THE Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) topped off last week with development at the 80 per cent mark. While completion for the US$318 million project is slated for March, business begins in January.
Danny Budiharto, president director of ICE’s owning company Indonesia International Expo, said: “Michael Bublé will stage his concert here on January 19, with some 10,000 people in attendance. This symbolises the start of the venue’s operations.”
Danny explained the topping off marked the beginning of a new era in Indonesia’s exhibition history and a shift in the country’s convention and exhibition business.
Built on 22ha of land in BSC (Bumi Serpong Damai) City, Tangerang, with a total floor space of 200,000m2, ICE offers 10 exhibition halls with an indoor area of 50,000m2 and an outdoor exhibition space of 50,000m2.
ICE’s meeting facilities will include a 3,600m2 convention hall and 33 meeting rooms capable of accommodating up to 10,000 people.
The venue will also be equipped with support services such as in-house food production, F&B outlets, parking space for 3,000 cars and a four-star hotel with 300 rooms.
ICE, which is managed by Deutsche Messe, is expected to put Indonesia on more equal footing with other MICE destinations in South-east Asia.
Mark Schloesser, president director of Deutsche Messe Venue Operations, said: “Deutsche Messe is committed to leverage the MICE industry in Indonesia by making ICE the preferred destination for conventions and exhibitions in the region.”
The company has so far received enquiries and bookings for tradeshows, conferences, social functions, and more than two concerts to be staged at the venue.
Apart from signing on domestic conferences and exhibitions, Deutsche Messe is targeting international events. Explained Schloesser: “We will not get to the highest (revenue and occupancy levels) in the next two to three years as a new facility usually takes that long to ramp up…We expect to reach the prime operational phase in five years, (with) a lot of big major events coming from within and outside the country.
“Our target groups now are local and national exhibitors and events within Indonesia, followed by those from the South-east Asian countries and other parts of the world,” he added.
BANKING on its traditional strengths in mechanics and robotics, the South Korean city of Daegu welcomed a series of industrial exhibitions and a forum last month.
The four events were collectively called the Daegu International Machinery Expo – a nod to the city’s strength in production of automatic machinery, packaging machines and metal mold casting – and drew more than 17,000 participants over a four-day period from November 19-22.
The 9th International Materials, Parts and Components Exhibition was also held at the same time, alongside the 3rd Daegu International Robot Industry Expo and the 2014 International Robotics Experts Forum, which featured 10 lectures from top minds in the world.
Youngjin Gwon, mayor of Daegu, was cited in a press statement as saying: “I hope that the Daegu International Machinery Expo is the place where companies can exchange information and communicate (with) each other while making a new market and helping Daegu’s machinery and metal industry develop.”
An industry and technology hub, Daegu is home to 11 universities and 27 colleges in addition to a host of cutting machine manufacturers, auto part makers and robot institutes.
Despite the rough weather damaging some contestants’ exhibits, the quick-witted organisers have not allowed that to deter fair competition, writes Feizal Samath
Organisers of the Food & Hotel Asia Maldives 2014 – Exhibition & International Culinary Challenge, held across three days in August in the Maldivian capital Male, probably could not be prepared enough for the kind of problems they encountered.
First, a lot of food ingredients, kitchen equipment and other exhibition items had to be transported from Colombo in Sri Lanka, by boat, according to Imran Hassan, energetic Director of CDC Events, the main Sri Lankan co-organiser.
The ship carrying the equipment set off on August 7 from Colombo, but encountered rough weather halfway and had to turn back. A second attempt too, was unsuccessful. The third trip succeeded but upon reaching Male on August 22, the sea was too rough for docking at the port. Special permission had to be obtained from the customs to unload the goods onto a barge mid-sea, then transfer them ashore.
Cake structures were among some of the many delicate items brought by boat. Coming in shaky dhonis (a traditional Maldivian sail boat), some chefs had their cake structures broken, which they had to quickly repair in the morning of the event, a mere few hours before the competition. Pre-made cakes packed inside boxes were also damaged, while pots and pans were jumbled up.
The rough sea also posed the second challenge, according to Imran, of transporting the chefs from outlying resorts, two to three hours away by boat, to Male. Some chefs arrived the night before while others arrived only in the morning of the competition.
For Gerald Mendis, chairman of the Chefs Guild of Sri Lanka which helped to organise the event and put together a team of top international judges, it was one of the most challenging and unusual experiences.
“Judging competitions (in Sri Lanka and other parts of the world) has been relatively easy in terms of logistics, where you move equipment and goods inland. This event in Male was totally different, since the contestants came from other islands,” he recalled.
The organisers felt it necessary to inform the judges about the difficulties encountered by the contestants while they were being transported to Male for the competition.
“We told the judges to be lenient when it came to damaged cake structures. They were flexible and did not deduct marks for any ‘mistake’ or any imperfection due to the unavoidable crisis,” Mendis said.
The event was also subject to the risk of rainy weather, which, if it had happened, would not have allowed half the contestants to make it to Male on rough sea.
“We kept our fingers crossed, and fortunately, it didn’t rain,” Mendis shared.
“Fortunately also, due to the difficulty in transporting the delicate pre-made cakes, there were quite a few Maldivian women from Male who took part in the competition.”
Event
Food and Hotel Asia Maldives 2014
Venue Dharubaaruge Exhibition Centre
Dates August 24-26, 2014
No. of Participants Over 2,000
Objective To facilitate trade among exhibitors from all over the world offering products and services needed by the Maldives’ resort industry
Challenges Transporting 325 chefs from outlying resorts as well as kitchen equipment and other items from Sri Lanka by boat to Male, on rough sea
Solution Requesting the competition’s judges to be lenient with contestants whose exhibits were damaged or affected in the process of being ferried to Male
Not blindly following the client’s instructions, Pan Pacific Singapore’s culinary team proposes an alternative that makes for a successful event, writes Paige Lee Pei Qi
Pan Pacific Singapore was the official hotel partner for the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2014, which took place from August 14 to September 21. In addition to sponsoring 633 room nights for the visiting guest artists and VIPs, the hotel was tasked with the catering and crafting of menu for the grand opening gala at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.
The client, Arts House Limited, originally requested for a buffet presentation for the opening gala. However, based on Pan Pacific’s previous experiences with off-premise events, buffet setups for a large number of guests often lead to a longer waiting time.
As such, Pan Pacific’s executive chef, Vincent Aw, suggested presenting butler-passed canapés instead, which would be more convenient for guests, allow for a more engaging session, and be better suited for the high-profile event.
Consequently, an international selection of canapés for 500 guests was approved and presented. Aw crafted the menu to present a variety of items including meat, seafood, vegetables and dessert to entice guests to sample them. As the Wagyu Beef Sliders has consistently been one of the most popular items on the menu at Atrium, the hotel’s lobby bar, the culinary team prepared additional servings of this dish as a main. Most savoury dishes were also served on homemade bread and pastries to fill guests’ stomachs.
To ensure consistency in the quality of food, the initial crafting of the canapés was done at the hotel while the final preparations were completed on-site by the chef and his team.
The decorations for the gala were intentionally kept to a minimal, as the main focus of the event was on the setting – the recently unveiled architecture of the conserved Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. To enhance the old-world charm of the colonial building, the team decided to use steel and glass-top cocktail tables, which served as an aesthetic contrast to the building, while providing a place for guests to enjoy the food and drinks more comfortably.
The culinary offerings and charming presentation of the canapés were well-received by the client and guests alike.
“Pan Pacific Singapore made the opening gala of Singapore International Festival of Arts so memorable with the delightful canapés of a beautiful variety paired with delicious beverages – just right to send us off happily to the performance,” said Lee Chor Lin, CEO of Arts House Limited.
Event
Singapore International Festival of Arts 2014 gala openiing
Client Arts House Limited
Venue Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall
Date August 14
No. of participants 500
Objective To deliver a presentable and palatable menu for the grand opening gala at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall
Clockwise from left: Occupy Central in Hong Kong, APEC in Beijing, Malaysia Airlines’ mysterious disappearance, military coup in Thailand and the new Kaohsiung Exhibition Center
The year brought heart-wrenching accidents, prolonged political strifes and nature’s wrath in some places, all of which hurt business tourism. Despite this, the meetings industry in Asia-Pacific soldiered on. TTGmicelooks back to a year too significant to be quickly forgotten
Welcome additions
Here’s a recap of new infrastructure additions in the region this year that can only be good for the MICE industry
AUSTRALIA
Sheraton Melbourne Hotel
Dockside Pavilion an anchored floating pontoon at Darling Harbour, opened mid-year to cater for up to 1,440 pax banquet-style and 2,000 pax standing.
