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Volume VI Issue 4 April 2015 60 pages
A DDP Publication
Have a Ball
In Vienna
MICE in Fairyland
Publisher & Editor
SanJeet
Editor-in-Chief
Deepa Sethi
Desk Head-Magazine
Pooja Sharma
Design
Prerna Jha
Tushar Upadhyay
Photographer
Simran Kaur
Advertising
Gunjan Sabikhi
Karishma Khanna
Manoj Barthwal
Udit Pandey
Bharat Chawla
Almost 25 per cent of inbound tourism into India is linked
to MICE or business travel. The falling rupee contributed
largely to this inﬂow, making India a much more aﬀordable
destination compared to other Asian countries. Now it is up
to the government to actually use the opportunity to upgrade
the roads, ensure safety and push the cleanliness drive as they
have promised. We already have state-of the-art hotels in both
the luxury and budget segments. Our staﬀ in the tourism
and hospitality industry is courteous, well trained and ﬂuent
in English. And, we have the support of an excellent airline
network across the country with world-class airports.
The mood in the industry is also very positive for MICE. We
spoke to industry leaders about their expectations from this
segment in 2015-16. Read about what many of them had to say
about the phenomenal growth potential in this area.
Travel Marketing has changed entirely with the advent of social
media. The Head of Travel & Financial Services for Facebook
tells us how best to use technology as a marketing tool and how
it can help the industry grow its business.
Fun in the Philippines is always attractive for MICE groups,
while Vienna in Austria holds its own glamour and charm.
We bring you news and advice from experts in both these
destinations.
editorial
Dear Reader,
Don’t miss our regular advice columns… answers to questions
from the corporate world about challenges they face at work.
In this issue: Can we really discipline our lives while ‘chatting’
with the world at all hours? And, advice on how to dress for
success!
Deepa Sethi
Advertisement Designer
Vikas Mandotia
DDP Publications Private Limited
Nitin Kumar
Production Manager
Anil Kharbanda
Circulation Manager
Ashok Rana
MUMBAI: Advertising
Harshal Ashar
Priyanshu Wankhade
Cover:
Messe Wien Exhibition
& Congress Center,
Vienna
Philippine International
Convention Center
Reception Hall
4
MICEtalk April 2015
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c
ontents
April 2015
20
 Trends
MICE Market Mood
The unveiling of the budget has set the tone for incentive
activities for the year. Industry experts talk about their
expectations and movements in the MICE sector this year.
 Facts
11
Facts and news from the world of MICE
 Country Talk: Philippines
MICE in fairyland of Far East
 City Talk:
26
Have a ball in Vienna
Regular
40
 Technology
Darren Edwards tells
us how to use an event
App year-round
30
44
 Expert Talk
Is discipline of any
use in an age of
technology? Shabnam
Mehra explains
 Debate
How popular are cruises
among Indian MICE?
 Guest Column
Matt Hulen, Head of
Travel & Financial
Services, Southeast
Asia for Facebook
discusses the
Future of Travel
Marketing
Over
,
Readers
 Etiquette Talk
Shital Kakkar Mehra
tells us how you can
dress for success
Please send in your suggestions and
feedback to micetalk@ddppl.com
You can also read MICEtalk online on
www.micetalk.com
facts
FACTS
Antalya named Turkey’s
leading convention
tourism destination
Turkey’s Mediterranean province
Thailand gets a new
luxury venue
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas announced the addition of Anantara
Siam Bangkok Hotel to its luxury portfolio. Located in prestigious
Rajadamri in the city’s Siam district, the hotel will become the brand’s
ﬂagship in its home market of Thailand. Minor Hotel Group, the hotel’s
owning company, has conﬁrmed an investment of $ 20 million to enhance
the hotel over the coming months. Strategically located in the heart
of central Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong district, Anantara Siam Bangkok
is within close proximity to the main business, nightlife and shopping
districts, providing the ideal base for the business or leisure traveller. The
hotel’s fast track greeting service helps to make the customs process upon
arrival at the airport smooth and oﬀers WiFi enabled limousines into the
city. Extensive meeting and event facilities cater for every kind of social
and corporate function, from stylish boardrooms and meeting rooms, to
a grand ballroom accommodating up to 1,000 guests. Dedicated business
and event co-ordinators ensure that every element ﬂows seamlessly, as
well as impeccably executed culinary experiences.
