe Berlin Singapore, you were country managing director of conference organiser, Terrapinn Asia.

Yes, I moved to Singapore in 2008 from the Philippines (her home country), where I did brand management in a pharmaceutical company, and worked my way up at Terrapinn Asia, from conference manager doing all the content for a conference, to business development manager doing sponsorship sales, then general manager of the life sciences team and country managing director when the CEO left.

You must have created many conferences at Terrapinn.

As general manager, that was indeed one of my tasks, all the more so when I became the country managing director, with seven teams under me covering sectors including real estate, pharmaceutical, aviation, hospitality, payments and so on.

We had to launch at least three events per team per year. In total, for the teams I handled at Terrapinn Asia, we had around 35 events a year, existing and new. The aim was always to grow the existing conferences, but to look at what you could launch next.

What’s the event you launched which you’re proudest of?

A healthcare event, and I also grew a lot with the bio-pharma industries and did multiple launches covering those sectors.

But the biggest task when I took over as country managing director at Terrapinn Asia was the company’s new direction to convert our big conferences into expo’s. I was able to convert about seven or eight conferences.

Why the new direction?

We had reached the peak with those conferences. When a conference reached, say, 500 attendees, it’s difficult to grow your sponsorship revenue. If you already have 50 sponsors, for instance, and try to get 70 sponsors, you realise quickly that 500 attendees are not enough to satisfy 70 sponsors. So the next step is to accept visitors into your show and create an ‘expo’ model; some people call it ‘confex’ (conference cum expo). It’s not an exhibition, like ITB Asia, which is on a bigger scale.

Why did you decide to leave Terrapinn Asia for Messe Berlin Singapore?

I’ve been doing conferences and confex’s, so exhibitions is a growth area for me, and Messe Berlin is one of top 10 (exhibition organisers) in the world.

So what’s your mission with ITB Asia?

For this year, the goal is to grow the content level, which is one of the key things I can bring in as someone from the conference sector going into the exhibition side.

What content can I deliver so that people will not just walk the floor for one to two hours then they are done? My task is to get them to stay half a day or even a full day, to ensure that they find the seminars, workshops, etc, so interesting that they will want to come back next year.

Doesn’t ITB Asia already do that?

Yes, but we can add more. For example, we will be doing more this year on China (outbound), aviation, MICE and travel technology.

Why is content important in an exhibition?

For me, it’s because it spikes interest and brings people in. The marketplace is of course important – that’s the heart of the show – letting buyers meet exhibitors through sufficient networking activities, delivering ROI to exhibitors, etc. But if that’s settled, where else can I grow?

How is the tradeshow and conference market changing?

It is getting to be more competitive. Barriers to entry are low. People are also now more mobile; it is easy for anyone to go from Asia to Europe to attend a good show. So ITB Asia is not competing just on the Asian level. For instance, it competes with IMEX Americas and World Travel Market (London), the former one week before ITB Asia and the latter one week after. So exhibitors will have to choose as they can’t travel to three different parts of the world. What they choose depends on their priority: Is Asia or the Americas their growth market, for instance?

Another change is how show organisers are racing to provide quality. You can no longer package the same thing over and over again. Everyone is looking for something fresh and everyone asks, what is my ROI? They ask, are you bringing the same buyers again? Are there new exhibitors? Does your content cover new trends such as social media? And now, experiences are also important, so you need to put something exciting on the floor, create memorable networking opportunities and so on.

This is why it is so important for us to learn from other shows. I encourage my team members to go to all the shows in Singapore and see what they can learn from these events – how they do their booths, how do they do their networking?

What are the most common mistakes made by show organisers?

One of the biggest is not to give enough lead time to run a show.