Melbourne this year welcomed more business hotels, including Quest Melbourne Airport, Sheraton Melbourne Hotel and DoubleTree by Hilton Melbourne.
HONG KONG
PMQ, heritage site of the former Hollywood Road Police Married Quarters, provides two events spaces including the 600m2 Qube and 1,000m2 Aberdeen Courtyard and Marketplace, as well as pop-up stores on different floors.
Kai Tak Cruise Terminal offers a picturesque location with four flexible indoor venues totalling over 3,000m2 that can accommodate up to 3,000pax each. Tenants include the Federal Restaurant Group, which opened a production kitchen and banquet facility for 80 tables.
Hong Kong Maritime Museum has relocated from Stanley to Victoria Harbour at Central Pier No. 8. It comprises 15 galleries, an exhibition and events space, and a rooftop café, catering for different MICE events.
INDONESIA
The expanded Sepinggan Airport opened in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan and can now accommodate 10 million passengers a year, up from 1.7 million previously. Balikpapan is an important industrial city in Indonesia with many multinational companies, especially the oil and gas sectors.
Ciputra Artpreneur opened in August in Jakarta. It is a 10,000m2 art-dedicated space comprising a museum, a theatre, exhibition galleries and multi-function rooms, with capacity for 300 to 1,500pax, theatre-style.
MACAU
Macpro Gallery and Macpro Business Center located in a commercial building at the heart of Macau Peninsula opened early this year. Both offer affordable venues within a non-gaming environment. The business centre offers rooms for small meetings of seven pax or larger gatherings of 20 to 40pax, theatre-style. The gallery has a chic design and is suitable for small- to medium-sized events.
MALAYSIA
klia2 opened in May as the largest low-cost carrier terminal in the world. MICE planners can organise a half-day shopping programme at its four-level mall comprising 225 commercial outlets on the day of departure, or make arrangements with Malaysia Airports Holdings to have special lanes at the immigration for international meeting delegates, avoiding long queues.
Skytrex@Perdana Quay Langkawi opened in August and is great for holding corporate events and team-building activities. The park offers challenges for different levels of fitness. Customised programmes can also be organised to suit organisational needs.
The new four-star Imperial Hotel Kuching offers 339 guestrooms and suites, including two executive floors. Its pillarless Imperial Grand Ballroom can hold up to 1,400 pax for banquets, while the Boulevard Grand Ballroom can accommodate up to 500 pax for receptions. There are nine multi-function meeting rooms of varying sizes.
SINGAPORE
Singapore Sports Hub
Singapore Sports Hub opened in June, boasting a 55,000-seat stadium capped with the world’s largest free-spanning dome roof. It also houses two restaurants, a multi-purpose indoor area able to hold up to 3,000 seats, and the Sports Information Resource Centre, intended for exhibitions.
Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, the grand dame of Singapore’s performing arts scene, opened its doors in June, following a S$158 million (US$127.1 million) refurbishment. The concert hall, which can seat 600pax, has foyer spaces to accommodate standing events of up to 150 guests. Perfectly suited for cocktail events seeking to inject elegance and style, this venue, which is also known as Singapore’s oldest performing arts centre, will be sure to impress both foreign and local guests.
Nestled in the relaxing surrounds of a rainforest, Faber Peak Singapore has undergone a revamp with three new restaurants: Spuds & Aprons, Faber Bistro and Moonstone – all with a view. Two new event spaces, The Ballroom and The Private Dining Room, can be used for a 30pax meeting or a 300pax product launch.
SOUTH KOREA
Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Dongdaemun Design Plaza opened in March in Seoul and has been billed as the world’s largest freestanding asymmetrical building. It offers a total floor space of 86,574m², as well as five meeting halls for a wide array of events.
South Korea’s first man-made island complex Some Sevit opened in April on the Hangang River in central Seoul, ahead of a major new MICE Zone currently being developed in the Gangnam district. It comprises three islets that include a convention hall, restaurants, water sports facilities and a floating stage.
WE Hotel, Jeju, launched in February, boasts a beautiful primeval forest as well as facilities for medical treatments and plastic surgery. There is also an events/banquet hall for up to 220pax theatre-style and 200pax for banquet. There are 82 hotel rooms and 30 patient rooms.
TAIWAN
Kaohsiung Exhibition Center
The 853-key Grand Hyatt Taipei completed its first phase of renovation in July. It has 13 well-equipped meeting rooms, including the pillarless grand ballroom which can fit up to 840 guests for banquets and 1,400 pax for conventions. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.
The newly opened 303-key Mandarin Oriental Taipei features a range of event spaces, including the 960m2 Grand Ballroom for up to 1,200 guests. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, and meeting packages offer well-equipped function rooms.
Newly opened in April, Kaohsiung Exhibition Center offers space for 1,500 standard booths and a conference hall for 2,000 pax, two conference halls for 800 pax each and 10 conference rooms for 20 to 40 pax. The facility has the potential to host marine-related trade events as it is located along a deep, natural harbour, allowing boats to be brought into the exhibition space.
THAILAND
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center became Asia’s first events space to achieve ISO 20121: Event Sustainability Management Systems accreditation, enabling the venue to compete more effectively for international events from organisations like the UN.
CentralFestival Samui opened in March adding 90,000m2 of retail and lifestyle space to the island’s offering with around 200 international branded stores, a bowling alley and cinema. The Port, when it opens, is set to become one of Samui’s key clusters of gastro bars and chic restaurants.
The North Pattaya Alliance was officially launched in June, with seven hotels pooling together almost 3,700 rooms and a host of meetings facilities in a bid to change the area’s sleazy image to one of a high-end MICE destination. Additional support is provided by Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Tourism Authority of Thailand and City Hall.
VIETNAM
Lotte Hotel Hanoi
The five-star Lotte Hotel Hanoi opened in September, offering 318 guestrooms with complimentary high-speed Internet access, three F&B outlets, a spa and three large function rooms, including the Crystal Ballroom for up to 1,200 pax. The Hanoi National Convention Centre is only 15 minutes away by taxi.
Hai Au Aviation kicked off its seaplane service in September with the launch of a Hanoi-Halong Bay route. This high-end sightseeing of Halong Bay via a 12-seater Cessna Caravan C208 EX is an alternative to skip the three- to four-hour overland drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay.
Luxury Travel Vietnam and cruise company Huong Hai Ha Long launched Emperor Cruises in September, which will start its first cruises in Nha Trang by mid-2015. MICE groups can sail the clear waters and lush islets of Nha Trang Bay on board a junk boat or a 32-pax cruise boat.
Reporter’s notebook
As is the tradition, TTGmice editors and reporters share
their best and worst moments when on duty during the year
Raini Hamdi Senior editor
Best
My best interview this year was with Kwek Leng Beng, executive chairman, Singapore-based City Developments Ltd. I could not believe my luck that he spent nearly three hours with me for the interview and that I could ask him anything. I was even more delighted when he answered each question freely and frankly, and nothing was off-the-record. Look out for his South Beach Hotel project which is opening next year; it is linked to Suntec International via an overhead bridge. ‘Chairman Kwek’, as his men addressed him, was particularly happy about that MICE opportunity.
Worst My worst experience was when I was harangued by a tourism official at ITB Berlin this year after we ran a factual account of how the country’s bad image was affecting bookings. I also could not believe how one of the industry players from that destination, whom my reporter interviewed for views on the issue, stoop so low so as to turn around and deny he was interviewed after the article was published.
Karen Yue Group editor
Best This has been a glorious year, largely because TTGmice underwent a transformation to give it a fresher, more vibrant look, with new sections. The magazine is always looking to make itself more relevant to its readers and to consistently deliver the quality content it is known for, so it gave me great joy to see this dedication being acknowledged through yet another award. The cover story in the November 2013 issue won the PATA Gold Award Travel Journalism – Business Article. It was the fourth PATA Gold Award TTGmice has won to-date. Adding to the excitement, we unveiled TTGassociations, a quarterly publication for association secretariats and event planners.
