HILTON Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa has added a new events space to its MICE inventory in a bid to win more regional business.
The 180m2 Andaman Room, which can be divided in two, seats up to 130 people in theatre setting and includes an adjoining 66m2 sheltered outdoor area.
General manager David Prince said: “With the addition of the Andaman Room, the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa is one of the most comprehensive MICE venues in South-east Asia.”
Jens Frank-Mikkelsen, director of business development, told TTGmice eWeekly the property was targeting a range of source markets including the US, Australia, Europe, China, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as the domestic trade. Key sectors include banking and finance, healthcare, transportation, logistics, industry associations and international government agencies.
“To add further value to MICE organisers, the hotel is now a part of Hilton Worldwide’s Connect+ website, a service which provides industry-leading tools for meeting planners and allows customers to connect with Hilton event experts and sales representatives,” Frank-Mikkelsen said. “We also have a special meeting package that is valid from June 1 to December 30, 2014.”
The Andaman Room’s launch follows last year’s renovation of the property’s MICE facilities, which saw its Grand Ballroom upgraded to an 850m2 space, making it one of the island’s largest meeting rooms.
ASIA, in particular China, India and Japan, has come onto the radar of Spain’s authorities in their bid to further boost the country’s global standing in the business events sector.
To achieve this the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), which includes the Spain Convention Bureau (SCB), has signed an agreement with Marca España – a government-backed organisation that promotes Spain as a brand – to actively participate in overseas destination promotions.
SCB’s director, Marta Moran, said the annual EIBTM in Barcelona is already helping to raise MICE interest in the country.
“I’m getting more appointments each year with interested companies from countries such as India and Japan at both EIBTM and IMEX (in Frankfurt),” Moran revealed.
Moran sees these two countries, along with China, as being the main target markets in Asia, a region she described as being “an incipient market for us”.
ICCA’s latest ranking of top destinations for association meetings had placed Spain in third position, right after the US and Germany, for hosting 562 ICCA qualified meetings in 2013.
Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, high commissioner for Marca España, said Spain had seen a 14 per cent increase in attendance at MICE events last year. But the numbers were “clearly insufficient”, he said, given the potential offered by the country’s broad diversity of regions.
According to FEMP secretary general, Ángel Fernández, Madrid hosted 186 congresses in 2013, up from just 65 in 2008 during the western economic crisis.
The country attracted a record 60 million tourists in 2013, shared de los Monteros
GRAND Hyatt Singapore has unveiled its remodeled Level 2 events space and the star is its show kitchen that is located within the 515m2 Grand Salon.
At the push of a button, the show kitchen, complete with a customised cooking island flown in from Italy, is revealed from behind a skyfall to offer guests a rare opportunity to step into the kitchen and interact with a team of master chefs, while picking up their favourite items from the live cooking stations. Complete with optional sliding glass panels, planners get the flexibility of offering views of an open kitchen without the sounds and smells of food preparation.
With a capacity of 340 people for banquets or 700 people for receptions, the show kitchen can prepare almost any cuisine a MICE planner desires. From Chinese, to Italian and even Indian, the show kitchen is fully equipped with all cooking equipment required to prepare every signature dish from each of the hotel’s food & beverage establishment, such as grill-to-order meat and sustainable seafood, pizza and other delights from our pizza oven, roast duck and Singapore Laksa.
For more information, visit www.singapore.grand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/meetings-and-events.html or contact Grand Hyatt Singapore’s meeting specialists at (65) 6416 7373 or meetings.sg@hyatt.com.
Mount Cook, in New Zealand’s South Island, is home to breathtaking landscapes and the kiwi spirit of adventure Picture by fyletto/123RF.com
The island country long loved by adventure seekers and nature lovers is starting to stir and it has MICE high on its agenda. By Mimi Hudoyo
New Zealand has received a heftier tourism budget of NZ$158 million (US$133.9 million) for the next four years, following the government’s decision last year to focus on courting high value visitors, including business event delegates. Of this sum, NZ$34 million will go towards promoting and supporting international business events in the destination, with particular emphasis on attracting shows and delegates from the US, Asia and Australia.
The fund will also be used to promote existing and upcoming convention centres across New Zealand.
According to the country’s new Tourism 2025 framework, a private sector initiative led by Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand (TIA), more convention centres will be developed in Auckland, Queenstown, Wellington and Christchurch.
The focus of Tourism 2025 is on achieving greater value rather than visitor numbers, pointed out TIA chairman Grant Lilly.
“We will grow volume, but we will grow value even faster,” said Lilly, adding that business events not only generate greater tourism spend but also take place during low and shoulder seasons.
Money will also be allotted to a new global marketing campaign which will, among other activities, see more manpower being placed in key international markets to build relationships with important business event decision-makers.
Kevin Bowler, Tourism New Zealand’s chief executive, said: “Earlier we had two dedicated people (to look after the market), now we have 13 working in New Zealand and markets such as Australia, the US and China.”
In China, Tourism New Zealand has a team to develop both conference and incentive markets. Tourism New Zealand’s general manager Asia, David Craig, expects investments in the Chinese conference market to bear fruit once the new convention centres in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington are open for business come 2017 and 2018.
Tourism New Zealand’s courtship of South-east Asian markets is led by a business events manager based in Singapore. While the tourism bureau pursues the incentive market in Malaysia, Thailand and India, its attention in Singapore is on the convention and conference segment.
Mischa Mannix-Opie, the bureau’s regional manager for South and South-east Asia, said: “We are building relationships with key corporate travel agencies, event management companies and PCOs (in Singapore) to educate them on how New Zealand can deliver great business events. We will then work closely with these partners to assist them in pitching New Zealand as their next conference or incentive destination.
