ACCOR has been appointed the operator for the new Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre (JECC).

Located in the industrial hub of Sitapura and 5km from Jaipur International Airport, the 17ha JECC along with the 241-room Novotel is the largest integrated exhibition-convention-entertainment facility in South Asia.

Facilities include two exhibition halls with a combined, column-free space of 20,000m² and an open exhibition area of 10,000m². The convention centre includes seating for 1,200 delegates, supported by 20 meeting rooms spanning 5,000m² as well as pre-function areas, registration counters, interpretation booths, and a lawn for outdoor events.

Jean-Michel Cassé, senior vice president, Accor India, said in a statement: “In India, we have been the pioneer in the field of convention centres, through the Hyderabad International Convention Centre and the Lavasa International Convention Centre and Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach.”

Already open, JECC hosted India Stone Mart 2015 in January. Novotel will begin operations in 2016.

LOCAL association executives can now apply for a Professional Development Grant launched by the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre that is aimed at grooming the next generation of meetings professionals.

Unveiled on March 10 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s 10^th Association Seminar, the grant will offer three association executives the chance to attend ICCA Congress 2016 in Kuching, engage with international industry professionals and grow their association management abilities.

It will also be a chance to get a better understanding of the global meetings industry and bidding process.

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre general manager, Alan Pryor, said: “We believe direct exposure to industry experts and stakeholders will help equip the young executives with the tools to become ‘Malaysian Ambassadors’ for their association and the country. So we invite Malaysian association executives aged between 25 and 35 years old and who are registered and a participating member of a national association that is registered, active and holds an annual national conference, to apply (for the grant).”

ICCA president, Nina Freysen-Pretorius, commented: “I would encourage the national associations to take advantage of this support to uplift their profile within their international network. This will ultimately benefit both the local organisation and the country.”

An online application form and more information on the Professional Development Grant will be made available by end-March on www.klccconventioncentre.com.

THAILAND may be the most preferred destination for MICE visitors from India, but unlike rivals such as the UK and the US, it still has some way to go before being viewed as a premium MICE destination, say industry leaders.

Speaking at the TICA (Thailand Incentive and Convention Association) Membership Quarterly Luncheon in Bangkok yesterday, David Barrett, executive director events at Amari Watergate Bangkok and Amari Orchid Pattaya, said: “Some 25.3 million households are considered upper class and rich in India, and that’s just two per cent of the Indian population but equivalent to half of Thailand’s population.”

It also pays to understand the peculiarities and uniqueness of the Indian MICE traveller, Barrett pointed out. For example, Indian groups often pledge little loyalty to suppliers and go for lower prices; have a penchant for negotiation so suppliers have to set aside time to clinch a deal; and there is a tendency for dinners to be delayed, sometimes to as late as 23.00, he shared at the luncheon.

Furthermore, a maturing Indian MICE market also brings with it an increasingly sophisticated customer profile, especially as Thailand welcomes more repeat MICE delegates from India.

Said Barrett: “For the accounts currently staying in three or entry-level four-star hotel, they will come back to Thailand and upgrade to an upscale or even a luxury five-star hotel, so I believe there’s a market potential for premium Indian MICE business.”

Ram Sachdev, CEO of Premier Thailand and founder of the Thai Indian Wedding Association, believes that high-end Indian weddings can pave the way for more MICE arrivals to Thailand too, as wedding guests “could spread the word about Thailand” back home and among the Indian diaspora worldwide.

IN LINE with the city’s 10-year master plan for more tourists, Kuala Lumpur will upgrade the City Hall tourism unit to a tourism bureau with a dedicated MICE desk component in 2H2015.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s head of tourism, Noraza Yusof, said the bureau and MICE desk will be headed by a COO who will in turn report to Kuala Lumpur mayor, Ahmad Phesal Talib.

The MICE desk’s tasks will include the development of a MICE strategy such as branding and offering subventions, and fostering industry collaboration between associations with members of MACEOS and the travel trade, event planners, transportation and equipment suppliers, venue providers and restaurant operators in Kuala Lumpur.

So as not to overlap with Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), the MICE desk will be limited to providing on-ground support to MyCEB’s bids for business events to Kuala Lumpur.

Noraza elaborated: “The idea is to bring people together three or four times a year to update all parties on what is happening in the city and to build a closer working relationship so everyone knows what’s happening.”

The 10-year Kuala Lumpur Master Plan was launched early this year, a roadmap towards achieving the city’s ambitious targets of nearly doubling tourist arrivals to 16 million between 2015 and 2025. It also aims to increase average length of stay from 3.1 nights to 5.5 nights, and raise average spend per day from RM682 (US$183.90) to RM900.

JW MARRIOTT Phuket Resort & Spa is dishing out additional benefits for MICE bookings.

Meetings, conferences and other events booked in May, June or July 2015 involving a minimum of 10 rooms will enjoy complimentary two nights’ accommodation and one-hour Thai massage at Mandara Spa.

The resort offers 10 meeting rooms of varying capacity, the largest being the Mai Khao Ballroom for up to 600 pax for receptions and 400 pax in banquet style. Theatre-style and classroom-style meetings can be held for up to 576 pax.

Other facilities include 11 restaurants and bars, three swimming pools, Mandara Spa, fitness centre and health club, children’s club, shopping gallery and cooking school.

GREEN meetings are further advocated at Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, which is now offering a range of Green Meeting packages.

Prices start from S$72++ (US$52) per person inclusive of coffee breaks, international buffet lunch, meeting room rental and Wi-Fi.