Worst
It takes a lot to get me down and I have no terrible work experiences this year to share. However, I do wish more marketing and communications officers would understand that editorial coverage is not for sale and that TTGmice – or any respectable publication – owes it to its readers to run objective and relevant content. Gracia Chiang Deputy group editor
Best
I had such a great first-time cruise experience on an Oceania fam trip to Greece and Turkey that I am already dreaming of my next voyage. Being the restless traveller that I am, I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed spending seven days onboard. I saw for myself why cruising’s appeal for leisure and MICE is growing among Asian travellers. What did I like? Waking up to a different gorgeous view every day, no transportation and packing hassle, and the all-inclusive fine cuisine!
Worst Being stuck in Sanya’s airport for over eight hours and almost missing my connecting flight back home from Guangzhou. Despite being a VIP guest of China Southern Airlines for the WTTC Global Summit, I had great difficulty securing a seat on the next available flight out of Hainan after my original one was delayed.
Strangely, I also found the logistics for such a high-profile event was not well-executed. I was told that I would be able to make it for the half-day city tour the morning of my departure, but on site, I was told there would not be enough time. Wrong information was also given out about the airport pickup timings. It was a harrowing trip, plus it was not particularly productive as it was hard to arrange for interviews or get face time with top executives. Hannah Koh Assistant editor, TTG Asia Online
Best
Prague, right after ITB Berlin. Is there a place as magical? Long the site of political and ideological clashes, none of this was obvious during the extremely photogenic violet hour when the setting sun cast a golden glow on medieval buildings and the magnificent Charles Bridge.
Worst There’s a casual cruelty in this industry I sometimes feel, amid all the wining, dining, boozing and schmoozing. A particular five-star hotel unveiled its refurbished meeting spaces this year with a rooftop party and I aimed to get a story out of it. The sales director and comms folk were wonderful: kind and considerate, they helped me locate the marketing director who was best positioned to comment. Said marketing director agreed to meet for a quick quote at a certain hour and location, but failed to turn up, despite repeated reassurances from the sales and comms folk, who had run off to look for him. I surrendered after 20 minutes and headed home for the night, later sending in follow-up questions that earned pretty dissatisfactory answers. I regret when courtesy is so clearly lacking from the other side.
Paige Lee Pei Qi Assistant editor-Singapore
Best I will bestow this honour to Tourism Australia for the VIP treatment rendered to all guests during the Australian Tourism Exchange in Cairns this year. Just imagine: upon arrival at the airport, we were taken by surprise as the traditional Gimuy Walubara Yidinji dancers spontaneously danced around us as we collected our luggage. But it didn’t stop there. We were even greeted by helicopters and ships cruising along the harbour that rolled out welcome banners! Now, how’s that for a warm welcome?
Worst
Staying in one of the hotels in Cambodia which was undergoing renovation works. Word of advice to all hotels: It does not go well with guests to welcome their mornings with drilling and hammering noises at 7am. Xinyi Liang-Pholsena Assistant editor-Thailand/Indochina
Best Attending AIBTM in Orlando this year was quite an eye-opening experience for me. Besides it being my virgin trip to the US, what was also interesting for me was to mingle among trade reporters from around the world and observe the greater importance that American consultants placed on education and the faster adoption of technology (think Google Glass) in the US’ MICE industry. Asia is a diverse continent, no doubt, but I would like to see a stronger spirit of being nimble and adapting to technology among event and exhibition planners, especially in the more advanced economies in the region.
Worst Following a press conference, I approached the head of a CVB to request for more information and comments. After introducing myself and presenting my business card, I posed my questions to him and asked if he could share his namecard too. His reply was quite unexpected though: “If you already know who I am, why do you need my namecard?” Kathy Neo Copy editor
Best
My five-day fam trip to Okinawa. The sponsor, Okinawa Convention & Visitor Bureau, customised my itinerary well and responded readily to my interview requests. It was also my first trip to Japan, making it doubly memorable.
Worst Fortunately, none. S Puvaneswary Editor-Malaysia/Brunei
Best
Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s Business Events Week in August was the best MICE conference I attended this year. I enjoyed the interactive sessions and it was also a great opportunity to network with MICE players from all over the country.
Worst
The Malaysia Tourism Exchange 2014 conference, jointly co-organised by Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association and Kris Destination Management in Kuala Lumpur. The programme was not updated so I was hugely disappointed when the invited VIP from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture was not present to give the keynote address. Tourism Malaysia’s director-general, Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, was also not present to deliver the country’s marketing plans. In fact, there was no keynote address and no representative from Tourism Malaysia to present the marketing plans. The event started late and after a brief introduction of all the speakers, the MC immediately held a press conference. I reluctantly went, out of politeness, and as expected, the media had no questions to ask as the sessions had not started. So, to kill time, the MC gave us a lengthy briefing about himself and the different companies he had worked for in the past, and his achievements. Mimi Hudoyo Editor-Indonesia
Best
The best travel mart and fam trip I had this year was New Zealand’s TRENZ. The show was well organised and the breakfast talks were interesting and informative. The participation of all stakeholders – government, airlines, hotels, attractions, airports and ground handling operators enabled me to complete the various assignments I was given.
Worst I was assigned to interview and attend a destination presentation by a visiting NTO but I had already accepted an invitation to a media conference by a cruise company at around the same time. To honour both, I interviewed the NTO 30 minutes before his presentation, then rushed to the next appointment, as the PR company said the cruise executive’s time was also limited. Turned out that not only was he 90 minutes’ late, he did not seem to be in a hurry at all.
Greg Lowe Correspondent-Thailand
Best Covering the Euromic AGM in Cairo in January was without a doubt the highlight of my year. Organised as an incentive, after three days of visiting sites in and around the Egyptian capital, and attending a few meetings, we were treated to a five-day/four-night post-event cruise of the Nile, taking in the archaeological wonders of Karnak, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Philae and Aswan.
Worst
Trying to get believable occupancy figures from a centrally located business hotel in Bangkok. After weeks of delays, panic set in when it unintentionally disclosed occupancy figures that could still only be best described as wildly optimistic. Back-pedalling ensued, along with claims that the data couldn’t be used as it was inaccurate. Prudence Lui Correspondent-Hong Kong
Best Hong Kong Disneyland Resort’s Celebration of Sales Excellence event which took place in Adventureland. The queue area outside Theater in the Wild was transformed into a cocktail and dinner venue for the first time. I was impressed by the creative décor and music, coupled with the provision of straw safari hats and animal print scarves to guests, which set the mood for adventure and exploration.
Worst I requested for two media interviews at the 3rd Global Tourism Economy Forum but the PR informed me on the day that only one materialised. During the group interview session, we the English media were mixed with the mainland Chinese reporters and simultaneous translation was needed for all questions raised. This wasted a lot of our time. Caroline Boey Senior correspondent-China & Special Projects
Best I’m so happy whenever industry officials in China reply to my emails and questions. I give two thumbs up to the Shanghai International Conference Management Organization, and the MICE Department of the Hangzhou Tourism Promotion Centre. Both organisations provide insightful comments, and the same-day reply is an unexpected bonus.
Worst I can’t recall any! Rosa Ocampo Correspondent-Philippines
Best The Philippine-India Travel Exchange stood out because it was well organised with well-chosen buyers and sellers. Organiser Glen Agustin and his team from the Department of Tourism were helpful. Buyers from India were Philippine specialists and were also approachable, open and easy to talk to. Plus, the venue was great: Sunset Pavilion tent at Sofitel Philippine Plaza’s landscaped garden on the edge of Manila Bay.
Worst Several trips of mine were marred by flight delays either on takeoff or touchdown or both due to runway overcapacity in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Once, the plane was already in Manila but had to delay landing by 15 minutes. On another occasion, the aircraft had to stay an extra 90 minutes in Bangkok due to busy traffic in NAIA’s runway. Feizal Samath Correspondent-Sri Lanka/Maldives
Best
My best MICE event was visiting the newly renovated Bandaranaike Memorial International Hall, the country’s biggest convention centre in Colombo, for a musical performance and witnessing the new changes. With its modern facilities, convention rooms and halls, it is the best location for business meetings, exhibitions or conventions. It can accommodate 1,000-1,500 pax in the main conference hall, has large break-out rooms (some with the capability to accommodate 200 pax) and an exhibition centre that can accommodate 200-250 booths.
Worst When a top travel consultant pulled out of a last-minute interview and I had to rush to get a replacement story to meet an urgent deadline. No apologies from the man – won’t contact him again!