Sometimes, a trend or subject – say, commercial drones – becomes suddenly so exciting that organisers want to launch it ASAP. They think, how wrong can they go with something so ‘hot’. They want to do it in three months to be the first and to capture the entire market. But this can be a pitfall. If you don’t have enough lead time in getting speakers, exhibitors, etc, it becomes a half-baked event. As well, have you done your research properly and spoken to the market? Is Asia ready for it, for example? Sometimes, even though it’s a trend in Europe or the US, it might not be in Asia because of, say, different regulations on the sector here.

What’s a decent lead time?

To launch a new event – 15 months. I always feel you should have enough lead time to plan everything.

Are there big differences between a travel trade show and other industries’ shows?

Each has its own personality. Pharmaceutical, for example, is more scientific and serious. Real estate more flamboyant. The supply chain people are more humble; it’s hard to get speakers as they tend to be the behind-the-scene types. As for travel, everyone is so helpful. In my first few months, I’ve been meeting everyone – exhibitors, partners, etc – and I’m not shy to ask them about anything. This industry is so full of acronyms!

Are travel trade shows more lucrative?

Every organiser, from whichever industry, will have his own net profitability (criteria). Some may say, if you don’t get 30 per cent net profit, you don’t run a show or, if you don’t reach $250,000 sponsorship after three months of trying, you cut the show.

You’re also in charge of developing Messe Berlin’s regional business. What opportunities do you see presently?

Yes, it’s one of my KPI’s. The opportunities are more in geo-cloning (bringing an established show from one geographical location to another; ITB Asia, for example, is geo-cloned from ITB Berlin). We have big brands in the Messe Berlin portfolio that we can possibly bring to Asia if it works in the region. Better to stick with something you know and leverage on the contacts you have than launching something new. I’m quite sure we are exploring if there are shows we could geo-clone in Asia.

How fertile is Asia for Europe-based organisers such as Messe Berlin?

Asia is the next growth market after Europe and the US for the next five to 10 years. My gut feel is a lot of shows will come here; organisers will be testing the market for these shows. It just depends on their risk appetite whether to start now or later.

Should local organisers worry?

If your brand is strong and you maintain the quality of your show, people will still go to your event. A few might try out the competition but if you know what your USP is, you don’t have to worry. Even now, you are already competing with the rest of the world!

W Retreat Koh Samui

By Greg Lowe

May 21, 2015

Luxury resort, 74 pool villas
4/1 Moo 1, Tambol Maenam, Koh Samui
Tel: (66) 0-77-915-999,
www.wretreatkohsamui.com

The first thing that strikes you on arrival at this all-pool-villa resort is how the entry to the lobby creates a perfectly-framed view of the Gulf of Thailand and the nearby island of Koh Phangan. The sense of discovery continues as you wander around the property, which is located on a small promontory at the western end of Bophut beach, about 15 minutes drive from Samui International Airport.

Meeting facilities The Great Room, W’s only dedicated meetings space, can fit between 16 (U-shape) and 80 people (theatre) in its 150m2. The venue is ideally suited for smaller groups and creative meetings with plenty of natural light, sofas and comfy chairs for delegates, as well as the latest audiovisual technology, plasma screens and projectors.

Beyond this, almost every other part of the property’s public spaces can be transformed for events, with the beach remaining a popular choice for groups of up to 80 people.

F&B Buffet breakfast is served (as late as midday on Sundays) at The Kitchen Table, an open-kitchen venue offering a range of international and Asian cuisines in relaxed surroundings with both inside and outside seating. Lunch and dinner are also available here with a la carte options.

Namu is an intimate contemporary Japanese restaurant located on the beachfront, where you can sit at small tables or at the bar to watch the chefs make a range of sushi, sashimi and hand rolls. The menu is broken down into three main categories: Ice, Fire and Action, which denote how they are cooked.

The resort’s beach bar, SIP, serves a range of beers, wines and cocktails, and occasional BBQ food to guests, who can recline at the bar or lounge about on a range of hammocks, day-beds and sofas. WOOBAR is the more upbeat venue which opens late and features a deejay, and perhaps the best views on the property. Guests wanting wholesome juices should try the Tonic Bar, located next to the spa.