“We also aim to undertake advertising to the corporate travel trade and direct to corporate companies, and are already working directly with some companies to showcase what New Zealand has to offer.”
Unlike most of its competitor destinations, New Zealand does not offer a subvention programme. Instead, it relies on its brand, 100% Beyond Convention, and value proposition.
Mannix-Opie explained: “For example, for Auckland, we emphasise how easy it is to get from the hotel to the venue and from the venue to the coast for outdoor experiences. Beyond the conference rooms there are a lot to offer nearby, which means more time is spent on activities and not on the road.”
She added that incentive groups heading out from Auckland to Rotorua, for example, can enjoy a wide variety of activities and attractions such as Waitomo Cave and the Hobbiton Movie Set. More ideas can be found on www.businessevents.newzealand.com.
Destination Rotorua Marketing spokesperson, Jenha White, said the destination has done well in tourism and many local operators are keen to cater to corporate groups by incorporating a teambuilding element to their product or by offering theme event options.
Rotorua’s Agrodome, which has for over 40 years attracted visitors to its popular Farm Show, a performance that introduces the audience to sheep breeds, shearing demonstrations and sheep auction, and is loved for its other activities such as NZ Farm Experience and Dog Trials, has expanded its reach to corporate groups.
The sprawling farmland offers a variety of event venues, from The Dome, where the Farm Show is hosted, to the rustic Hutchings Barn to The Shearing Shed for smaller groups. It also conducts teambuilding challenges and provides entertainment options, catering and theming services.
Event planners who pick the Agrodome can have their delegates “herded” from buses into The Dome by excited huntaway dogs for a fast-paced pre-dinner show, or choose an intimate dinner at The Shearing Museum with a short version of the Farm Show as entertainment.
At Te Puia, New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, just five minutes from central Rotorua, corporate groups can learn about the Maori culture and native flora and fauna, enjoy Maori cuisine and explore a natural geothermal valley.
A complete Ra¯ukura package is available for groups that desire an in-depth cultural encounter. It includes a personalised guided tour, nature walk, cooking in a geothermal spring, traditional Maori lunch, cultural performances and other activities.
For some of New Zealand’s tourism players, Asia is a market of interest.
Last March Te Puia hosted a gala dinner for a 350-pax TPC China incentive group. The programme included a traditional welcome ceremony and cultural performances with guest participation.
Te Puia general manager – sales and marketing, Kiri Atkinson-Crean, told TTGmice that Asia is an important market for the attraction, and two sales directors are hired to manage the region, with one taking charge of Japan and South Korea, and the other for the rest of Asia.
Atkinson-Crean said: “We reach out to the region by working with a couple of inbound operators. We had a group of 300 people from Malaysia last year, and a couple of bookings for later this year from South-east Asia.”
The Hermitage Hotel at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, which is popular among leisure travellers from Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China, has started seeing corporate business from Asia.
The hotel’s sales & marketing manager, Megan Calder, said: “We recently had a 100-pax conference group from Singapore, which combined meeting, star-gazing and other activities.”
Recent improvements in air access from Asia have been a boon for New Zealand’s tourism sellers.
Last January, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand agreed to form an alliance that will enable the Singapore flag carrier to debut services to New Zealand, and Air New Zealand to reopen the Auckland-Singapore route.
Christopher Luxon, CEO of Air New Zealand, said: “The alliance will boost capacity between the two countries by up to 30 per cent. We are currently waiting for approval from the New Zealand government and are looking at starting operations in December.”
Malaysia Airlines is another carrier that plays a role in boosting air access from Asia, Mannix-Opie pointed out. In end-March, the carrier changed its seasonal service out of Kuala Lumpur to a daily flight.
Qantas, too, is facilitating greater travel to New Zealand through its one-stop flights out of Asia. It runs daily flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore to Australia, and also four weekly flights from Jakarta and Manila to Australia. In these markets, Qantas offers one-stop flights through three Australian gateways – Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney – to four cities in New Zealand, namely Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington.
Stephen Thompson, executive manager international sales, told TTGmice in an interview: “With year-round daily connections to New Zealand and an ongoing close relationship with Tourism New Zealand, Qantas is always proud to promote New Zealand as a destination from Singapore and elsewhere in Asia.”
As part of its sustained efforts to promote New Zealand as a destination, Qantas offers regular support to the travel trade in the promotion of FIT and group travel, and hosts media familiarisation trips.
Movie magic
Transport your incentive winners or meeting delegates to the mythical world of the hobbits at Hobbiton Movie Set in New Zealand’s Matamata
The film industry has contributed more than NZ$3 billion (US$2.6 billion) each year to New Zealand’s economy over the last two years, according to Statistics New Zealand’s 2012/2013 Screen Industry Survey. The tourism sector is benefiting from this silver screen boom, as New Zealand’s famous ‘filmscapes’ of Middle-earth, the fictional universe of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, have played a key role in luring travellers to its shores.
Tourism New Zealand’s chief executive, Kevin Bowler, said the October-December 2013 International Visitor Survey found that 14 per cent of holiday arrivals were drawn to New Zealand by The Hobbit trilogy.
The same survey also found that 13 per cent of international visitors between January and September 2013 had a Hobbit experience, such as a visit to film sites or the Hobbiton Movie Set near Matamata.