Natasha Dragun Correspondent-Australia
Best My best fam trip was to Chicago for IPW 2014. I was blown away by the creativity of the city’s MICE sector and its ability to deal with thousands of extremely demanding travel journalists and travel trade members. A good range of pre- and post-fams were on offer, as well as dozens of trips to take in everything from the city’s architecture to its craft distilling scene.
Worst An evening event hosted on board a boat carrying guests around Sydney’s harbour. There were way too many people on board, which meant I was crammed in a corner with food and drinks flung at me. The speeches lasted the whole event, which meant no time for networking. And to make it worse, they were in multiple languages, which slowed everything down. The worst part? Being on board meant people could not escape.
– Other team members: Marianne Carandang, Shekhar Niyogi, Rohit Kaul, KC Sim, Redmond Sia, Goh Meng Yong and Lina Tan
New York City’s livewire vibes are familiar and attractive to Asian travellers
Encouraged by rising Asian MICE footfalls, New York City is working even harder to capture more Asian business events, writes Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
Thanks to the pervasive influence of Hollywood movies and American pop culture, many Asians already look to New York City (NYC) as an aspirational destination and industry players are hence eager to leverage the Big Apple’s brand recognition for outbound travellers from Asia.
Makiko Matsuda Healy, vice president, tourism development for NYC & Company –NYC’s official marketing and tourism organisation – contends that the city’s energy, diversity and attractions are among its best assets in courting Asian MICE business.
“As the world’s number one draw for business and leisure, attendees have an additional incentive to come early, stay late, bring their spouses and get business done,” Healy said.
“NYC’s cultural diversity is an advantage to host Asian guests. From language capability, variety of authentic cuisine options and dietary requirements such as halal and vegetarian needs, many cultural-specific talent and items can be sourced locally because of our community’s diversity.”
The greater interest from Asia is also reflected in official statistics. According to figures from NYC & Company, the city welcomed 677,000 international MICE visitors in 2013, of which China and Japan were among the top source markets at eight per cent and seven per cent respectively.
“Although we do not have a specific figure, both China and Japan are key generators of the incentive travel segment as well. We have also been seeing more movement from India and South-east Asia such as Indonesia,” said Healy.
“We have been active in the MICE space across Asia, especially China, Japan, India, Australia and South Korea, through our international offices outreach, trade shows (like CITM and AIME), sales missions, seminars and fam trips, etc. We also started our outreach in South-east Asia last year through our first presence at ITB Asia.”
Likewise, significant growth has been recorded from China, South Korea and Japan in the past five years for New York Marriott Marquis, said director of sales & marketing, Leon Goldberg.
While Japan remains a “steady feeder market”, South Korea and China are two markets that “have been evolving for the past two years in all segments”, Goldberg observed.
“We also see business delegations (from Asia). For the pure incentives, we are seeing interest in affluence, and the aspirational trip to NYC as the “carrot” to this ultimate destination. We are also seeing an increase in direct sales organisations such as Amway, Herbalife, etc.,” he shared.
Like many Western hotels that in recent years have rolled out Asian-centric programmes, New York Marriott Marquis also gave a culture crash course to its staff on welcoming Chinese visitors in preparation for Amway China’s 1,500-pax visit in April 2014.
“We replaced all hot water carafes from the coffee makers in all guest rooms, as Chinese people in general prefer warm water over ice-cold faucet water. They also prefer tea to coffee, so this allowed them to heat water in the privacy of their rooms,” shared Goldberg. “We also engaged cultural expert Terri Morrison, author of Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, to conduct cultural training on-property, with all the do’s and don’ts of interacting with Chinese guests.”
Other NYC hoteliers are positive in their outlook of the Asian market. Said Trump SoHo’s director of sales and marketing, Mary Mayes: “We are currently focusing on growing the Asian MICE market. Industry intelligence all points to the importance of courting this demographic.”
Elaborating on Trump SoHo’s multi-pronged promotion strategy for Asia, Mayes said: “On the marketing front, we have invested in a Chinese-language website, as well as efforts to target the online and offline media channels that are most influential. From a sales standpoint, the Trump Organization has a new development office in Shanghai to grow the brand’s footprint in the region. On the property level, we have multilingual staff to assist travellers, a dedicated arrival procedure for Chinese guests that keeps cultural customs top-of-mind, and several traditional Asian dishes on our in-room dining menu.”
And it’s no longer just hotels that have their sights trained on the Asian inbound market, meeting venues are also getting into the Asian bandwagon.
“Since Convene’s founding in 2009, we have seen many global companies – including Asian-based organisations – leverage our expanding network of off-site, professional meeting centres,” said Chris Kelly, president and co-founder of Convene, which operates conference centres in NYC and Washington. “Meetings from Asia are a very important prospective market for Convene.”
With the rise in flights linking Asia and the US, NYC & Company’s Healy recognises that visa regulations remain an obstacle in luring inbound visitors. “The US visa processing waiting times have been shortened tremendously, especially in China, India and Brazil because of the Obama administration’s commitment,” she said. “We need to continue to advocate for this even more and into other countries so that planners have no hesitation about selecting the US – and NYC in particular – as their next destination.”
Working the theme park magic
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley
Orlando came up tops as the most visited destination in the US, surpassing arch-rival New York City to receive a record 59 million visitations in 2013, a three per cent increase from the previous milestone achieved the year before.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of AIBTM in June, Visit Orlando president and CEO, George Aguel, said: “We are one of the top three convention destinations in the US. Orlando is way up there because of its personal appeal…We have highly attractive leisure destinations and we enjoy the highest event attendance (among US cities).
“Some 50-60 per cent of delegates coming in for meetings will sneak in a day or two, or even a night, to enjoy Orlando’s offerings. We get extended platform – a majority of meeting delegates come back and find new things a few years later, motivating (them) to come back for vacations,” he added.
The undisputed theme park capital of the world is in the midst of “one of its most significant expansion periods”, Aguel emphasised, highlighting a US$5 billion investment earmarked for the rejuvenation of Orlando’s retail, dining and attraction scene.
SeaWorld Orlando recently unveiled its biggest expansion in the company’s history and Universal Orlando Resort in July debuted The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, while the opening of Four Seasons Resort Orlando has bumped up the city’s luxury inventory. Anticipated debuts in coming years include the world’s tallest observation wheel, Orlando Eye (opening spring 2015), and the Avatar Land (opening 2017) in Walt Disney World.
Home to four theme parks, two nighttime entertainment districts, six convention resorts, another 10 resorts for overflow and more than 65,000m2 of flexible meeting space, Walt Disney World Resort’s position as “a complete destination rather than just a hotel or collection of hotels” is its greatest strength in vying for international MICE business, remarked director of resort sales, Amy Pfeiffer.
However, despite Orlando’s immense popularity in the American meetings market, industry players acknowledged that the destination’s outreach to Asian visitors is somewhat more limited.
Admitting that it’s “a long way to come to Orlando” from Asia, Michael Lyons, exhibition director – AIBTM, Meetings and Events Portfolio of Reed Travel Exhibitions, posits that the destination’s “great halls, phenomenal theme parks and world-class MICE facilities like Orange County Convention Center” make it “a special place to do MICE and leisure together”.
When asked how Visit Orlando can raise the appeal of the destination to the Asian MICE market when numerous theme parks have popped up in Asia in recent years, Aguel expressed confidence that “the Asian theme park effect” will work to Orlando’s advantage.
“We (Orlando) are the mother of all theme parks. Tokyo has seen the reverse trend – visitors also want to visit the flagships in the US/Southern California – same thing happened for Europe/Paris patrons too,” he said.
“We have not yet courted the Asian meeting market as we’re restricted by a lack of direct flights to Asia, but we’re gaining brand awareness in China and Japan; we have seen fantastic lift for Europe and South American markets with direct flights (so expect the same thing once there are flights from Asia).”
Aguel added that the NTO is working on expanding its airline lift to Asia.
Similarly, more Asian MICE groups are currently heading to the Disneyland Resort in California than Walt Disney World, a trend that probably mirrors the overall travel patterns of Asian groups, observed Pfeiffer. Walt Disney World is hence keen to step up destination awareness among Asian visitors.
She elaborated: “We have dedicated teams located in-market and States-side that focus specifically on the Asian MICE market. An example of how we’re growing marketing and sales efforts is that we have greatly increased our presence at AIME the last two years. We’re excited to see how this affects future business.” – Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
Need to know
Gripping Chicago on the edge
Just launched in spring 2014, Tilt is a glass-and-steel-enclosed moveable platform that extends 30 degrees outwards to generate downward-facing views of The Magnificent Mile and Chicago’s famed skyline – from 94 stories at 360 Chicago (formerly the John Hancock Observatory).