Rooms The term “entry level” doesn’t exactly apply to W Retreat Koh Samui, which has eight villa types at the property: Jungle Oasis (163m²), Tropical Oasis (223m²), Ocean View Escape (163m²), WOW Ocean Front Haven (223m²), WOW Jungle Oasis (350m²), WOW Ocean Haven (350m²), the two-bedroom Extreme WOW Ocean Haven (892m²) and the four-bedroom Seaside Escape (2,044m²).

Every villa includes a private pool with outside seating, indoor and outdoor showers and a bath inside. Bedrooms feature state of the art audiovisual equipment, an espresso machine, a fridge stocked with a choice of wine and champagne, and plenty of space just to chill out.

Other facilities Golf buggies are on call 24/7 and these are much needed to get about the resort. Guests can make pit stops at Sweet Spots, refrigerators full of complimentary chilled drinks and ice creams, which are dotted about the place. There’s a fitness suite and infinity pool, as well as a host of beach activities and sports. Those wanting a more indulgent experience can head to AWAY Spa.

Whatever/Whenever, W’s combined room and concierge service, is available around the clock to handle any guest requests.

Work hard, play hard in Koh Samui

By Greg Lowe

May 21, 2015

Tropical beach Bang Po, Koh Samui, Thailand

Vibrant nightlife and luxury resorts make the palm-fringed island off Thailand’s east coast a popular corporate destination, writes Greg Lowe

Koh Samui continues to emerge as a key destination for executive retreats and incentives driven in part by a recent revival in corporate spending budgets, travel specialists say.

Most corporate groups visiting the island are doing so either for senior level meetings or as the luxury element of a longer incentive trip to Thailand or the region.

“MICE business to Samui has performed well, mainly on the incentives side of the business as Samui is perceived as a party destination which offers a good mix of incentives programmes, and also offers luxury accommodation,” said Philip Wigglesworth, Thailand business development director at Destination Asia (Thailand). “Luxury incentives are back and companies are definitely looking to boost incentive travel for employees.”

Clients selecting the island must have access to healthy budgets, however, as Samui boasts some of the highest ARRs in Thailand due mainly to its scarcity of land and restricted access through Samui International Airport, which is privately owned by Bangkok Airways. Recent research by C9 Hotelworks shows Samui achieved an ADR of US$195 across the island’s branded properties last year, rising to more than US$500 in the luxury segment with respective occupancy of 67 per cent and about 90 per cent. Moreover, this strong performance was achieved in the face of fallout from the country’s political crisis.

“We’ve seen a definite increase in interest for Samui over the last 18 months,” said Tim Upchurch, MICE manager at EXO Travel Thailand. “It’s still far behind Phuket, but more higher-end clients, who are not put off by the increased airfares and accommodation rates for the premium hotels, are now asking about the island.

“In the last six months, we’ve had two MLM clients who’ve held international conferences on Samui, plus several other incentive groups.”

Upchurch said a recent trend has been an increase in conference-focused groups of 60 to 100 pax wanting to combine business and pleasure. Conference groups tend to opt for a Samui-only experience, while incentives tend to use the destination as an extension to Bangkok or as the beach element to round off a wider South-east Asian trip taking place in countries such as Myanmar or Cambodia.

There has also been a notable rise in delegates bringing their spouse or partner with them on such a trip, especially to Samui, Wigglesworth told TTGmice. “We’ve seen a huge surge in this. The knock-on effect is that we benefit from pre- or post-travel from the incentive.”

In terms of activities, beyond combining work and pleasure at a luxury resort, groups often make the most of Samui’s reputation as a party destination with other popular elements, such as water sports, yacht cruises, jungle safaris and private villa parties.

“Private villa parties, which are fully catered with luxury food, drink and entertainment, (are becoming especially popular) with the rise of villas on Koh Samui,” said Wigglesworth. “Unique beach experiences are the best on Koh Samui and its adjoining islands, (including attending a Full Moon Party on nearby Koh Phangan). This is the main reason for choosing this beach destination.”