Illustrating the surge in interest from movie fans, Bowler said: “A decade ago in 2004, following the release of the final film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, that figure was only six per cent. We have seen record numbers visiting Matamata and Hobbiton this past summer (2013), (with) tours for around 40 tourists (being run) every 10 minutes.”
Hobbiton Movie Set Tours owner/director Russell Alexander said visitors to the site of The Shire – home of the hobbits in both trilogies – had increased from 130,000 in the period of June 2012-2013 to 230,000 in the period of March 2013-2014.
The growing interest is a result of tourism stakeholders’ creative efforts in leveraging the popular movies to promote New Zealand.
Offering examples, Air New Zealand’s CEO Christopher Luxon said the airline dished out a hobbit-themed onboard safety video, An Unexpected Briefing, which attracted more than 10 million views on Youtube and 1.4 million views on Youku in China while Tourism New Zealand came up with the 100% Middle Earth, 100% New Zealand promotional campaign last year.
As the movies were filmed in various destinations across New Zealand, such as Matamata, Wellington, Okahune and Sutherland Falls (Fiordland National Park), tourism specialists have been able to package and sell an array of fun itineraries for both leisure tourists and corporate groups.
Alexander revealed that interest from incentive groups has been strong. “We get many incentive groups and theme events (with) 350 to 500 people here (at the Hobbiton Movie Set),” he said.
Besides being a tourist attraction, the Hobbiton Movie Set is equipped for corporate gatherings.
Green Dragon Inn, where hobbits gathered for drinks and merry-making in the films, has been replicated at the attraction and serves lunch during operating hours. Once the movie set is closed to the public, Green Dragon Inn is available for private hire and can host sit-down dinners for 80 pax or up to 150 for standing receptions.
The Party Marque, where Bilbo Baggins hosted his ‘eleventy-first’ birthday party in the first instalment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, can seat up to 220 guests.
Another venue option is The Shires Rest Café & Function Centre, which offers two meeting rooms for 60 and 100 people each, or up to 160 pax when combined.
When TTGmice visited Hobbiton Movie Set in May, a new venue for 300 pax was being built towards a June opening.
Wellington Rover Tours, the first company to create The Lord of the Rings movie set tour in 2002, has also seen greater interest from incentive clients. Managing director Scott Courtney said incentive groups typically desire tailor-made programmes that combine visits to film sites with film studios, or with other Wellington tour products.
For corporate event planners who desire a programme that goes beyond visiting film sites and studios, Weta Workshop in Wellington makes an attractive option. The company is best known for its design and effects work on films including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, King Kong, Avatar, Elysium and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Weta Workshop general manager, David Wilks, told TTGmice: “We opened up part of the studio to visitors. Workshop technicians who have worked on different films guide groups (maximum 20 people per group) on a 45-minute tour and tell stories on how props are made, how the design process works, etc.
“We also tailor tours for conference and incentive groups. We can offer behind-the-scenes sculpture-making demonstrations and have designers talk about their work, or other activities that interest groups.”
For larger corporate groups of 150 or more, Weta Workshop can work with The Roxy Cinema and Coco at The Roxy restaurant, located a mere two-minute drive away, for off-site functions and catering. – Mimi Hudoyo
Ideas
Half-day Maori culture tour in Auckland
Piha beach attracts courageous surfers as well as those who prefer a picnic or stroll
After your morning meetings in Auckland city centre and lunch at your hotel, drive west-ward through Titirangi, which means ‘fringe of heaven’ in Maori language. Titirangi has many lovely cafes and bakeries, making it a popular rest-and-relax destination for locals over the weekends.
From Titirangi, journey on to Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, a beautiful native rainforest that has been made famous by many movies. A brief stop at the Arataki Visitor Centre will provide more information on this natural attraction as well as track maps. Splendid views of the Manukau Harbour and part of the Waitakere Ranges can also be enjoyed from the Arataki Visitor Centre.
Spend the next 45 minutes to explore the Kitekite track, which takes visitors to waterfalls, streams, pools and beautiful native bush.
Next, explore another natural wonder of Auckland – the rugged west coast beaches where the Tasman Sea’s mighty surf crashes onto vast black-sand beaches. Several beaches are available here – Piha, Bethells, Muriwai, Whatipu and Karekare – and each draws its own following of fans. Piha beach, for instance, is popular with experienced surfers and people looking to have a leisurely picnic and stroll.
There will be enough time to take in the majestic scenery and to learn about the indigenous flora and fauna that inhabit this area. Many native plants are used extensively by the Maori community for medicinal purposes and guides will be on hand to point out those that are most useful.
Itinerary provided by TIME Unlimited Tours. Visit www.newzealandtours.travel for more information.
Need to know
After-dark adventures
Rotorua Canopy Tours, which specialises in zipline tours of New Zealand’s native forest canopy, has launched an activity that takes place at dusk and runs through the night.
Creatures of the Night invites travellers to see and hear forest inhabitants that appear at night, such as the Weta group of insect species, Morepork native owls, glow worms and native bats.
The new after-dark tour is conducted on a platform that rises 22m above the forest floor, placing participants high up in the night sky, just under a blanket of stars. The experience is heightened by a flight down the 220m zipline in the dark.
Creatures of the Night is good for a group of up to eight people. Each group is accompanied by two professional guides.
Contact hello@canopytours.co.nz for more information.
More sea access to Hauraki islands now
From this month Explore Group will provide daily departures from Auckland’s harbour to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf on its new Discovery 5 powercat boat.
The new service will transport travellers to the islands of Rangitoto, Motutapu and Wiheke, and offers options for day return trips and longer stays.