$6 million funding boost for BESydney
New South Wales (NSW) Government provided Business Events Sydney
(BESydney) with an additional $6 million funding over the next four years
to help make Sydney the number one destination for major events in the
country. The announcement was made in NSW Government commitment to
provide an additional $123.35 million, a 25 per cent boost, to the sector. Of
that, $73.25 million will be allocated to making Sydney number one for major
events in Australia.
8
MICEtalk April 2015
of Antalya has been declared as
the country’s leading convention
tourism city. Antalya, one of the top
sun-and-sea tourism destinations in
Turkey, is aiming at diversifying its
tourism revenues. The announcement
was made at the ACE of M.I.C.E.
Exhibition, a major event for the
meeting, incentive, congress and
exhibition sector, backed by the
Association of Turkish Travel
Agencies (TÜRSAB) in Istanbul.
Nearly 24.3 per cent of convention
and event managing companies
picked Antalya. Istanbul followed
behind with 22.9 per cent, while
Ankara and İzmir were the other
two most-preferred destinations in
the country with 14.2 per cent and
12.9 per cent respectively. Hosted by
Turizm Medya the exhibition had 262
participants from 25 countries this
year, pointing at a 41 per cent growth
from the previous year. The number
of professional visitors was estimated
at around 13,000.
facts
Accor adds Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre
to India portfolio
Accor, the pioneer of hotel operations and convention centres in India, was named as the operator for the Jaipur Exhibition
& Convention Centre (JECC), the largest exhibition and convention facility in South Asia. Developed jointly by Dangayach
Group and Derewala Group, JECC is an integrated facility spread over 42 acres. Located in the industrial hub of Sitapura
and merely 5 km from the Jaipur International Airport, the JECC along with a 241-room Novotel oﬀers the largest integrated
exhibition-convention-entertainment facility in South Asia. Facilities in JECC include two exhibition halls with a combined
column-free space of 20,000 sqm and an open exhibition area of 10,000 sqm with an on-site car park for over 4,000 cars.
Rapid industrialization, fast-paced growth of the services sector and improvement in infrastructure have vastly added to the
attractiveness of Jaipur as a centre for MICE activities.
Dubai to host IAPCO
Annual Meeting 2017
Dubai has won a bid to host the International
Copenhagen chosen host city for
2016 AC Forum Annual Meeting
The 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association and Conference
Forum (AC Forum) will be held in Copenhagen next January. The
meeting is expected to draw around 70 members of associations that
primarily stage medical and clean tech industry conferences with
3,000+ delegates gathering in the Danish capital in January. The 2016
Annual Meeting of the Association and Conference Forum was won
by a collective eﬀort from Wonderful Copenhagen and BC Hospitality
Group. Copenhagen was chosen as host city due to its ranking as one
of the most popular congress cities in the world, and because it is easy
and safe to reach and navigate in.
Association of Professional Congress Organisers
(IAPCO) Annual Meeting & General Assembly in
2017. The annual event brings together approximately
100 of the world’s most inﬂuential conference
organisers from 40 countries, who collectively
manage approximately 7,000 meetings per year with a
combined annual economic impact of over $5 billion.
The announcement was
made at the IAPCO
Annual Meeting in
Lisbon, Portugal.
The winning bid was
spearheaded by Dubai
Business Events (DBE),
a division of Dubai
Tourism which serves as
the oﬃcial convention
bureau of the city, in
close partnership with
local IAPCO members
Meeting Minds and
MCI Dubai.
