AS TECHNOLOGY continues to disrupt the exhibitions industry, the new president of Reed Exhibitions Greater China (RXGC), Hu Wei, plans to turn it to his advantage in engaging the Millennial generation.

Stepping into his new position this month, Hu said: “To capture emerging market trends through digital strategies, RXGC strives to fit the needs of younger and tech-savvy customers.

“The ever-growing online audience is hungry for information. This is why we have launched such a wide variety of e-marketing tools and digital platforms,” he said.

Raising Axon, a bilingual and multi-channel marketing platform, as an example, Hu said this has helped to increase brand recognition and improve customer value in Greater China.

To keep up with the “young and talented” workforce as well, the Tianjin native said he hopes to achieve a higher level of employee engagement by getting them involved in decision-making. “I will take personal responsibility to allow them the leeway to make decisions and create opportunities for them to grow professionally.”

Hu’s career spans over nearly 20 years in China and the US, having spent 10 years at Best Buy where he rose to the rank of director of international merchandising.

He also spent four years at Ace Hardware Corporation; initially as director of global merchandising in Chicago, and ultimately as general manager for Asia.

GLOBAL wellness and beauty company, Forever Living, has brought 7,000 top distributors from 55 countries to Singapore for its annual Global Rally incentive this week.

Arriving between April 19 and 21, the delegates have so far participated in a dinner at the Gardens by the Bay, an all-expense-paid day trip to Sentosa that concluded with a beach party, and training sessions.

The highlight of the trip – the Global Rally Show at the Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Grand Ballroom – will take place from April 23 to 25.

Aidan O’Hare, executive vice president of marketing and Europe, Forever Living, told TTGmice e-Weekly the event could have welcomed more delegates if the venue was bigger.

“We were able to have 20,000 people over two days in London last year. We are only having 7,000 pax this year because there is no more room (in the ballroom). We are here to celebrate the Global Rally Show, so when all 7,000 seats are filled, there’s no reason for more to come,” explained O’Hare, adding that 99 per cent of delegates are accommodated in the integrated resort (IR) while the rest are placed at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.

Despite the capacity constraints, O’Hare said Singapore was chosen because “it is one of the most important destinations in Asia” and Marina Bay Sands was selected as the main venue as the IR is “one of the most spectacular buildings in the world” that offers a combination of “luxury, space and great service”.

On choosing the right destination for an incentive, he remarked: “The destination enhances the experience… but sales will not grow any faster if our incentive goes to an exotic destination. However, we see a spike in sales in the local region because people are excited to attend the event. We saw more sales activity in Asia because the locals wanted to qualify and be here.”

Forever Living organises two incentives annually ¬– the Global Rally and the Eagle Manager Programme. The former draws up to 20,000 people while the latter sees 2,000 to 3,000 pax. They are planned six and three years in advance respectively, and rotate worldwide.

The last Forever Living incentive in Singapore was in 2009.

A NEW package deal for meetings held at the Grand Hyatt Macau has just been unveiled, giving planners the choice of two pillarless ballrooms and eight meeting Salons.

Priced from HK$820 (US$106), the Full-day Meeting Package allows planners to choose two desired benefits from a range.

These include: an upgrade to Grand Suite King / Twin room (maximum up to 20 rooms); a free round-trip limousine transfer from/to ferry pier or airport; daily free non-alcohol minibar; one-way ferry ticket from/to Hong Kong; and upgraded coffee break or VIP meeting set-up.

For more information or to make reservations, email macau.grand[at]hyatt.com.

BLEISURE is what Sofitel Krabi Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort is aiming for with its new Getaway Meeting package.

The colonial style hotel is offering a 3D2N package with accommodation in a Superior room at 8,700 baht (US$267) nett per person in twin occupancy, or 12,700 baht for single occupancy.

Other benefits include: a welcome drink with seasonal fruit and flowers; daily buffet breakfast; full-day meeting include one lunch and two coffee breaks; seafood barbecue buffet dinner with three hours’ free-flow soft drinks; free in-room Internet access; extensions including breakfast at the price of 3,800 baht per room per night; and a free upgrade for VIP to Luxury rooms for every 15 rooms purchased.

The offer is valid from now until October 31, 2015.

For further information or reservations, contact H6184-SL4[at]sofitel.com

ESTABLISHED regional organiser CEMS revived its Kuala Lumpur operations in October last year, returning to a market it had quit after almost 30 years of absence.

Country manager Hellen Woon has been appointed to oversee operations in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly, CEMS’ group managing director, Edward Liu, explained CEMS’ decision to regain its position in Malaysia.

“First of all, Malaysia is our closest neighbour and it would be easier for us to manage things out of Singapore. Secondly, we had the experience of operating an office in Kuala Lumpur, during the 1983-1985 period. We ceased operations in Malaysia during the recession at that time. Thirdly, we have an event, Café Malaysia, ready to be launched in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

Café Malaysia is an example of an event that answers the needs and demands of the Malaysian economy, which forms the mission of CEMS’ Malaysia office.

The exhibition will be held at the MATRADE Exhibition Centre from May 7-9.

“We also organised Glasstech Asia in KLCC two years ago, and the event was highly successful. We are likely to repeat the event in the near future,” he told TTGmice e-Weekly.

The company also believes that Malaysia’s MICE industry is on the ascent, “in tandem with the steady economic expansion in the country”, Liu remarked.