Pub crawls with a twist
The Big Foody Food Tour, which specialises in showcasing New Zealand through activities that tantalises participants’ taste-buds, has introduced Big Beer Tour. The 2.5-hour walking tour highlights some of Auckland City’s historical pubs by combining craft beer tasting, a visit to a local brewery and a peek into the history of the city. Visit www.thebigfoody.com for other tour ideas.
Roll in the mud
Hells Gate Geothermal Park and Mud Spa, Rotorua is offering a new Mud Pit interactive teambuilding activity that promises to test the strength, agility and wit of participants.
Teams can engage in a mud tug-of-war competition or deal with Hells Gate’s silky fine geothermal mud, which is a lot like quicksand, during a mud volleyball game.
After all the action, participants can unwind with a relaxing soak in the attraction’s sulphur mineral pools before digging into a hearty meal.
For greater indulgence, planners can set aside time for participants to enjoy a soothing massage or mud therapy.
The programme is available for pre-booked groups of six to 60.
Visit www.hellsgate.co.nz for more information.
Cruise down Lake Rotoiti
A growing demand for tailor-made experiences for corporate groups has prompted Pure Cruise to debut flexible package options with the company’s 53-foot luxury yacht Tiua.
Catering for intimate groups of four to 30 guests, Pure Cruise’s private corporate yachting option offers a unique environment for meetings and celebratory functions on board the yacht, while sailing down Lake Rotoiti, in Rotorua. A soak at the secluded Manupirua Thermal Hot Springs can be included in the package. The private lake-edge geothermal pools are accessible only by boat.
The cruise can be paired with a meeting in Rotorua city, as a dawn-breaking breakfast cruise or a relaxing evening cruise with cocktail or full dinner.
Macau’s slew of new hotel developments promises more non-gaming facilities, with several plotting good meeting spaces, discovers Prudence Lui
City of Dreams will boast a new
hotel tower designed by celebrated
architect, Zaha Hadid
Two years have passed since the last time Macau celebrated a massive injection of new hotel rooms through the opening of the 6,000-key Sands Cotai Central integrated resort.
But from the end of this year, Macau’s tourism players can once again relive that joy with the bumper crop of new integrated resorts expected to come online. According to Macau’s Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, 16 hotels are under construction and 27 hotel proposals are being evaluated. These projects are expected to add an estimated 25,600 rooms to the destination that is popular with both leisure and business event travellers.
Of the 16 hotels in construction, nine are on the Macau Peninsula and they will add 1,030 rooms to the destination. Taipa will welcome two new-builds with 1,060 rooms.
However, it is Cotai that will provide the bulk of new rooms through five new hotels bearing 7,500 keys. New properties coming up include MGM Cotai, The Parisian, Macao Studio City and SJM Casino Resort & Theme Park.
MGM Cotai, occupying a 71,883m2 site, will boast some 1,600 rooms once it is completed in early-2016. More than 85 per cent of the hotel’s gross floor area is dedicated to non-gaming offerings such as event and banquet spaces, restaurants, retail, spa and entertainment.
Also coming online in 2016 is Wynn Palace, an integrated resort with 1,700 rooms, meeting spaces, a performance lake, a casino, a spa, retail offerings, and F&B outlets.
Meanwhile, the existing Galaxy Macau integrated resort, which houses Banyan Tree Macau, Hotel Okura Macau and Galaxy Hotel, is embarking on its phase two expansion. Targeting completion in mid-2015, the extension will feature The Ritz-Carlton’s first all-suite hotel and the world’s largest JW Marriott, as well as meeting facilities for more than 2,000 guests, and more than 45 restaurants, cafes, bars and lounges.
Galaxy Macau will begin construction of phases three and four as early as late-2014.
City of Dreams is another existing integrated resort to go on an expansion blitz. Its developer, Melco Crown Entertainment, has revealed the design of the property’s fifth hotel tower, a masterpiece of renowned architect Zaha Hadid. The visually stunning, 40-floor hotel will offer some 780 rooms, suites and villas that promise to exceed five-star standards when it opens in 2017.
Melco Crown Entertainment is also developing Macao Studio City, a cinematically-themed integrated resort with retail, gaming and 2,000 luxurious rooms and suites.
Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM), which owns Grand Lisboa Hotel and Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16, is also taking its presence beyond the Macau Peninsula by building the Lisboa Palace in Cotai. More than 90 per cent of the total site will be used for non-gaming facilities such as 2,000 hotel rooms spread over The Lisboa Palace Hotel, Palazzo Versace Macau and another fashion-branded luxury hotel.
Transformation is also taking place at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf. A redevelopment and expansion exercise will give it a 445-key Harbourview Hotel (opening 2Q2014), 229-room Legend Palace Hotel (2Q2015) and 270-room Legendale Hotel (2Q2016).
Commenting on the wave of new hotels, MGM Macau executive director of sales & guest service/hotel operations, Irene Wong, said: “Competition will intensify but we expect demand to remain strong. The transportation infrastructure of Macau will be significantly improved by 2016 (through the new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, expansion of the Macau International Airport, and additions of new facilities at the border gates), and that will attract even more regional travellers to Macau.
“From the hotel perspective, we will dedicate our resources to developing non-gaming offerings to diversify our client base.”
Welcoming the slew of hotel developments is SmallWorld Experience executive director, Bruno Simoes, who is often faced with the difficulty of securing more than 50 rooms from a single hotel for his meeting clients, as most hotels give accommodation priority to their gaming and leisure guests.
“However, these upcoming new developments will have meeting facilities, and that is a positive sign for (event planners),” Simoes said.