MICEtalk April 2015
9
facts
FACTS
Starwood Hotels
launches new
‘ProMeetings’ App
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, has launched a new App
called “ProMeetings” which facilitates
meeting planners to manage events onsite, giving them the personalisation,
ﬂexibility, and convenience to perform
eﬃciently and deliver better service.
With ProMeetings, planners who are
Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) or
SPG Pro members can submit onproperty requests – from an extension
cord, to coﬀee service, to a change in
lighting and everything in between –
directly to associates who can fulﬁll
requests in real time.
Marriott named 2nd best
workplace in Asia
ProMeetings is in pilot at several
Starwood hotels around the world,
including Singapore - Sentosa Cove,
The Westin Singapore, Sheraton
Atlanta Airport, Atlanta Midtown, and
The Westin Charlotte. Starwood will
learn from the pilot performance to
enhance the App functions before a full
global rollout, which is expected
in 2016.
Marriott Hotels India has been bestowed as the second best organisation
in Asia to work with by the Great Place To Work® organisation. It has also
been awarded another distinction as one of the best employee friendly
organisations across Asia. The title was based on parameters such as levels
of trust and transparency, pride and camaraderie, HR practices and policies
within the workplace. Among 900 companies across Australia, China,
India, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the UAE, Marriott Hotels
was chosen as one of the leading organisations from among an elite league
of 60 workplaces. The organisations considered for the honour were across
industries and sectors ranging from businesses and non proﬁt organisations
to government agencies.
Pacific World lists top meeting destinations and trends
Paciﬁc World, the global DMC and event management organisation,
has released its ﬁrst Annual Destination Index Special Report, providing
corporate, association and agency planners with insights into the most popular
destinations for meetings, incentives and events—as well as identifying key
trends that are inﬂuencing these results. In the European, Middle Eastern and
African region, the most popular destinations was Rome, Milan and Paris.
Demand for luxury and high-end activities are back in the sector so Dubai,
South Korea, Indonesia and Hong Kong were the most popular meetings and
events destinations in Asia in 2014.
10
MICEtalk April 2015
The top trends driving more meeting
planners towards these destinations included:
Compliances and Corporate Governance
guarantees
Immigration policies and visa
requirements
Combination of Ancient and New
Investment by International Hotels Chains
in a destination seen as a sign
of conﬁdence
facts
Munich offers
meetings at the
highest level
Situated at almost 3000
Sarawak hosts ceremony for ICCA 2016
A “Drumming in Ceremony” for the ICCA 2016 Conference was held on February
27 at the Sarawak Cultural Village, the award winning home to the internationally
renowned World Harvest and Rainforest World Music Festivals. Sirk and Mieke
Van Loenen, ICCA’s Event Director from the International Congress & Convention
Association (ICCA) headquartered in Amsterdam started the ceremony to symbolize
the start of Kuching’s preparation for a gathering of ICCA’s Global Tribe in 2016.
The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in the Malaysian State of Sarawak won the
right to host ICCA’s 2016 conference at a ceremony on Frankfurt in 2013. Sarawak
is looking forward to hosting the “Next Destination Ceremony” at the ICCA 2015
Annual Congress to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina this October. The next
destination ceremony will be designed to encourage attendees at Buenos Aires
congress to join ICCA for “a Gathering of ICCA’s Global Tribe” at the following year’s
congress in Sarawak.
metres above the sea level,
Zugspitze oﬀers four venues
which are ideal for all training
sessions, conferences,
incentives, presentations and
corporate events. The venues
oﬀer all modern meeting
facilities with functional
infrastructure for any business
event along with the perfect
backdrop. The conditions are
ideal for a company to put its
product in the limelight where
attention is at its peak.