DMCs cite Europe, the US and Australia as key source markets for Koh Samui’s MICE business, with Hong Kong remaining a key regional player. Brian Seagrave, general manager of W Retreat Samui, where meetings and incentives accounted for 20 per cent of the property’s group revenue, said Asia is now the core focus for the all-pool-villa resort.

“From 2011–13, our main markets were Australia and Europe,” he said. “However, due to currency fluctuation and the EU’s economic downturn, the EU market dropped in 2014. Now our main target is Asia; for example, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China, mainly due to W Hotel’s strong brand within Asia-Pacific and additional direct international flights (from these regional markets) to Samui International Airport.”

Seagrave also agreed the budgets of corporate groups coming to the island have increased in recent times, resulting in the addition of more leisure elements to their meeting and incentive itineraries, such as lavish coffee breaks, spa experiences, day trips and parties.

Incentives groups tend to stay on the island for two nights on average, rising to three nights for meetings groups, he said.

Focusing on smaller luxury corporate groups has had clear benefits for individual business and the trade in general, said Seagrave. “(W Samui’s) group ADR has increased by 30 per cent since we started focusing more on small groups, high-end incentives, executive meetings and weddings.”

“(Such groups know that on Samui, we) transform your dreams into reality. Whatever you want. Whenever you want it.”

Ideas – 3D2N of island living

Day 1

Begin with a one-day speedboat tour of the picture-perfect Ang Thong National Marine Park, home to 42 limestone islands and beaches. Beyond island hopping, a range of activities are available, from short walks through the jungle, to snorkelling tours and kayaking. Lunch will be served on one of the beaches.

Return to the island and head to Fisherman’s Village in Bophut, which is transformed into a walking street every Friday night. Clients can peruse the myriad shops then indulge in a traditional Thai street food experience.

Day 2

Teambuilding fun and games start at 10.00 at Escapology Samui, where teams of six have to prevent nuclear armageddon by solving the Cuban Missile Crisis in 60 minutes.

Have lunch at The Larder, a relaxed gastro pub which serves high-quality no-nonsense international cuisine and cocktails.

Relax with an afternoon at Tamarind Springs, where clients can choose from a range of spa and massage packages, sweat it out in the steam caves or take part in a yoga class.

Finish the day off at Tree Tops Sky Dining at Anantara Lawana, which serves progressive cuisine bolstered by an exceptional wine list, where individual tables are located on private cabanas in the canopy.

Day 3

Sunday Session brunch at Beach Republic. Fine wines, craft beers and cocktails complement a buffet of Thai, Asian and international dishes, while a deejay plays chilled-out funk, soul and rare groove.

Return to the hotel for an afternoon nap.

Finish the three days off with a private beach party/BBQ, complete with deejays, fire dancers and an acrobatics display at SIP, W Retreat Koh Samui.

Need to Know

Mojitos with a view

Mo-Hee-Toe Madness at W Retreat Koh Samui is a regular Thursday night promotion offering music and seven types of mojito cocktails on free flow from 18.00 to midnight for 1,300 baht++ (US$39) per head.

The setting is stunning — WOOBAR itself offers brilliant panoramic views of Bophut Bay and Kho Phangan — and a great place to watch the sun go down. The property occasionally brings in international deejays such as David Starfire and Kellam, with the latter recently becoming the resort’s resident deejay.

New hotels rising

This year and the coming few will see a number of rebrandings and new openings in the local hotel market.

Buddy Oriental Samui Beach Resort in Lamai was converted and re-opened as the 15-key Manathai Koh Samui in February, the same month Prana Resort Nandana opened in Bophut.

The luxury segment is due to welcome the 120-room Sofitel So Samui in Choeng Mon next year. Holiday Inn Express Samui Bophut is set to open with 200 rooms in 2017, followed with another 150 keys at Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut the following year.