A magnet for mega business events
This September alone The Venetian Macao will play host to two massive events that will each draw more than 10,000 attendees. One will be the HERBALIFE Active World Team University 2014, an annual training event for the company’s distributors in Asia-Pacific, while the other is the Jeunesse Expo Annual World Conference.
The integrated resort’s spokesperson told TTGmice that the Cotai Expo halls will be used for arrivals and departures, while Cotai Arena will be used for the main event. Meeting rooms at the property will support the rest of the event requirements for smaller gatherings.
All rooms across The Venetian Macao and Sands Cotai Central will be utilised to accommodate the delegates.
The spokesperson said: “We are equipped to handle multiple events of (such scale) every month. This is what we were designed to do as an integrated resort.”
The spokesperson noted that more organisations, from companies to associations, are now hosting large-scale events.
“Organisers understand that with the number of hotel rooms (and event spaces) we have, they can hold their event, along with arrival and departure from Macau, all under one roof. It is hard to find such a venue, especially one that provides such level of service anywhere in the world, so the more of such events we do, the more the word gets out to other markets,” said the spokesperson.
Simon Leung, general manager, Macau MICE Travel of Shun Tak Travel Services, has observed a leap in the size of events coming into Macau.
He said: “More mega events are happening in Macau these days. In the past, we would see groups of 3,000 pax. Today, that has grown to 10,000 to 20,000, with most annual conferences going to The Venetian Macao.”
And the future is bright for Macau in Leung’s point of view. “I foresee more of such large-scale events when new hotels and integrated resorts are completed in the next few years,” he added.
However, Darren Chuckry, client services, executive director of Uniplan Hong Kong, thinks that Macau has yet to achieve its full potential as a destination for mega events.
According to Chuckry, Uniplan Hong Kong’s largest event in the destination was the three-day G2E Asia global gaming expo last year, which drew 6,500 professional visitors and 130 exhibitors from around the world.
“(But) I believe that the completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and new developments in Cotai will definitely heighten interest in Macau as a host city for mega events,” said Chuckry.
He added: “Still, the city needs improvement in two areas to sustain the growth of its mega events industry – it has to improve (access to Macau) and allow for more flexible hiring of crew members. Currently most organisers and visitors choose to fly into Hong Kong then take the ferry to Macau. Organisers are also required to hire only local crew members to support their events.
“Diversifying the variety of entertainment options and lifestyle destinations in the city would play a critical role in establishing Macau as a world-class entertainment hub in its own right.” – Prudence Lui
Need to know
A new environment to rest and recharge
The Spa at Wynn, located within Wynn Macau, has unveiled a new look to offer guests a sense of “lightness and openness” right from the moment they enter. The soothing effect is a result of caramel and cream carpets, refreshed limed oak woodwork and exquisite lanterns.
Complementing the new look is a new 90-minute signature Silk & Cashmere Awakening treatment, which includes a purifying exfoliation and a light massage using warm silk gloves, followed by a deeper full-body massage using warmed lotus oil, and a luxurious application of a cashmere-infused silky body wrap. The treatment concludes with a rare and refined body cream of lotus flower extract and shea butter for an illuminated glow.
Explore Macau on your own
Business event travellers to Macau who are planning to extend their stay and explore the destination at their own pace can now rely on the new Macao Cultural and Creative Map and complementing mobile app.
Designed to guide tourists to Macau’s cultural and creative spaces, the first edition of the map covers the destination’s seven parishes, introducing each with text and animations. Additional information on World Heritage sites, museums and bus routes are also available. Location services on the mobile app help guide users to even more products and activities.
The Macao Cultural and Creative Map is distributed at 158 locations across Hong Kong and Macau, including immigration checkpoints, museums, hotels, travel agencies, cultural and creative entities, etc.
For more information, visit www.macaucci.com.
Top eats at Sofitel
Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16 has launched Le Chinois Cantonese Restaurant on its top floor, allowing guests to not only feast on delicacies created by chef Ho Wah but also take in the sights of Macau’s inner harbour.
Chef Ho Wah brings almost four decades of culinary experience to Le Chinois, promising outstanding Cantonese cuisine that are presented creatively. Apart from seasonal specialties, the menu also features dim sum, organic specialty teas, rare artisanal teas and an extensive collection of wines.
506 rooms and suites
3-2-1 Nishi, Naha City, Okinawa 900-0036
www.loisir-naha.com
www.loisir-spatower.com
This hotel boasts Naha city’s highest bed capacity and one of the few natural hot springs in Okinawa. It comprises two buildings, with the main Loisir Hotel building constructed in 1993 and the Loisir Spa Tower added in 2009 in response to increased numbers of visitors to the city.
Naha Airport, a duty-free mall and four golf courses are about seven, 14 and 40 minutes away by car respectively.
Rooms The hotel offers two- to four-star categories of rooms to suit different budgets. The Loisir Hotel building offers 417 rooms while the high-end Spa Tower has 89.
I was checked into a room with a balcony in the 12-storey Spa Tower. Designed with cheerful colours as well as motifs reflecting Okinawa’s ocean, flowers and sun, my spacious City View Superior Twin room provided the usual amenities business travellers will appreciate, such as a comfortable bed, work desk, flat-screen TV, mini bar, safe and hair dryer. Trouser press or an iron can be requested for free.
With the free Wi-Fi (for all guests), I was able to check some emails but not for long, as the desk and bedside reading lamps somehow did not offer bright-enough lighting.