The Convention Centre Dublin sets new
recycling record
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) achieved its highest recycling rate
to date in 2014. 98 per cent or 169 tonnes of all waste generated within The CCD
was recycled, breaking the previous year’s rate of 92 per cent. The result can largely
be credited to the CCD Cleaning team, managed by Cagney Contract Cleaning,
who worked hard to consistently monitor and improved recycling ﬁgures. Their
strategy was to manage waste generation from its source, regularly meeting CCD
Hospitality to discuss catering requirements for each event. This enabled the team to
forecast suﬃcient staﬀ to handle waste segregation and develop a waste management
strategy accordingly. The CCD also uses custom-designed recycling bins which have
illustrations rather than text, to ensure all international delegates are aware of how to
segregate waste, regardless of the language.
MICEtalk April 2015
11
facts
FACTS
2015 to be strongest
year in convention
for Vancouver
According to the Vancouver
Convention Centre and Tourism
Vancouver, 2015 will be one of the
strongest years in international
conventions for Vancouver. More
than 165,000 out-of-town delegates –
40,000 from outside North America
– are expected to visit Vancouver
in 2015. The strong attendance is
driven in part by an inﬂux of the
world’s leading medical association
conventions taking place at the awardwinning Vancouver Convention
Centre, including the World Congress
of Dermatology – the city’s largest
medical convention to date. The
Vancouver Convention Centre is
expected to host 55 conventions total
in 2015/16, as well as a range of events
that include consumer and trade
shows, meetings and special events.
Coex now ‘Gangnam MICE
Special Zone for Tourism’
Seoul City designated Seoul Gangnam-gu Samsung-dong World Trade
Center (WTC) area, also known as Coex, the center of Hallyu, business,
culture, travel, shopping, exhibition and convention, as a “Gangnam MICE
Special Zone for Tourism” to promote its travel and Meetings, Incentives,
Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. The designated zone
includes three 5-star hotels, a department store, a duty-free store, casino,
musical performance theatre, the world’s largest underground shopping
mall with more than 200 retail shops and 91 food & beverage restaurants,
aquarium, movie theatre, the Trade Center, ASEM Tower and the City
Airport Terminal. In terms of space, it amounts to 19,386 sqm, which is
larger than 74 tennis courts. A new MICE lounge and information oﬃce,
tax exemption opportunities, new Coex Mall, collaborative grand sales
and accommodation oﬀers and more, help make the WTC Seoul MICE
Cluster an unbeatable destination for business guests. Coex will continue
to grow as one of the best international exchange sites in the world with
the recent designation of “Gangnam MICE Special Tourism Zone” with
various infrastructures for travel and culture.
3ODFH RI SXEOLFDWLRQ Hong Kong’s ITE & MICE travel
fair to be held in June
Hong Kong’s only international travel fair, ITE & MICE, will next be held
from June 11 to 14, 2015 at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The ﬁrst two days are open only to trade, and the second trade day designated
as MICE / Corporate Travel Day. The two trade days draw some 12000 buyers
and trade visitors, with 74 per cent from Hong Kong and 19 per cent from
China. The combined ITE & MICE features nearly 700 international
exhibitors (85 per cent from abroad) from around 50 countries and regions
all over the world.
12
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budget
Budget 2015 to Boost
Benefits for Travel: Industry Experts
From an increase in service tax to a decrease in corporate tax,
the budget announcements sure stirred a lot of debate within
the industry. While some believe that initiatives like GST & VoA
will lead the growth chart others feel that implementation of
critical policies will be the deciding factor.
T
he announcements made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
during the Union Budget 2015-16 received a fair share of
support as well as dissent from the Travel and Tourism
Industry. While the extension of Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility to
150 countries to boost incentives and the decrease in corporate
tax to 25 per cent sum up the positive elements, the hike in the
service tax from 12 per cent to 14 per cent has dampened spirits in
the sector. Besides, infrastructure status has also not been sought
to handle an extraordinary traﬃc growth of inbound travellers.
Nonetheless, the budget has shown signiﬁcant focus on the travel,
tourism and hospitality sector.