Accommodating eight guests at any one time, the Tilt experience can also be combined with private cocktail receptions or seated dinners at the observatory deck.
Visit www.360chicago.com or email groupsales@360chicago.com for more information and reservations.
More glitz on the Strip
Casting the recession blues behind, Las Vegas is again bustling with several mega developments and breathing new life into previously mothballed projects.
Malaysia’s Genting Group will develop a US$4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas project on a 35ha site on the Strip’s northern end. The project’s first phase will include 3,000 hotel rooms, a 16,000m2 casino, a 4,000-seat theatre, 30 F&B outlets and an elaborate garden attraction. Work has begun in 2H2014, with construction expected to take 24 to 36 months.
MGM Resorts International, along with Los Angeles-based AEG, have broken grounds on the US$375 million, 20,000-seat Las Vegas Arena, a centrepiece that will complement MGM’s US$100 million entertainment district between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo resorts as well as the Park dining complex. Both developments are scheduled to open in 2016.
Opened since March in the heart of the Vegas strip, the High Roller is the world’s tallest observation wheel at 168m tall. Conceived as the centrepiece of The Linq – Caesars Entertainment’s new US$500 million open-air shopping, dining and entertainment district – it boasts 28 passenger cabins that can accommodate 40 passengers each, and is illuminated with 2,000 LED lights nightly.
Las Vegas Arena
Convene with ease
A developer and operator of off-site meeting venues in the US, NYC-based Convene now operates at five locations (four in NYC and one in Washington).
The company offers all-inclusive, turnkey meeting packages, with proprietary in-house services including production support (programme design, logistics and content delivery), F&B (full commercial kitchens and on-site chefs), technology (in-room technology and on-site specialists), operations and staffing.
Convene’s facilities span a wide range of sizes and can accommodate two to 400 pax. Options include open community spaces and individual workspace areas at the centres.
Visit www.convene.com or contact info@convene.com for more information.
Motortainment for corporates
Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World Resort Speedway, a mile-long, tri-oval track, has rolled out a brand-new line of adrenaline-charged Motortainment events.
Designed for groups of 150 or more, planners can select up to four programmes to incorporate into a private event. Programmes include the Exotic Driving Experience, which lets attendees get behind the wheel of exotic supercars by Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi and Porsche, and the Head-to-Head Challenge where thrill-seekers can race other participants in a timed competition.
Burj Khalifa Dubai Picture by umarshariff/123RF.com
New and upcoming infrastructure, all with extensive event facilities, are helping Dubai to achieve its tourism vision, writes Shekhar Niyogi
Dubai has established a new tourism visiton for 2020, which aims to welcome 20 million visitors per year – including 1.9 million international business visitors – by the end of the decade. Supporting this ambitious goal is the recent emergence of new tourism developments that are drawing the interest of international business event planners.
One of the destination’s most prominent newbies is the 72-storey, 355m high JW Marriott Marquis Hotel. Said to be the world’s tallest hotel, the property has won over event organisers with its massive inventory of 1,608 rooms and suites, and almost 8,000m2 of indoor and outdoor event spaces.
Its general manager Rupprecht Queitsch told TTGmice: “Since opening in February 2013 we have hosted more than 1,700 meetings of 10 people or more, worth US$24.4 million.”
Queitsch opined that Dubai now “ranks alongside (business event) destinations such as Orlando, Las Vegas and Shanghai”, which all offer hotels with mammoth inventories to cater for large-scale meetings.
Also making its debut in 2013 is Conrad Dubai. The 555-room hotel in the heart of Dubai’s financial and shopping district offers 4,400m2 of event space spanning three ballrooms, 11 meeting rooms and a business centre. One of the ballrooms is equipped with an indoor elevator large enough to transport vehicles, making the venue ideal for car launches.
The Oberoi, Dubai, which welcomed its first guests in June 2013, also caters well for business events. It has 252 rooms and suites, a grand ballroom that can be divided into three sections, nine meeting rooms and an executive boardroom with a private terrace.
Come 2016, Dubai will see the completion of the US$3 billion Al Habtoor City project on Sheikh Zayed Road. Spanning 929,030m2, the entertainment and hospitality development will comprise three hotels operated by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and under the brands St Regis, W and Westin; a standalone theatre; the world’s first Bentley Café & Boutique which will come with a car display area; a classical French-style garden; and a tennis academy with a clubhouse.
It is expected to transform the city’s Business Bay and Dubai Water Canal district into a prime meetings hub due to its extensive event and accommodation facilities and close proximity to the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
According to Al Habtoor Group chairman, Khalaf Al Habtoor, the massive development will also enable Dubai to better compete with top business event destinations like New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong.
So far, Dubai is making progress on the business events front. This year ICCA ranked Dubai among the top 100 cities for international association meetings. It stood in 63rd position for having hosted 37 ICCA-qualified meetings in 2013, and is the only UAE emirate to be on the top 100 chart.
A prominent event hosted in Dubai this year is the Project Management Institute Global Congress, held from May 5 to 7. As the world’s largest not-for-profit membership association for the project management profession, the annual meeting attracted more than 1,200 decision-makers from around the world.
In April, Nu Skin China led a 16,500-pax incentive to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Ahmed Alkhaja, senior vice president-venues, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), said: “We are seeing some major wins across tactical industry segments, which further reinforces Dubai’s knowledge economy proposition and creates a rich sharing platform for ideas and discussion that will positively impact decisive regional market sectors.”
In the coming years, Dubai will play host to two heavyweight events – 2018 ICCA Congress and the World Expo in 2020.
Ajay Bhojwani, managing director of MCI Middle East, said: “Showcasing events and having testimonials of success (will) strengthen the Dubai brand and build confidence in anyone looking at holding meetings here.”
Need to Know
Marriott plants massive property in Dubai city centre
Opened in 2013 in Dubai’s Business Bay, the towering JW Marriott Marquis Hotel features 1,608 rooms and suites including four two-storey penthouse suites, 14 dining destinations, a spa, a health and fitness club.
Regarded as a business events hub, the hotel boasts a stable of two ballrooms, 32 meeting rooms, four boardrooms and a selection of outdoor event spaces. The largest venue on site is the Dubai Ballroom which can accommodate events with up to 1,548 guests.
Visit www.jwmarriottmarquisdubai.com for more information.
Experience Dubai after sunset on a traditional dhow
White Sands Tours & Travel conducts a dinner dhow cruise along Dubai’s Deira Creek. Guests can catch sights of the destination’s illuminated city ckyline as well as old trading dhows and luxury yachts that bob over water as they dig into a sumptuous buffet dinner of continental and oriental dishes. Call (9714) 2826-800 or visit www.whitesandstours.com for more information on this programme.
Underwater adventures
The Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis The Palm offers visitors an interactive and educational trek through underwater mazes and tunnels, where they will feast their eyes on 65,000 marine animals, such as sharks, eels, seahorses and piranhas, swimming freely by.
There are over 20 marine life exhibits in the aquarium including a touch tank and an interactive Aquatheatre show.
Special arrangements can be made for coporate incentive groups. A ‘chamber’ can be chartered for private gatherings, with canapés and drinks being served while marine biologists share amazing facts about the aquarium’s inhabitants.
Email lostchambers@atlantisthepalm. com for more information.
Meet and stay at the Al Murooj Rotana
Located in downtown Dubai, close to the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, the Al Murooj Rotana caters well for residential meetings and business travellers with its inventory of 247 rooms and suites, 140 apartments, a grand ballroom for 700 guests in a theatre setting, eight meeting rooms, and 11 dining outlets, among other facilities.
To wind down, business warriors can retreat to the hotel’s fitness centre and temperature-controlled swimming pool.
Al Murooj Rotana also offers 27 semi-furnished offices that can be chartered for short- and long-term use by event organisers.
Email almurooj.hotel@rotana.com for more details.
Take a joyride in the skies
The Jazirah Aviation Club in Ras Al Khaimah, an hour’s drive from Dubai, offers incentive delegates early morning joyrides in the skies, an experience that promises breathtaking views of the sea and sand. Each flight on a microlight aircraft lasts between 30 and 60 minutes and is led by a trained pilot or flying instructor. Charges from 300 dirhams (US$82) for a 20-minutes joyride. Visit www.jac-uae.net for more information.
