kuala lumpur
While the current global economic uncertainty has overshadowed much of 2012, year-to-date the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has yielded positive results with all business segments meeting their targets and continuing to perform well. From January 1 to September 30, 2012, the centre hosted 1119 events which was a 13 per cent increase from the 973 held in the previous corresponding period. In total the centre served 1.2 million delegates and visitors, bringing in an economic impact contribution of RM407 million (AUD128 million) to Kuala Lumpur city and Malaysia. The numbers since commencing operations in June 2005 total 6322 events, more than 13.2 million delegates, and RM4 billion (AUD1.3 billion) in economic impact contribution.
ireland
A new initiative from INCON, the international partnership of conference, event and destination companies, has resulted in the creation of a guide to global meeting and event planning. The INCON e-Book, entitled International Meetings: Ten Steps to Success, harnesses the wealth of experience which the 10 INCON partners have in planning and delivering international events. Sharing their expertise and insight, this beginner’s guide sets out useful tips for holding successful meetings outside North America.
The e-book is available to download at www.incon-pco.com
queenstown
Cannons fired, vintage steam engines hooted and a huge crowd cheered and waved flags along Queenstown’s waterfront to welcome the TSS Earnslaw vintage steamship home as she sailed into the bay to mark her 100th birthday in October. The Lady of the Lake, as she is affectionately known, marked her official centenary with a re-enactment of her maiden passenger voyage on Lake Wakatipu from Kingston to Queenstown on October 18, 1912. Three hundred and fifty guests dressed in period costume were onboard to make the journey. The TSS Earnslaw remains a popular option for groups holding meetings and incentives in Queenstown.
melbourne
The Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau will host the first of two meetings of the BestCities gobal partnership in 2013, which has as members 10 of the world’s leading convention bureaux. In 2013 workshops will be held in Melbourne (April 9-12) and Houston in the U.S. Janna Malseed from the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science recently attended a BestCities workshop in Edinburgh and couldn’t be happier with the results. “As an organiser of international meetings, I found the BestCities workshop the epitome of one stop shopping, providing the opportunity to meet with 10 different cities from around the world all in the wonderful city of Edinburgh, Scotland. We had an opportunity to visit sites in Edinburgh that gave us first-hand knowledge of what Edinburgh has to offer as a meeting destination. Each of the other cities involved in the BestCities workshop also provided valuable information on conference facilities and hotels that can fit into a wide variety of budgets.”
Visit www.bestcities.net to learn more about the organisation.
bangkok
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau recently launched a three-year strategy to make Thailand the exhibition capital of Asia, with plans to grow the sector by 30 per cent by 2015. TCEC will assume a “connector/facilitator” role in year one, a “marketer/partner” role in year two, and a “creator/initiator” role in year three. TCEC has been allocated 870 million baht (AUD $27.3 million) to grow the business event sector in Thailand.
malaysia
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) recently launched its brand new campaign – `Malaysia- Asia like never before.’ Targeting global corporate and incentive markets, the integrated campaign is supported by the new corporate and incentive guide as well as a series of print and digital advertising campaigns. According to the general manager of sales & marketing of MyCEB, Ho Yoke Ping, the campaign focuses on four themes: team-building, themed events and experiences, unique venues, and corporate social responsibility.
Meeting and incentive planners are invited to view or download the guide online at
www.myceb.com.my/corporate-incentive-guide or request a hardcopy via
email – sales@myceb.com.my
christchurch
The New Zealand South Island city of Christchurch continues to celebrate after being named as one of the world’s top 10 cities by Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet has predicted 2013 is going to be an intriguing and exciting year to be in Christchurch. Venue and hotel capacity is bouncing back, with the much-anticipated opening of Air Force Museum’s $14 million new venue space in February and the reopening of several top CBD hotels later in the year. Lively cafes, bars and restaurants are now returning to the city as the rebuild gets underway. During October eight new venues opened and November welcomed several more favourites in great new locations, while the city’s creative pop-up retail and dining culture continues to give the destination a unique edge.
auckland
Auckland has been selected to host a major international conference in 2016, with the help of the new Auckland Convention Bureau Bid Fund. The fund was introduced in July 2012 and was reportedly instrumental in helping to secure the 23rd International Symposium on the Forensic Sciences 2016 for Auckland. The four-day conference will be held at SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre, with a minimum of 1000 delegates expected to attend. The estimated economic value of the event is more than $4 million. As well as the financial benefits, this symposium has a well established reputation as one of the best forensic science conferences in the world, and New Zealand has an international reputation for world leading forensic science.