Shekhar Ghosh
Head of Knowledge and Insights
Genesis Burson-Marsteller
g
odin
Dec or
f ism
r
Tou
14
MICEtalk April 2015
“The vision for double digit
growth is very encouraging.
The budget appears to
lay a roadmap for lower
taxes, simpliﬁcation of
process and ease of doing
business and investment
in infrastructure sector.
The proposed bankruptcy
law which I expect will
be akin to Chapter 11
provision present in US
will help unshackle massive
investments which are stuck
in stalled projects.
The FM’s thrust on reducing
subsidy leakages, increasing
transparency with use of
technology and minimizing
the circulation of black
money will go a long way
in improving the economy.
Plug and Play Projects, relook at the PPP framework,
reduction of litigation,
introduction of MUDRA
bank, social sector schemes,
Pension funds, make this
year’s budget a budget of
Ajay Singh
Founder
SpiceJet
ideas and if implemented
well should lead to great
growth in the Indian
economy. The proposal to
increase visa-on-arrival to
150 countries is a welcoming
step that will boost tourism
as well aviation in the
country. Moving towards a
uniﬁed regime of GST will
also help in unifying the
taxes across the country
and will be helpful for the
aviation sector.”
budget
“We are very happy with
the Budget. The individual
tax payer beneﬁts from
the exemptions that have
been announced. Reducing
customs duty will support
the quality of products
available in India.
The extension of Visa on
Arrival to 150 countries
will change the way India is
perceived as a destination
as it will become very
convenient to travel to
the country. We hope the
introduction of GST from
April 1, 2015 will clear a lot
of ambiguities on the current
tax
issues
particularly
service tax. Arun Jaitley has
made a strong comment on
the service tax which is good
for the travel industry.
Quoting a PAN for all
purchases made above
Sunil Kumar
Acting President
TAAI
`1,00,000 instead of the
current `30,000 - `40,000
is good for agents as it is a
challenge to show PAN for
such a small amount. This is
likely to encourage business
class travel. Even the
reduction of corporate tax
is bound to support more
MICE movement.”
“The extension of Visa on
Arrival to 150 countries will
really encourage the inbound
MICE traﬃc to India,
especially because business
and corporate travel is usually
done last minute. While
hike in the service tax to 14
per cent is bad news for the
agents as it becomes cheaper
for corporates to buy directly
from airlines, reduction of
corporate tax rate to 25 per
cent in the next four years
time is good news although
its immediate beneﬁts are
not known yet. We will have
to wait for the ﬁne print to
emerge in April to see how it
will be implemented.
One key observation I want
to make is that the Visa on
Arrival is issued at the same
Jaideep Ghosh
Head of Tourism and Hospitality sector
KPMG in India
“Finance MInister Arun
Jaitley’s budget included
some very positive
announcements
for
the travel and tourism
industry.
The
fact
that the government
will open up Visa on
Arrival facilities to 150
countries, will result
in a high inﬂow of
tourists. The emphasis
Shefali Singh
on
restoration
of
Managing Director
World
Heritage
Sites
Mysha India Services
is also likely to bode
well for the sector as it will induce both domestic and
foreign tourists to travel to these spots. Additionally,
for a company such as ours, which oﬀers complete
travel solutions to MICE and Corporate clients, the
reduction of corporate tax will result in a boost for the
overall business”.
“Tourism is a clear focus of the
government. Currently a Tourism
Vision 2030 is underway by the
Ministry. The proposed increase
in the number of countries under
the Visa on Arrival scheme,
we expect, should catapult
Pradip Lulla
President
TAFI
counters as immigration
which will lead to jams.
This is not good for the
corporates who are usually
time-bound.
TAFI
will
be writing to the airport
authorities to look into this.”
the inbound foreign visits to
exceed 8 million in the current
calendar year. Announcements
on conservation and promotion
of World Heritage Sites are
welcome; however, this needs
to be done as per international
standards. Other initiatives such
as Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga,
smart city, women safety, and
tax beneﬁts to Yoga need to be
widely communicated to create
a positive tourism environment.