More flights into Samui

Samui International Airport will increase its daily return flight capacity from 36 to as many as 50 after the Civil Aviation Department approved raising the cap late last year.

Reservations on direct flights from Bangkok, Singapore (up from seven flights a week to 10) and Kuala Lumpur (up from seven flights a week to 11) have already increased, according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.

Increased capacity will see the airport, increase its daily direct international flights to five.

Scoring the perfect shot

Art-Samui Museum (www.art-samui.com) features 71 large-scale works of art which use optical illusions and other techniques to create a 3D effect.

The museum provides guests the chance to surf a perfect tube, sit in King Kong’s hand and escape a charging herd of elephants, among other things.

While the whole purpose of the venue is to provide unique photo opportunities, (sadly) selfies will be in short supply as the illusions need to be shot from afar to work.

The great escape

Escapology Samui (samui.escapology.com) opened late last year, adding a new option for teambuilding activities on the island.

Teams of two to six people are locked into a themed game — options range from being Shanghaied aboard a Chinese junk to the Cuban Missile Crisis — and must collaborate to earn their freedom within 60 minutes.

Escape Hunt (kohsamui.escapehunt.com), a similar product which has already proven to be very popular in Bangkok, will be opening on the island this year.

MCI reaches into Turkey with Istanbul office

By TTG Asia

May 21, 2015

FOLLOWING last year’s acquisition of a start-up focused on corporate and association event management, MCI is expanding in Turkey with the opening of a new office in Istanbul this month.

Leading MCI’s presence in the country is Ufuk Yavuz Tümer, who was one of the three founders of 3Events, the start-up purchased by MCI in 2014.

The office will aim to develop business in the corporate meetings, events and incentives and DMC markets.

Now MCI Istanbul’s director of DMC, M&E and operations, Ufuk Yavuz Tümer commented: “By reinforcing our presence in Turkey with the strategic location of Istanbul, we will help many more local and international clients deliver inspiring events, incentives and congresses in this magical meeting place of East and West.”

Thailand welcomes 12,700-pax mega incentive from China

By TTG Asia

May 21, 2015

INFINITUS China is taking some 12,700 members of staff and salespeople on a six-night holiday to Bangkok and Pattaya this month, and Thailand is pulling out all stops to entertain.

Between May 10 and 26, delegates on the mega incentive trip will spend three nights in Bangkok and three in Pattaya, and stay at four- to five-star hotels to generate some 38,000 room nights in total.

The large delegation size requires 110 regular flights, 400 coach trips and 36 river cruise tours for transportation and entertainment.

Thai authorities are also actively pitching in with four welcome gala dinners in Pattaya, hosted one night each by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Pattaya City.

Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT acting governor and deputy governor for international marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, said in a press release: “Thailand has become a very popular destination for Chinese travellers as well as a top-of-mind venue for China’s incentive programmes in recent years, thanks to our geographical proximity, easy accessibility, high standards of service as well as a wide variety of tourism products and the memorable ‘Thainess’ experience.”

The 17-day event is expected to generate around 600 million baht (US$18 million) in tourism revenue, she said.

This is not the first of Infinitus’ mega incentives in Thailand and the company is planning another for next year.

Japan to host the 12th Asia Pacific Symposium on Cochlear Implant and Related Sciences in 2019

By TTG Asia

May 21, 2015

THE Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) announced last week that the Asia Pacific Symposium on Cochlear Implant and Related Sciences (APSCI) in 2019 is returning to Japan for the third time.

First held in Kyoto in 1996 and then Osaka in 2001, Tokyo will become the third-time lucky host of the symposium and welcome over 800 doctors and scientists during the event, including 600 overseas attendees.

Professor T Yamasoba from the University of Tokyo, commented in a release: “The bid win owes to the continuing scientific contribution of Japanese specialists to the cochlear implant field. Also, we learned a lot from our last bid loss in 2013. This time we put more effort on close communication with our colleagues to earn understanding of the scientific significance of hosting APSCI in Japan.”