“With the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of this year, we believe that more Chinese and foreign organisers and exhibitors are keen to hold exhibitions in Malaysia to take advantage of this growing MICE industry in the country,” he pointed out.

“In the past few years, foreign organisers such as ITE Group from the UK and Sphere Exhibits from Singapore have entered the market and acquired some local organising companies.”

FREE fuel vouchers and a night-time bonfire are being offered by the Sebel Kirkton Park for business events held at the resort between now and end-June.

Available via The Conference Shop – a new, free website service to help companies plan business events in regional areas – the special offer gives corporate organisers a A$500 (US$385) fuel voucher to cover the journey from Sydney, and a post-dinner bonfire under the stars, complete with mulled wine, hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Surrounded by Hunter Valley’s famous vineyards, the resort offers 71 rooms and free Wi-Fi to all delegates. Meetings can be held in its five conference rooms and four breakout rooms.

The offer is valid with a minimum spend of A$10,000. Special conference accommodation rates from A$155 per delegate per night are also available, including breakfast.

For more details, visit www.theconferenceshop.com.au.

THE Tokyo metropolitan government has announced the latest appointment of tourism representatives in 12 cities in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, to be overseen by the Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The cities are Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Munich, Milan, Madrid, Sydney, Beijing and Seoul.

Chitose Maeda, director for city sales, tourism division, Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, said: “We are excited to work closely with our 12 representatives including the two additional cities, Beijing and Seoul, to promote Tokyo as one of the greatest tourism destinations in the world. All 12 representatives’ wealth of knowledge and well-established relationships in the industry make them a great asset to Tokyo.”

It is the first time the city appoints representatives in Beijing and Seoul.

Japan is working towards 20 million international visitor arrivals by 2020, when it will host the summer Olympic Games.

US-BASED MD Events has opened an office each in Singapore and Sacramento, bringing its current global network of operations to six.

The two new offices, joining existing ones in London, St Petersburg, Philadelphia and Hong Kong, will comprise three divisions to deliver MD Events’ specialisations in life sciences, corporate and destination management.

General manager Tarquin Scadding-Hunt said in a press statement that MD Events needs to base its services where clients need them.

Scadding-Hunt said: “Singapore is a hotbed of business for a number of industries, especially pharmaceutical R&D, which was demonstrated recently with companies like Takeda and GSK establishing a presence there.

“There (are) lots of activity in the US’ West Coast and we think it is a logical step to expand our footprint in the US.”

Jowyn Tan, account director of Asia and Australia, told TTGmice e-Weekly that she expects all three divisions in the Singapore office to flourish.

“Singapore is home to regional headquarters within Asia for the pharmaceutical industry and we are expecting at least a 30 per cent increase in meetings for the life sciences division within the next five years. The corporate division is specially tailored for our existing and new clients dealing in non-life sciences meetings. We will be increasing our client base to other industries including IT, electronics, banking & finance, and insurance, etc.

“Meanwhile, our DMC division allows us to demonstrate our knowledge of Asia and Australia. We will expand our client base to event companies that are not based in this region,” Tan said.

Commenting on the company’s decision to open a second office in the US, Agnès Canonica, general manager of the Americas, said: “(There are) many life sciences companies in the San Francisco and San Diego area. In addition, we are targeting IT companies on the corporate side of things, so our presence in Sacramento aligns with our growth strategy.”

Canonica revealed that most of the demand for the US, specifically the West Coast, is from the north-east corridor where most of its current clients are located.

“In a couple of years, we feel that will be spread evenly throughout the East Coast, Midwest (Chicago area) and West Coast, in addition to Canada, based on our diversifying marketing strategy.”

She expects demand from Asian clients to rise five years from now.

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) has launched booking programme IHG Business Rewards, a new addition to the IHG Rewards Club.

The programme offers rewards for business bookings of guestrooms, meetings and other events at over 4,700 IHG hotels across the world.

Members will only require one card for their IHG Rewards Club and IHG Business Rewards memberships, enabling them to view all of their earned points in one account.

Bookings will help members achieve Gold or Platinum status within the programme, redeem hotel stays, air travel, electronic goods and restaurant vouchers and access special offers and promotions with their accumulated points.

MYANMAR’S Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has announced plans to establish Nay Pyi Taw as a MICE destination, having established a central organising office in the capital city as a “one-stop shop” for organising MICE events.

“Nay Pyi Taw is an ideal place for MICE tourism because we have international-standard hotels and convention centres. Also, transport is very good and there is no air pollution,” Khin Than Win, director of tourism promotion and international relations department under the ministry told TTGmice e-Weekly.

Major MICE centres in Nay Pyi Taw include Myanmar International Convention Centres 1 and 2, and the Kempinski Hotel Nay Pyi Taw.

The city had previously hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum, ASEAN Summit and World Economic Forum on East Asia.

Upcoming events include the International Ecotourism Conference in May, Myanmar Hospitality and Tourism Conference in June and a high-profile golf tournament in November.

The ministry has plans to establish flights between Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay with Air KBZ and provide tours of the parliament building for foreign tourists.

Meanwhile, new carrier Apex Airlines announced this week that it will use Nay Pyi Taw as its headquarters.

However, industry members say the city is not yet a popular tourism destination.

“We have offered promotion tours to Nay Pyi Taw and some locals are interested,” said Kay Zin Tar, managing director, Sincerity Travel. “However, very few foreigners are interested to visit there.”