Dusit Thani Dubai refreshes its suites
Dusit Thani Dubai has completed the renovation of its one- and two-bedroom suites, which now feature traditional Thai-inspired handcrafted timber furniture, “floating” walls embellished with gold leaf mouldings and intricate hand carved artwork, along with modern lighting and entertainment systems.
All 147 suites have also been replanned to allow better use of existing space.
The five-star hotel’s last renovation effort in 2013 involved its deluxe rooms and executive suites.
The future Puteri Harbour Convention Centre will be able to support a variety of business events, from exhibitions to banquets
A new MICE strategy and slew of infrastructure developments promise to raise the tourism appeal of Malaysia’s Johor State. By S Puvaneswary
An earnest transformation has been taking place in Johor, the southern-most state of Peninsular Malaysia and a bustling destination just across the border of Singapore.
New tourist attractions, specifically Legoland Malaysia and Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park, which opened in recent years, have helped to boost arrivals to the state.
But the Johor State Government wants more than just leisure traffic. Along with the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and Johor Department of Tourism, the trio has set in motion plans to establish a state convention bureau by 2016 which will be tasked with attracting regional and international business events to Johor.
Johor will be the third secondary destination in Malaysia to have a convention bureau, after Sarawak in East Malaysia and Penang in the north, which is in the midst of setting up the Penang International Convention and Exhibition Bureau.
A working committee, comprising the public and private sector, has been formed to hammer out the details of the new convention bureau. It is co-chaired by Mohammad Rosly Md Selamat, senior vice president of economic intelligence at IRDA and Badrul Kassim, director of Johor Tourism Department.
Ismail Ibrahim, chief executive, IRDA, said the state is concurrently developing hardware in order to attract more business events.
On the hotel front, there are 10,400 rooms in 65 member hotels of the Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor Chapter in Johor Bahru, the state capital. Across the entire state, the inventory totals 12,500 rooms in 72 member hotels.
Since 2013, several international brand name hotels have opened in Johor Bahru. They include the 345-key Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel which offers seven flexible function rooms, and the 283-key Traders Hotel, Puteri Harbour which features a 515m2 ballroom and five other multi-function rooms that are suitable for smaller groups ranging from 40 to 280 guests.
More rooms will come online in Iskandar Malaysia, which is being developed as a metropolis three times the size of Singapore. Room count in this district is expected to increase to 6,600 rooms by end-2015, from around 5,000 rooms now.
Noor M Ismail, head, sales & marketing at Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel, said: “New international hotels will help to draw delegates to the destination.”
He opined that the state’s numerous retail options such as Johor Premium Outlets, a collection of 130 designer and brand name outlet stores, along with family-friendly attractions add further value to Johor’s appeal.
“They will keep meeting delegates and their (accompanying family) happy,” he said, adding that clients from South-east Asia, India, China and the Middle East view Johor as an attractive option when packaged with Singapore, as meetings and tours in the southern state are more affordable.
Joe Lim, executive director of Konsortium Express and Tours in Singapore, agrees, saying that should more meetings be held in Johor, Singapore would benefit from day tours rather than overnight stays due to the higher cost of accommodation in the city state.
Michael Goh, senior vice president, sales of Star Cruises, suggested that delegates attending conventions and meetings in Johor could extend afterwards to Singapore for leisure cruises.
Attention is also being paid to the development of convention facilities. Johor’s main convention centre today is Persada Johor International Convention Center, which can accommodate up to 4,000 delegates.
Persada Johor International Convention
Center in Johor Bahru is presently the
state’s main venue for large business events
Recognised as the largest purpose built convention centre in Johor Bahru, Persada Johor International Convention Center has hosted high profile events such as the 8th World Islamic Economic Forum which attracted 2,100 delegates from 86 countries in December 2012.
The adjoining Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru provides accommodation support with 425 guestrooms, and is also equipped with a ballroom for 350 pax in a banquet setting and seven function rooms.
During the 8th World Islamic Economic Forum, meeting spaces at both the convention centre and hotel were fully optimised.
Ismail projected that three to four more convention centres would be needed in Nusajaya, Pasir Gudang and Senai over the next five years.
UEM Sunrise is expected to start constructing a convention centre in Puteri Harbour, Nusajaya, in April 2015. The venue – Puteri Harbour Convention Centre – is scheduled for completion in early 2018. Designed by Cox Architects as a boutique convention centre in a resort setting, Puteri Harbour Convention Centre will sit on a prime waterfront site and be flanked by Traders Hotel, Puteri Harbour, Johor and International Ferry Terminal. Facilities will include a waterfront ballroom that can seat a 1,200-pax banquet, a plenary hall for 1,200 people which will be connected to a 5,000m2 exhibition hall, allowing for flexible expansion, as well as 1,500m2 of meeting space.
K Nirubah, director of sales and marketing for Persada Johor International Convention Centre and Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru, welcomes the formation of a convention bureau.
“With a bureau, we can market Johor more effectively and have a better presence at MICE trade shows. One of our biggest challenges is that we have not been able to get through to foreign meeting planners and incentive (specialists) due to the lack of awareness of (Johor),” she said.
Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has also backed Johor’s move. Zulkefli Sharif, CEO of the federal convention bureau, said establishing a state bureau would complement MYCEB’s efforts in bidding for more international events.
He added: “A bureau will also be able to inform and update meeting planners, incentive houses and all MICE players on the state’s meeting capacities, attractions and strengths as a MICE destination.
“Organisers will feel comfortable when fam trips and product updates are presented by people who know their products well and can provide technical support and advice.”
Besides support from a convention bureau, Syed G Qadir, managing director at Wonder Ways Dhaka, would like to see Singapore and Malaysia offering a single visa for MICE groups from Bangladesh, as that would encourage planners to twin both countries.
Ideas
Two-day corporate bonding excursion to Johor
Day 1
Start the day with a city tour of Johor Bahru. First, pay a visit to Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque, one of the finest mosques in Malaysia. After a photo stop, drive past the Royal Mausoleum and proceed to Eastern Pewter for a demonstration by craftsmen on creating pewter accessories.
Break for lunch at Savaro Restaurant at Puteri Harbour, where a great view of the marina can be enjoyed.
Next, make a beeline for Johor Premium Outlets where your group can indulge in some retail therapy, buying up discounted brand name items.
Later, the tour continues onwards to Arulmigu Sri Raja Kaliamman, a Hindu temple made of glass. In May 2010 it was listed in the Malaysian Book of Records as the first and only glass temple in the nation.
The tour ends with a visit to Plaza Seni, a cultural centre showcasing local handicraft such as batik, textiles, copperware, wood carving and ceramics.
Take a trip back into the quiet, good old days with a visit to Kukup Village and see how the fishing community lives
Day 2
Spend the day at Kukup Village, a fishing community in Pontian District, approximately 80km from Johor Bahru. The journey from the state’s capital will take your group past rubber estates and oil palm, coffee and cocoa plantations.
At Kukup Village, a private tour waits your group. Start with a visit to a fish farm where participants
will get to feed the fishes. A sumptuous seafood lunch will be served in a traditional fisherman’s house, followed by a guided tour around the village, which is entirely built on stilts.
Depart the village at 16.00 for Johor Bahru.
Itinerary by East Coast Adventure Travel & Tours
Need to Know
DoubleTree by Hilton opens in Johor’s central business district
Opened in July, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru offers 335 rooms, a business centre and four F&B outlets.
It boasts a dedicated event floor that comprises 10 versatile meeting spaces including two divisible ballrooms and spacious outdoor function areas. The largest venue, the Grand Ballroom, can host 750 guests for receptions or 450 in theatre-style.
It is also perfect for business travellers, thanks to its location in the central business district and close proximity to Persada Johor International Convention Centre. The hotel is also minutes from the Singapore-Malaysia causeway.
EduCity gives Johor a new sporty edge in events
Johor’s capacity for sports events notches up with the opening of EduCity Stadium & Sports Complex on March 1, 2013. The 14,000-seat stadium comprises a world-class football cum rugby field, a 400m athletic track, an aquatic centre complete with Olympic-size swimming and diving pool, an indoor arena with multiple courts for badminton, basketball and futsal, and outdoor courts for tennis, volleyball and futsal.
The complex can also support private functions such as corporate gala dinners, concerts and Chinese opera shows.