singapore
FCm Travel Solutions can add another accolade to its line-up of achievements in 2012 after being named Australasia’s Leading Travel Management Company (TMC) as part of the World Travel Awards. FCm accepted the accolade at a World Travel Awards ceremony held in mid-October at the InterContinental Singapore. During the awards ceremony, FCm was also named Asia’s Leading Travel Management Company. This year FCm also took out the award for Africa’s Leading Corporate Travel Company.
malaysia
Destination Marketing Services recently escorted five Australian conference and incentive planners to discover Malaysia, sponsored by Pacific World Asia, Malaysia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia. The participants were exposed to The Garden City of Lights, Kuala Lumpur, where modern sophistication meets colourful tradition. They ventured into the heart of Kuala Lumpur to discover the vibrant architecture and historical background, and then were introduced to Hindu culture at the sacred site of the Batu Caves before being taken on an educational tour through the Royal Selangor Factory where they met with the granddaughter of the factory’s founder and had a hands-on experience making their own pewter pendants. Arriving in Langkawi, the group was greeted with a traditional Malaysian welcome, where they were made to feel like royalty. They were then immersed in the calming ambience of a tropical hideaway in the Four Seasons Resort pavilions and then ventured out into the century old mangroves. An evening nature trail at Datai Bay Rainforest with Irshad (a local naturalist guide) followed by a Malaysian/Indian family-style dinner rounded out the group’s experience of Malaysia’s best known holiday destination.
phuket
Big-hearted Singapore bankers recently got on their bikes to bring joy to youngsters of a Phuket orphanage in a training program devised and staged by Quest, Laguna Resorts & Hotel’s corporate team-building company. More than 210 senior management and staff of the Singapore-based Swiss bank took time out from their conference at Angsana Laguna Phuket to spend a morning at Baan Sosa Orphanage in the Quest program – dubbed the “Great Bike Build.” They were split into teams to work on problem-solving tasks and issued with bike parts, which they later assembled into mountain bikes with the help of a professional bike technician. Twenty completed bikes were then handed over to the youngsters – and in a heart-warming gesture the bankers also made a donation of THB 125,000 (AUD 4000) to the orphanage.
netherlands
The International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2013. Celebrations will run throughout the year and end with a bang at the 2013 ICCA Congress in Shanghai. ICCA will also mark the milestone by publishing a special 50 year edition of its international association meetings statistics report. ICCA President, Arnaldo Nardone, said it was important to celebrate such big anniversaries and the many successes of the past. “We want to demonstrate the incredible value that is generated by long-term membership, and celebrate the unchanged vision of ICCA’s founders that sharing information and building partnerships with colleagues around the world are far more powerful than working in lonely isolation. I am sure that `ICCA 50’ will generate a fresh understanding amongst our members about the true value of belonging to our association.” ICCA CEO Martin Sirk added: “This anniversary gives us a great platform for the next stage in ICCA’s evolution. During 2013 we’re projecting that we will pass the 1000 member mark, so we’ll be investing in numerous projects to deliver more customised and personalised services, and we’ll also be rolling out a major upgrade to our services for international association meeting planners. It’s vital that as we continue to grow we retain the personal engagement that has been a hallmark of ICCA membership for half a century.”
canada
The Info Salons Group recently announced it had teamed up with Sherpa Solutions, a technology provider from Canada. Info Salons will offer Sherpa’s latest products in indoor positioning systems and `wayfinding’ solutions using a groundbreaking mobile platform that works seamlessly within an event, allowing exhibitors and attendees to make the most of their experience. Info Salons and Sherpa will provide fully integrated access to their technology teams in order to create a technology partnership that aims to be at the forefront of the event industry throughout Australia, Asia, China and the Middle East.
london
Following the London 2012 Olympics, the media have attempted to identify the “real” legacy left by the games. A new study conducted by Research Now reveals that the Olympics has done most for UK national morale and the perception of big brands. A global sample of 7200 respondents across the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany and France were asked their views on the sponsors, the opening and closing ceremonies, and how they connected with the games via social media.