Spa Tower guests are entitled to complimentary use of the hot spring at its Churaspa on the second floor, which opens from 14.00 to as late as 23.00 (there is also a Loisir Spa at the Loisir Hotel building). Pity I could not make it in time for this luxury offer during my hasty one-night stay, but a relaxing soak in the bathtub, which was separate from the toilet and wash basin, sufficed.
Meeting facilities The hotel is regarded as one of Naha’s MICE-friendly accommodation providers.
While the Spa Tower offers a medium-size banquet hall on the third floor for up to 250 pax in theatre setting, the Loisir Hotel building offers lots more across its first, second, third and 12th floors. It houses 10 banquet halls, the largest of which accommodates up to 900 pax (theatre), the smallest, up to 20 (round-table); one event hall for 300 (theatre); three private rooms for 12 to 40 (depending on the set-up), and one Japanese-style room for up to 40 (round-table). Five of these spaces have built-in audiovisual equipment, while the rest can easily have the equipment set up on demand.
F&B Five F&B outlets are gathered inside the Loisir Hotel building: Fontaine offers buffet meals for up to 150 pax; Izumitei, Japanese and Chinese cuisines for 106 pax; Papillon, BBQ at the poolside and garden for 125; Sirene, French cuisine for 71; and Planete, light food, drinks and piano music for 64.
Breakfast at the spacious Fontaine restaurant on the first floor is exclusive for Spa Tower guests. It offers a good spread of the usual Western fare such as toast, bacon and eggs, and salad, as well as Okinawan dishes.
Sirene only operates for private parties, which require reservation at least three days in advance.
FACT FILE
Maximum number of pax for meetings 1,000 Maximum number of pax for banquets 600
Recent events held
• 13th International Symposium on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells welcome party for 100 pax and reception for 477 pax, October 2013
• Joint Annual Symposium of the Vacuum Society of Japan and the Surface Science Society of Japan welcome party, reception and dinner for 100 pax, November 2013
• Worldwide Japanese Automobile Group awards ceremony for 30 pax, January 2014
• International pharmaceutical firm, catering for 1,200 pax (along with other hotels at the Southeast Botanical Gardens), March 2014
Okinawa is enhancing MICE capabilities, air access and destination awareness to draw events from beyond its key markets. By Kathy Neo
Although weathered all at once by the global economic downturn, H1N1 pandemic and strong Japanese yen in 2009, Okinawa’s tourism has since proven resilient. According to the Okinawa prefectural government, the island registers an annual average of six million tourists per year, with 80 per cent being repeat tourists. Last year, the industry even reached a record high of about 6.4 million visitors in total.
While domestic tourists from mainland Japan still form the bulk of yearly arrivals, the numbers are shrinking as a result of the country’s ageing population, according to the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB).
Conversely, international arrivals have seen a steady increase over the years, from 109,000 in 2003 to 382,000 in 2012, followed by a sharp rise to 550,800 in 2013.
Thus encouraged, the island is targeting to receive 750,000 international tourists this year. Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea are currently the major foreign source markets, due largely to their proximity as well as the availability of regular direct flights.
On the MICE front, OCVB supervisor for MICE marketing, Koji Niimoto, told TTGmice that apart from the main source markets, the bureau is also seeking to lure more traffic from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Europe, adding that at the moment, the convention business is contributed mainly by mainland Japan, while incentive groups hail from overseas.
Taiwan has been the biggest incentive market due to its close proximity to Okinawa – only about an hour’s convenient flight away. Indeed, the number of overseas applications for OCVB’s incentive support for the financial year ending March 2014 saw the highest number from Taiwan (43), followed by Thailand (18), South Korea (14), China (five) and Malaysia (one).
To accommodate an expanding MICE demand and attract more international events, OCVB is looking to construction a major convention venue with capacity for as many as 20,000 people at once. Niimoto revealed that discussions and research are ongoing for a suitable location to build the venue, with a final decision expected in the next year or so.
Currently the largest convention space in the prefecture is the Okinawa Convention Center (OCC), which offers a maximum seating capacity of 5,000 people in its biggest event space. There are three other convention venues, namely the Bankokushinryokan, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, and Okinawa Jichikaikan.
The 27-year-old OCC most recently carried out a massive repair work to its theatre hall following a typhoon that shattered the space’s glass wall, a spectacular stage backdrop that brings in panoramic views of the ocean. Also subject to nature’s mercy are several of the centre’s conference spaces, which also boast a feature glass wall with an ocean or garden view, a unique offering that has been drawing event organisers from the region and the wedding market from mainland Japan.
Nevertheless, to lure more business, OCC MICE coordinator, Naomi Nakaza, told TTGmice the centre has been offering special rates to event organisers, such as 20-70 per cent less for international events with more than 10 attendees, and 10 per cent less for the rental of all OCC facilities for large-scale events. The discount policy will continue, Nakaza added, albeit the higher consumption tax implemented since the country’s new financial year in April, but minor adjustments to the qualifying criteria can be expected. She is upbeat that the adjustments will not impact OCC’s business.
Meanwhile, OCVB is also hosting familiarisation trips for the international trade to raise awareness for the island’s offerings. In March this year, it hosted international media representatives for site inspections of Naha Airport’s brand new international terminal, convention centres, wedding venues etc, as well as for experiencing pre-/post-meeting options including whale watching, fishing, diving and spa, among others.
Come September, OCVB will hold a seminar in Singapore to connect some 60 local buyers with Japanese travel agencies, hotels and incentive houses. The bureau has yet to confirm the venue and exact date of the event at press time.