The hotel has also introduced the Eco-pens, made of recycled newspapers in Indonesia, as part of the packages. Funds collected will be used to run workshops and financially support the underprivileged employed by the Yayasan Peduli Tunas Bangsa Accor Foundation.

Additionally, delegates will get the chance to contribute to another of Accor’s green organisations, Plant for the Planet. For every 40 meeting packages booked, the hotel will plant one tree in the plantation sites of Pemalang, Central Java. A certificate of participation and support indicating the number of trees planted on the company’s behalf will be sent to the top 20 supporting companies every three months.

From now until September 30, 2015, a discount of 10 per cent will be offered for bookings of the Green Meetings packages. Terms & conditions apply.

The hotel features nine meeting rooms, including a pillarless Grand Ballroom for up to 600 delegates. Ideal for workshops, seminars or brainstorming sessions, the rooms come with natural daylight, LED lighting, climate control air-conditioning and a large foyer for guest registration, coffee breaks or working lunches.

FRASERS Hospitality has opened the 445-unit Fraser Residence Kuala Lumpur, its third in the Malaysian capital and largest serviced residence to date.

The opening follows the launch of Capri by Fraser, Kuala Lumpur in 2014 and Fraser Place Kuala Lumpur in 2010, bringing the group’s portfolio in Kuala Lumpur to 1,000 apartment units.

It offers a range of spacious, fully furnished apartments ranging from studios to four-bedroom penthouses, each featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, defined living, dining, kitchen, work and bedroom areas, and comprehensive home entertainment systems.

Leisure facilities include a 24-hour fully equipped Sky Gym and Yoga Suite, a landscaped outdoor swimming pool complete with a pool bar, children’s wading pool, outdoor Jacuzzi, steam and sauna facilities, spa, kids play zone, billiards, residents’ lounge, Club Lounge & Bar with indoor and alfresco seating, and all-day-dining restaurant Relish and Café on the Fifth.

Business facilities include boardrooms, meeting facilities for up to 80 pax, and pre-function guest reception areas.

Fraser Residence Kuala Lumpur is located at the city centre, within walking distance of the Petronas Twin Towers, Suria KLCC shopping centre and KLCC Convention Centre. It is also easily accessible via the Bukit Nanas monorail and Dang Wangi LRT stations, and only a 20-minute drive from KL Sentral.

Choe Peng Sum, CEO of Frasers Hospitality, said: “With (Malaysia’s) plans to attract over 100 of the world’s leading firms, where Kuala Lumpur is expected to contribute US$59.4 billion to the country’s GNI by 20203, we expect the economic growth to continue to drive the need for increased serviced residences.”

THE Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) today introduced an online venue directory for event planners looking to host their event in Malaysia.

The directory provides a complete profile of each venue, including a description of the space, floor plans, accessibility, amenities, photos and contact information.

Meeting and event planners will be able to search for venues by the type of venue space, location, and event category.

Zulkefli Haji Sharif, CEO, MyCEB, said: “We certainly hope that meeting and event planners will find this resource useful, and that our industry partners will continue working with us to keep the directory up-to-date so we can continue to successfully attract world-class meetings and events.”

VALUE Retail has introduced an online travel training programme for MICE operators and consultants to discover the offerings of its 11 Chic Outlet Shopping Villages across Europe and China in a streamlined and efficient manner.

The programme aims to educate travel partners on how to book and sell shopping packages to the villages, the range of services and amenities available at each village, and business tourism opportunities. It comprises four modules and is offered in 10 languages.

Meanwhile, Chic Outlet Shopping’s latest retail outlet, Shanghai Village, is scheduled to open end-2015 in Pudong District as neighbour to Shanghai Disneyland Resort. This will be the second retail outlet in China, after Suzhou Village that opened in last April.

Thibault Ruffat, head of European tourism – global marketing, said Shanghai Village will target mainly locals and visitors from Asia-Pacific.

Similar to the nine villages in Europe, MICE planners and delegates to Shanghai Village can expect on-site experts who will create programmes based on their individual objectives.

Event organisers are also entitled to exclusive hire of the village, use of VIP facilities, extensive bespoke branding opportunities, valet parking on arrival, private boutique viewings and private dining in VIP suites or restaurants.

THE National Exhibition and Convention Centre, Shanghai (NECC), which commenced trial operation last October and completed its second-phase construction officially this January, has ramped up the MICE prospects of Hongqiao district where it is located.

Equivalent to thrice the size of Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in Pudong district, NECC stands as the largest single-block building as well as integrated exhibition complex worldwide, offering 400,000m² of indoor exhibition space and 100,000m² outdoors.

The organising committee of the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show announced that the exhibition will convene for the first time at NECC rather than SNIEC, signifying the shift of Shanghai’s MICE hub from Pudong to Hongqiao district.

Shanghai Exhibition vice president, Gao Wenwei, remarked that NECC symbolises the dawn of a new era for Shanghai’s exhibition industry, as the new complex marks the largest exhibition venue globally while also adding to the city’s showcase of iconic architecture.

One of the first exhibitions NECC hosted during its trial operation was the four-day China International Auto Parts Expo, which drew 1500 exhibitors and 130,000 visitors.

Despite teething problems during its four-month trial operation, NECC attracted renowned exhibitions from China and abroad, including Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, China International Fashion Fair, Yarn Expo, and Italian textiles and accessories exhibition Milano Unica.

Works are in progress for NECC’s various peripheral services. Many hoteliers in Hongqiao look forward to the venue’s completion as this would greatly boost demand for commercial services, offices, hotels and residential accommodation.

Translated by Ong Yanchun from the original TTG China e-Daily, March 10, 2015 article