For enquiries, email esc.info@educity-iskandar.com.my.
Take a break in natural surroundings
The Endau-Rompin National Park comes highly recommended as a destination for business warriors to escape the bustling city and bask in nature’s lush environs. Participants can enjoy various activities such as jungle trekking, camping, visiting an aboriginal village, bird watching and nature studies.
More than fruity delights at the Desaru Fruit Farm
Ideal as a pre- or post-tour programme, Desaru Fruit Farm in Johor offers visitors a guided tour of the 180-acre tropical fruit land which is home to more than 100 varieties of tropical fruit. Visitors can learn about good agricultural practices and integrated pest management. Visit www.desaruff.com for more information on the attraction.
A spicy affair
The Spice Kitchen in Johor Bahru is loved for its Indian-Chinese fusion cuisine which features traditional Hakka recipes infused with Indian spices. North Indian and Thai dishes are available too. The restaurant can seat around 140 guests and offers outdoor catering services.
For reservations, contact restaurant@thespicekitchen.com.my.
A grand option for business events in Johor
Featuring 330 stylish rooms, 18 meeting rooms, an indoor ballroom that can seat 300 people in a banquet setting and three outdoor banquet venues, Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor is able to support a range of business events.
Gala dinners can be hosted outdoors by the resort’s Olympic-size swimming pool where a floating stage can be arranged.
Customised teambuilding activities can also be done on-site, thanks to the resort’s impressive range of sports and recreational facilities including an eight-lane bowling alley, squash and tennis courts, a bicycle rental service, and a lawn for games like futsal, volleyball and netball.
As Le Grandeur Palm Resort Johor sits close to Palm Resort Golf & Country Club, event planners can easily fit in friendly golf games before or after meetings. Palm Resort Golf & Country Club offers three golf courses that are suitable for novice and professional golfers.
More information on both properties can be found at www.palmresort.com.
More Asian MICE groups are starting to fall in love with Jeju, but the lack of direct air access can hinder growth, writes Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
Scenic Jeju, long loved for its numerous natural earth formations, is seeing more corporate incentive interest thanks to increased exposure in films
Bolstered by the numerous Korean drama serials that had been filmed on the island and subsequently building up a substantial interest in the destination from the leisure outbound market in Asia, Jeju now sees ripe opportunities in leveraging the Hallyu (Korean wave) fame to become the region’s incentive hot spot too.
While China and Japan make up the biggest MICE markets for Jeju, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are currently “growing strong”, according to Jeju Convention & Visitors Bureau (JCVB) marketing manager, Sean Shin. He also anticipates the recent launch of daily direct flights (running through May 2015) between Bangkok and Jeju by Eastar Jet, a Korean LCC, will further whet the outbound incentive appetite from Thailand.
South-east Asia has since been identified as an important market for JCVB. “There is a craze for popular Korean cultures in many parts of South-east Asia…Also, unique venues will make incentive tours in Jeju more (memorable) with special events and theme parties. These efforts will enable us to make inroads into South-east Asian markets.
“We are also targeting the Muslim market in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Middle East, and have invested in Muslim offerings in hotels and restaurants. So far, we’re seeing a 10 per cent growth year-on-year for the Middle East market,” he added.
Having witnessed strong leisure demand for South Korea, Asian travel companies are also keen to grow outbound meeting and incentive interest to the destination, with Jeju a strong favourite for MICE groups.
Sophiya Travel & Tours Cambodia’s director of tour development, Leng Pagna, said: “We are getting a lot of enquiries for South Korea for our corporate clients in Cambodia; they have already been to nearby countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, so South Korea is viewed as a newer destination.”
Outbound MICE groups to South Korea at Sophiya are mostly incentives from the Cambodian agriculture and association sectors, averaging around 30-35 pax who spend six days in Seoul, Jeju, Nami Island and Sorak Mountain, added Leng.
Sharing similar sentiments, Christina Pakpahan, director of Okdo Tour & Travel Service in Medan, said: “Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are close (to Indonesia) and already done, so we are looking for farther destinations in Asia-Pacific like South Korea and Australia. While the Indonesian leisure outbound market is established, MICE traffic to South Korea is growing at about eight to 10 per cent.”
According to Pakpahan, her MICE groups average around 50-60 pax from the insurance and government sectors, spending five days to a week combining meetings and incentives in Korean destinations like Jeju, Seoul and Busan.
Urging the Korean authorities to build on the rising wave of interest from Indonesian MICE market, Pakpahan remarked: “We would like to see more roadshows by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and direct flights launched to Indonesia, especially as Medan now has a new airport. As there are no direct flights to South Korea, we have to transit in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.”
Likewise, Richard Suh, president of Seoul-based Bosuk Tours, which has already built up a stable incentive demand from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to Jeju, is now casting his sights on new markets like Istanbul and Delhi – two cities where KTO has recently set up branch offices – to tie in with the NTO’s broader outreach efforts.
In particular, Jeju’s visa-free status is what Suh leverages when it comes to courting incentive groups from overseas. “Jeju is particularly favoured by Indian incentive groups as they do not need a visa to visit, and most usually stay for two nights,” he said.
However, a lack of direct flights and seat inventory are what hamper Suh’s efforts to promote Jeju to the Indian market. “Indian groups usually transit via Hong Kong but Hong Kong (travel consultants) block seats so it’s sometimes difficult for Indians (to get seats),” he shared. “I’d urge for more direct flights to Jeju to attract the Indian markets, plus easier visa access overall to South Korea.”
Need to know
Four Seasons Seoul joins city’s line-up of top-end properties
Following the surge of high-end hotels like Conrad Seoul, JW Marriott Seoul Dongdaemun Square and W Seoul Walkerhill in recent years, next to rise up on the city’s luxury scene is Four Seasons Seoul come May 2015. Marking Four Season’s foray into South Korea, the hotel will be housed in a 25-storey building in Sejongro Square in Seoul’s central business district. The 317-key luxury property will boast high-end restaurants, a speakeasy bar, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a saltwater pool, plus glamorous spaces for events and meetings.
Gangnam welcomes Aloft
Aloft Seoul Gangnam, which opened its doors on October 1, features 188 urban-inspired rooms and suites, each bearing in-room amenities such as platform beds with plush bedding, walk-in showers with custom amenities by Bliss Spa, plug-n-play docking stations, 42” LCD TVs and complimentary Internet access.
The hotel offers 64m2 of meeting space, including three versatile meeting rooms that can seat up to 48 pax in a theater-style setting.
Recreational spaces include the 24-hour grab-and-go beverage area, Re:fuel by Aloft; Nook, the all-day dining restaurant; the W XYZ bar; and the Re:chargeSM fitness centre.
Located on Yeongdong-daero in Gangnam, the hotel allows for easy access to the COEX Convention and Exhibition Center, as well as the office district in Samsung-dong. For more information, visit www.alofthotels.com/seoulgangam.
Making drama in Jeju
Moong Chee Event Tour is offering the Making Drama Programme which enables groups to bond while accomplishing missions at Jeju’s Locadio World.
Participants can transform into their favourite Korean film hero or heroine and reenact famous scenes at various film sets of different time periods and historical backgrounds. At the same time, participants will be challenged to accomplish team missions within a set time frame. Tasks include puzzle challenges, yunnori (a traditional game played by throwing sticks), Golden Bell of the Joseon Period and the likes.
The winner will then be announced and awarded at the end of these fun activities.
Visit www.moongchee.com or call (82-64) 724-6887 for programme details.
Go shopping
Korean retail giant Lotte Group in October launched the completed commercial retail buildings on the lower part of Lotte World Tower & Lotte World Mall, located in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
Lotte World Mall, an 11-storey commercial building, houses about 1,000 local and global stores across 429,000m2 of space, including a cinema, a duty-free shop, an aquarium, a food court and a space dedicated to Hallyu.
The adjacent Lotte World Tower, currently under construction, is set to become the country’s tallest building at 123 floors when it opens in October 2016. The uppermost part (levels 120-123) of Lotte World Tower will serve as an observatory while levels 117 to 119 will be home to an art gallery. A hotel, offices and a medical centre are also expected to be part of its amenities.
VietJet links Hanoi and Danang to Seoul
Vietnamese LCC VietJet in July launched daily flights from Hanoi and Danang respectively to Seoul, adding the city to its list of international destinations that includes Singapore and Bangkok.