Greater connectivity is being planned as well, specifically to enable direct flights from regional markets such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Most recently, an MoU was signed on March 25 between Singapore Changi Airport and Okinawa Prefecture for the commencement of direct flights from Singapore in the near future. Through the MoU, the prefectural government will this year focus on promoting tourism traffic from South-east Asia, Australia, India and other regions via Singapore.
When asked how Okinawa intends to stand out as an incentive destination, Niimoto said: “We have our own unique culture that is different from that of mainland Japan (due to historical influences). We offer a different type of Japanese culture to the world. To top this off, we are known for our people’s hospitality, which transcends the language barrier.”
Indeed, the results of a satisfaction survey for foreign tourists conducted by OCVB in 2013 showed the lowest percentage (5.8) of respondents who felt Okinawa’s hospitality was unremarkable, against other indicators. But when compared against the highest percentage (20.6) indicating guidance signs/markings as unremarkable, it does leave room for wonder if hospitality truly “transcends the language barrier”.
Sen Tamaki, manager for overseas marketing at Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau, admits that the island continues to face inadequacies in multi-lingual skills, land transportation and Wi-Fi access.
“Language is a key problem,” acknowledged Tamaki. “OCVB currently subsidises up to 50 per cent of the cost of language courses for staff of private companies. A list of qualified language teachers and service training instructors is planned for release this year for the companies’ choice. We also need more English-Japanese signs on the roads, and we will propose this to the prefectural government.”
As for land transportation, Tamaki said taxis in Okinawa are expensive, while the public bus network is complicated even to the locals.
“We hope to have a subway system in the future, but this will be a major project that takes time, the quickest being 10 to 15 years for the commencement of construction,” he explained.
In response to a rising number of complaints about the lack of free Wi-Fi service in public areas, he said OCVB provides financial support to hotels and small enterprises to install the necessary equipment.
Additionally, research is ongoing for star-rating Okinawa’s hotels to bring them in line with international practice, he revealed.
Meanwhile, two major hotel projects are expected to complete this year, namely the 238-key Hotel Orion Motobu Resort & Spa and 346-room Hilton Okinawa Chatan, in July and September respectively.
Need to know
In pursuit of Moby-Dick
konart/123RF.com
Okinawa may not be renowned for whale watching, but it is possible to obtain this experience here if one gets the season right, which is the period from December to March. Groups can depart from Naha city or Onna Village and engage in this breathtaking activity for three hours in a boat that takes 17 to 60 people at one time. Cost is 3,800 yen (US$37) to 4,500 yen per person; reservation is necessary with Okinawa Tour Island (http://option.okitour.net/special/whalewatching/).
Brand new terminals greet air, cruise passengers
Naha Airport
Naha Airport opened a brand new international terminal in February this year in response to increasing international traffic. The new four-storey terminal spanning 23,700m² is almost four times bigger than the previous one, featuring 20 check-in counters, two F&B outlets, two souvenir shops and an observation deck on the top floor.
Meanwhile, the new Naha Cruise Terminal, opened in April, can accommodate larger vessels with its longer 340m berth and water depth of 10m. It spans about 4,500m² over two floors, including a rooftop observation deck. About 130,000 cruise arrivals are targeted for the new financial year, according to OCVB.
Angling fun
Fishing is hardly a boring activity, especially if done in groups. Divide into teams to compete for the most number of fish caught, chat and crack some jokes while waiting for the target to be hooked, and cheer in unison when someone has finally made a catch. Available all year round, Marine Palette (http://brc.marinepalette.com/) offers three- and six-hour trips out to sea for small groups of up to eight people in each boat, complete with a fisherman who teaches how to attach the bait and reel in the catch. Charges are from 5,000 yen and reservation is necessary. Choose from three departure venues: Naha city, Yomitan Village or Onna Village.
Dine, cruise and enjoy the sunset
Enjoy a ‘rocking’ good company dinner post-meeting on board a small ship that can accommodate up to 180 people each time in its restaurant. Local cruise company Westmarine (hwww.westmarine.co.jp) offers a cruise dinner as well as one at sunset, both lasting about one hour 45 minutes. Western fare is served, including salad, main course, dessert and beverage. Charges are from 3,900 yen per person. From April to September, departure times from Naha Port are 17.45 and 20.15 for sunset cruise and dinner cruise respectively; from October to March, departure times are 17.00 and 19.45 respectively.
A home to stay
Yomitan Village (www.ti-da33.com) offers the Mimpaku homestay programme for a maximum of 350 people, each house accommodating four. Participants get to experience the local folklife through farming, cooking and handicraft-making activities as well as sanshin guitar and ryuku traditional dance performances. Charges are from 12,000 yen per person per day, inclusive of Okinawan breakfast and dinner. For more information or reservation, contact Chiharu Tamaki of Sky Tourists Service at sky1194@churamura.com and (098) 958-1193.
Ideas
Two-night meet-and-bond programme
Southeast Botanical Gardens
Day 1
Arrive at Naha Airport’s new international terminal, which opened in February this year.
Check into the MICE-friendly Loisir Hotel & Spa Tower Naha, and have a short rest before heading out to the Southeast Botanical Gardens for some rejuvenating greenery. Find over 1,300 plant types here, as well as fruit and herb gardens. There is also a large pond, the surroundings of which are dotted by colourful flowers and palm trees. Electric trams are available for a guided tour of the spacious grounds, as are guided walking tours which offer a closer look at the flora.
At 17.00, depart from Naha Port for a sunset cruise dinner on board a small ship owned by local company Westmarine. Eat, drink and be merry from the Western fare offered, while waiting to take in the beautiful changing colours of nature outside the window as the sun slowly sets.