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and TCVB also aided in clinching the successful bid.

APSCI is scheduled to take place on November 5-8, 2019, at Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo.

Largest-ever association congress secured for Singapore in 2020

By TTG Asia

May 21, 2015

HOW fitting that the Lion City has won the bid to host the 103^rd Lions Club International (LCI) Convention 2020, as announced by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) this week.

Held by the Lions Club Singapore in partnership with Singapore Exhibition & Conventions Bureau, which falls under STB, the event is expected to contribute S$58 million (US$43.6 million) in tourism receipts and 20,000 foreign arrivals.

“Singapore was selected over five other cities from around the world for her world-class hotels, restaurants, and convention facilities, as well as an excellent transportation network. Lions are looking forward to a successful convention and wonderful time in this beautiful city,” said Joseph Wroblewski, convention committee chairperson, past international president of LCI.

Various public agencies and MICE industry stakeholders including hotel partners and convention venues joined hands to put together the winning bid for the convention.

While in Singapore, convention delegates will also participate in the International Parade of Nations, which is a half-day walk around the city-state.

Lionel Yeo, chief executive, STB, said: “The LCI Convention 2020 is one of the most coveted events on the congress circuit and we are truly delighted to be able to host this iconic event. Come 2020, we will aim to deliver a spectacular welcome and experience for our LCI friends.”

Nobu Hotel Manila positions itself as a dream MICE destination

By Rosa Ocampo

May 21, 2015

ASIA’S first Nobu Hotel in the City of Dreams Manila is wooing MICE with the novelty of a celebrity-inspired lifestyle, an innovative dining concept and fun luxury experiences.

While the majority of Nobu Hotel Manila’s business comes from the integrated resort’s gaming operations, it is also partnering travel agencies and DMCs to bring in non-gaming business including MICE, said general manager Marlon Hirsh.

Owned by actor Robert de Niro, acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and Hollywood producer Meir Teper, the hotel’s 321 rooms and 335-seat Nobu Restaurant are a novelty in a city that’s just starting to acquaint itself with luxury.

The piece de resistance is Nobu Restaurant, for chef Nobu’s fusion food as much as the theatrical and dramatic allure with which the food is served, not mentioning the lighting and interior design.

Hirsh said the restaurant’s indoor and outdoor cabanas can be subdivided for smaller breakout rooms, and since the restaurant does not serve lunch, it can also be made available for daytime MICE events.

“We have had some good (MICE) business and we have done events at the pool area,” added Hirsh.

Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, said that cornering MICE has always been part of the plan for the Manila hotel. “There are certain key hallmarks that we have in the restaurant: the cuisine of course, fun-crafted sense of theatre, and service, which is also very important.”

The fact that no two Nobu hotels and restaurant are alike, and its fun luxury concept, makes Nobu Hotel Manila “a destination in itself”, said Horwell.

Sarawak rolls out three-prong MICE programme

By TTG Asia

May 21, 2015

COMMUNICATING, educating and awarding are the three central tenets of the Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) programme, launched this month to grow the state’s business events traffic.

Open to any organisation or industry player, local or foreign, that provides support services or promotes business events in Sarawak, the BESarawak programme provides partners with tools to promote Sarawak Convention Bureau’s events, products and services.

Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, chairman of Sarawak Convention Bureau, said in a release: “BESarawak offers its partners an advanced communications campaign that includes stakeholder engagement, media relations, social media and a (subscription for and a chance to be featured in) Business Events Sarawak magazine.”

The programme will also develop its partners’ global industry best practices through bespoke and targeted seminars.

BESarawak also encompasses the Anak Sarawak Award, which was established in 2007 to reward partners, media and future local hosts in the business events industry.

Those who qualify for the Anak Sarawak Award programme will receive development support worth between RM10,000 (US$2,769) and RM20,000.