From Hanoi, flights depart Noi Bai International Airport at 01.45, while flights take off from Da Nang International Airport at 02.00. Both flights leave Incheon at 11.05.
The airline expects to serve 2,520 passengers per week on the new route, which is operated under a partnership with South Korea’s Seyou Corporation.
Moonlight tour of Changdeokgung Palace
Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is said to be the most traditional and authentic among Seoul’s five grand palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty, and a moonlight tour makes one of the best ways to take in the beauty and grandeur of this architectural gem.
Ideal for MICE groups, this unique experience enables participants to stroll selected sights in the palace, including the Injeongjeon Hall, the venue for royal ceremonies; Nakseonjae, the king’s compound; and Yeongyeongdang, a performing stage with seats, Korean tea and traditional snacks for the audience.
As the tour takes place on two days around the full moon period during April to May and September to November, tickets are limited to 100 pax per tour.
More information is available at http://eng.cdg.go.kr.
Victoria Harbour: Retail in ‘occupied’ areas seems more affected than MICE
Most meetings are continuing despite Occupy Central, Prudence Lui reports
The Occupy Central Movement that started end-September has sent thousands of protesters to the streets of Hong Kong’s central business districts, leading to the closure of major roads and hampering traffic. The protests have also spread to the commercial areas of Causeway Bay and Mongkok.
The city’s MICE business has inevitably been affected. Some events, such as the 4th Nobel Laureates Symposium on Global Sustainability originally scheduled for October 8-11, were cancelled.
Langham Place, Mongkok, situated a block away from the protest scene, noted a slight slowdown in short-term enquiries for October and November. Its general manager, Shaun Campbell, said: “Customers were either considering other locations or holding their bookings to see if the protests would conclude (Mongkok is still preferred for its central location). In cases where events wanted to relocate, our first priority was to offer our sister hotels, The Langham and Eaton.”
Fortunately for Eaton Hong Kong, it saw only one meeting cancellation when the protests started. Its director of sales and marketing, Edward Hobson, said in late October: “Everything (corporate meetings) is going ahead as planned towards year-end. Fortunately, we’re in a location that isn’t affected and we’re also within easy reach.”
Corporate event management companies too, did not report much impact on business. While International Conference Consultants has held and will be holding all its meetings as scheduled as clients viewed the unrest as a peaceful one, Cievents only had to rearrange transport for one group that came in October due to the roadblocks.
Pacific World Hong Kong’s destination manager, Ivy Sung, said: “December is usually low season for us, so there’s no real impact. But I have a proposal for a 100-pax meeting in 2015, and the client has asked me not to develop it further after the protests started.”
Meanwhile, Momentous Asia Travel and events general manager, Doris Lam, has observed some traffic shifting to the outskirts. She said: “Hong Kong is a very compact city and even if the hotels are not in the city centre, as long as they are near the MTR, it is not too big a concern. Besides, outskirt hotels are relatively new and more ‘techie’ and so appeal to some clients.”
Despite the minimal impact, DMC-The Destination Management Company’s general manager, Luke Mitchell, nevertheless cautioned: “As most foreign media coverage is always on the violence, Hong Kong is starting to look like a dangerous place, even though it isn’t. If the protests drag on, the city’s reputation will definitely be affected.”
International SOS and Control Risks has so far handled 95 security cases directly related to the protests from its members. Said its security director, Lane Aldred: “The majority of cases for assessment and advice were dependent on members’ geographical location within the city.
“However, while pro-democracy protests are likely to continue to flare up intermittently to 2017 or beyond, they are unlikely to cause long-term disruption to business. A majority of Hong Kong residents still favour stable relations with China, and will resist any political upheaval that threatens the city’s long-term political and economic stability.”
Aldred noted that while not any one segment is particularly more affected than another, the retail and catering industries in ‘occupied’ areas are suffering. At the same time the government is collecting data to assess the impact of the protests on the economy, he said there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that credit card spending has dipped in the major shopping areas of Mongkok, Central and Causeway Bay.
Nevertheless, he added that Hong Kong remains a low-risk travel destination. “Serious, widespread, or destabilising unrest is highly unlikely. The campaign has lost momentum, and turnout is expected to be limited. Effective crowd-control measures will also ensure disturbances remain contained, even within the compact central business districts of the city. While all protests should be avoided…the main concern for travellers arise from potential delays in travelling within the city.”
Ideas
A day tour in Hong Kong
Statue of Bruce Lee on the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui
Begin the day travelling up to Victoria Peak on the Peak Tram. From the Sky Terrace atop, take in the spectacular 360-degree view of the city, with its corporate skyscrapers and quiet outlying islands. Explore the galleries and shops for a while before descending the Peak via the central and mid-level escalator system – the longest outdoor covered escalator system (800m) in the world with 20 escalators and two moving footways.
The next stop is Central, at the heart of Hong Kong. Embark on a one-hour walking tour of the metropolis, which will take you back to the early days of British rule with the historic buildings, while the towering skyscrapers keep you grounded in the present. Enjoy lunch at a traditional tea house or Dim Sum restaurant – a must-have Hong Kong culinary experience.
Post-lunch, take the Star Ferry from Central Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui, where activities abound. Visit the Art Gallery and Hong Kong Cultural Centre, walk down the Avenue of Stars which honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry, get lost in the myriad of streets and mega malls, enjoy afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel, or stroll along Nathan Road, known also as The Golden Mile.
For a memorable dinner, 21 floors up from the bustling Nathan Road is the Wooloomooloo Prime restaurant. Wind down with a glass of cocktail on the outdoor terrace offering 270-degree view of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. Dine as the sun sets and the lights of the city are switched on, culminating at 20.00 in A Symphony of Lights, a multimedia light, laser and music show involving 40 of the city’s buildings.
Itinerary by MCI Hong Kong
Need to know
Hotel with a visual impact
InterContinental Hong Kong has installed the city’s largest hotel ballroom LED wall. About 12m long and 4m wide, the wall is able to present live event coverage, graphic effects and a ‘live feed’ of the hotel’s spectacular view of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. Event packages comprising these different backdrop options are available.
Call (852) 2313-2211 or email iceventshk@ihg.com for more information.
Revamped Royal Plaza
Royal Plaza Hotel now dons a new look following a two-year renovation.
The 699 guestrooms, hotel lobby, drive way, F&B outlets, health club and grand ballroom all boast a new contemporary design.
Guestrooms are equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi, a 40/46-inch LED TV, as well as a USB charging socket on the wall.
Facilities added include the Lion Rock Bar and junior ballroom, both on level 3, Royal Room (level 1) and massage centre (level 8).
Digging into black gold
The Peninsula Academy’s 90-minute Caviar Connoisseurship: A Gourmet Class in Refining Tastes teaches guests how to appreciate the ‘black gold’ and shows how chefs’ pick premium caviars. Guests will also be taught subtle training of the palate in order to sample the delicacy with the world’s finest vodkas and champagnes. Advance booking is recommended.
Call (852) 2696 6693 or email diningphk@peninsula.com
Gordon Ramsay restaurant
Gordon Ramsay has partnered Dining Concept Group to open the Hong Kong edition of his popular London dining establishment, Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, in Lan Kwai Fong. The restaurant features a 90-seat dining area and bar seating for 30 pax, as well as a private room for 12 pax. Find signature British-European cuisine in a warehouse-style venue with a mixed vintage and modern décor.
Email reservations.bsk@diningconcepts.com
New private event venue
Xi Yan Penthouse offers four spacious dining cum function rooms, which can be transformed into a 100-seat banqueting space. The roof terrace is flexible for outdoor parties of up to 180 guests. The venue also caters for seminars, exhibitions, conferences and workshops. Its show kitchen cum chef’s table enables the video recording of cooking shows.
Call (852) 3622-3912 or email penthouse@xiyan.com.hk
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
The five-star property excels in backing its expansive facilities with seamless service and personalised attention, setting the benchmark for luxury in Bangkok.
Clockwise from left: Occupy Central in Hong Kong, APEC in Beijing, Malaysia Airlines’ mysterious disappearance, military coup in Thailand and the new Kaohsiung Exhibition Center
Raini Hamdi
Karen Yue
Gracia Chiang
Hannah Koh
Paige Lee Pei Qi
Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
Kathy Neo
S Puvaneswary
Mimi Hudoyo
Greg Lowe
Prudence Lui
Caroline Boey
Rosa Ocampo
Feizal Samath