Day 2
After breakfast at the hotel and a half day of meetings, head out to Onna Village for departure out to sea in a whale-watching boat. Bring along a poncho or windbreaker though, or risk getting wet and catching a cold as the open-deck boat speeds through the waters. Although much depends on your luck as well, the best months to sight the lovely sea creatures are from December to March.
After the three-hour trip out at sea, head back on land for some retail therapy at the Okinawa Outlet Mall Ashibinaa, a beautiful architecture of eclectic ancient Greek, contemporary and native Okinawan elements. Find discontinued or sample products from more than 100 popular brands here – especially European brands – which are reasonably priced and of good quality.
If you are not too keen to shop, remove your shoes and stroll along the beach, which is just a minute’s walk from the mall, feeling its soft-as-talc sand and the Okinawan sea breeze.
After dinner, enjoy a session of Loisir Hotel’s renowned in-house onsen at the spa to chase away the fatigue of the day.
Day 3
Before departing from Naha Airport, check out its two souvenir shops featuring Okinawan glassware and jewellery, among other things.
THE annual gathering of feng shui practitioners and enthusiasts from around the world will head to Melbourne this year, making it the first International Feng Shui Convention (IFSC) to be held in Australia since the event’s inception in 2004.
To be held on November 15 and 16 at Novotel Melbourne St Kilda, IFSC is organised by the team at the International Feng Shui Association (IFSA) Australia Chapter.
“However, we had valuable support from the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB). It scouted potential venues and made a shortlist for us. It helped me put together a formal proposal which I submitted to the executive committee just to reassure them that we were able to commit fully to an event of such scope. A representative of MCB also came with me to help inspect the venue. The bureau also printed marketing materials for us and referred us to suppliers. MCB basically helped us lay the groundwork for the convention,” said Janene Laird, president of the chapter, in an interview with TTGmice e-Weekly.
Laird added that various leaders at the association headquarters had also chipped in to take up various responsibilities in the planning and execution of the event.
IFSC is expected to draw more than 200 attendees from countries such as Holland, Romania, Canada, Japan, China and Brunei.
Highlights at the event include two-track lectures that will see seminars running concurrently in two rooms, allowing a more diverse range of topics of be presented and discussed. Some 25 globally recognised speakers will lead the lectures, with topics touching on feng shui’s influence on certain business sectors such as architecture, interior design and real estate, for instance.
“We want to create a robust programme that isn’t just all academic presentations that appeal only to my colleagues and I, but one that encourages the public to come and learn more about feng shui, and how it can help their business and support their clients,” Laird explained.
The programme also includes an annual general meeting for association members, workshops and networking opportunities.
INTEGRATED resort The Venetian Macao has rolled out a limited time offer for meeting planners who contract their events at the venue by August 31 this year.
The Meetings More Rewarded package, valid for bookings of at least 25 rooms combined with a meeting package for one night, offers a five per cent off the master bill, complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast on selected dates, as well as two benefits from the following list:
– One-way Cotai Water Jet ticket (Hong Kong to Macau)
– Dedicated coach transfer on arrival or departure
– Welcome entertainment performance
– One complimentary room for every 25 rooms booked
– One complimentary upgrade for every 25 rooms booked
Promotion ends December 31, 2015. Terms and conditions apply.
THE upcoming Singapore MICE Forum (SMF) will give attendees an Asian perspective to the industry as it begins Gearing Up for the Next Wave of Change.
Unveiling the theme for the forum last week, SACEOS president Janet Tan-Collis said: “It is time for Asian leadership to take charge and take the lead in the way we do business.
“We see that Asia is taking full control as we move along and we need to gear up for the change. It is like the rising of the phoenix – when we are up there, it is going to be hard to go down,” she said.
For the first time, Kishore Mahbubani, the dean and professor for the Practice of Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, will deliver the keynote address on the Asian Paradigm at the SMF.
Said Tan-Collis: “Mahbubani is someone who really knows the pulse of Asia and we will be able to see from his perspective how MICE in Asia will transform the world.”
Another first for SMF is the Asia Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (AMITE), which brings together 30 pre-qualified, hosted buyers from Europe and North America and Asian suppliers of meeting and incentive travel for one day of pre-arranged and one-to-one meetings.
According to Tan-Collis, AMITE is a new regular programme that is part of SACEOS’ strategy to direct greater attention towards the meetings and incentives component.
While SACEOS has 124 members today, Tan-Collis said 80 per cent of this membership comprises PCOs, PEOs and suppliers to exhibitions and she is striving for “greater balance”.
Nevertheless, she emphasised that this does not signal a dilution to the members from the exhibitions industry.
She said the greater integration between all MICE compenents today drives the dynamics of the full meetings industry.
Emphasising that education, accreditation and professionalising the MICE industry underline the core of SACEOS’ mission, Tan-Collis added that SACEOS will be conducting two certification workshops: Certified in Exhibition Management and Certified Meeting Professional during that week as well.
SMF 2014 will kick off on July 13 and run through until July 18. Registration is open at www.regonline.sg/singaporemiceforum2014
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.
Rotorua Canopy Tours, which specialises in zipline tours of New Zealand’s native forest canopy, has launched an activity that takes place at dusk and runs through the night.
This hotel boasts Naha city’s highest bed capacity and one of the few natural hot springs in Okinawa. It comprises two buildings, with the main Loisir Hotel building constructed in 1993 and the Loisir Spa Tower added in 2009 in response to increased numbers of visitors to the city.