Overall the tourism, travel and
hospitality sector would beneﬁt
with the positive economic
outlook facilitated by enhanced
investment in infrastructure,
ease of doing business, ‘Make in
India’ related impetus and more
predictable tax environment
assured by the Finance Minister.”
“There was a high expectation from
the Finance Minister as tourism
has been mentioned quite a few
times as an industry of tremendous
potential. The biggest deterrent
remains taxation; this makes rooms
and restaurants, the highest taxed
product in all industries. Ease in
getting VISA, more airline seats
and low taxation would encourage
MICE in India. Ease to do business
in India, ease to travel to India;
ease to travel within India must
be given priority”.
S M Shervani
EC Member
FHRAI
MICEtalk April 2015
15
trends
MICE Market Mood
India has witnessed a mushrooming growth to meet the needs of a booming domestic
market and to emerge as a striking destination for inbound trafﬁc. Talking about the
expansion in MICE movements, industry representatives say that while domestic market
continues to claim a major share they expect an upward trend towards outbound MICE.
Nitya Agarwal
International or
Domestic Platform
With an improving economy and
better corporate budgets in 2015,
the MICE sector has witnessed
a rigorous growth in the tourism
industry generating millions in terms
of revenue. Talking about the several
S N Srivastava
President & Co-founder
Clarks Inn Group of Hotels
The latest
GBTA report
forecasts
Indian business
(including
MICE) travel to
grow at 7.6% in
2015.
16
MICEtalk April 2015
characteristics that tap the MICE
market in India and determine its
growth as a domestic and international
market, Greesh Bindra, General
Manager, Crowne Plaza Greater Noida
said, “MICE this year would be a major
chunk from the domestic market, with
little international movement. The
domestic market ensures maximum
participation avoiding passport and
visa issues and also saving money.
With multiple MNCs coming up there
is potential for not just events, but big
conferences. Here, bigger conferences
are bound to be limited to India itself,
due the large number of participants.
With destinations like ours, within the
city, yet on the outskirts, self contained
with everything in one place - should
be the obvious choice.”
S N Srivastava, President & Cofounder, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels
shared a diﬀerent opinion, “MICE
industry in India is on the cusp
of a massive growth unheard of
before. And both the domestic and
international traﬃc will witness record
growth in years to come and the year
2015 heralds that beginning. Besides,
a strong pro-business government
at the centre and its ‘Make in India’
campaign is also generating good
vibes in terms of investors’ sentiments
both in domestic as well as
international markets.”
“With trends for current year it
looks like most of the traﬃc would
be domestic events. Some events
like Paperex and Jewellery exhibition
have become annual and gained
good response at trade fair ground,”
said Barun Jolly, General Manager,
Radisson Blu. Jolly’s prediction of
growth in domestic MICE is backed
by some observations. First, with
US Dollar still much stronger than
the Rupee, domestic companies ﬁnd
international destinations including
South East Asia not so lucrative any
more. Second, mid-sized Indian
companies are now expanding to
hold various events and conferences.
For example, big hotels in Delhi and
Hyderabad have over 30,000 sqft
banqueting available hence making it
possible to hold major conventions.
Expectations from
MICE travel
According to Sunaina Chatterjee,
Chief Executive, Icon Planners, MICE
travel has grown both internally and
externally and has now taken shape
trends
is estimated to be around $600 million
and is expected to increase by 12-13 per
cent over the next couple of years.
MICE travel: Domestic
or International
Greesh Bindra
General Manager
Crowne Plaza Greater Noida
MICE this
year would
be a major
chunk from the
domestic market,
with little
international
movement.
as an industry on its own. When
asked about her expectations from
MICE travel, she said, “MICE travel
is scheduled to grow in leaps and
bounds, with improving economy and
expanding budget for 2015. Inbound
MICE is slated to grow by another
10 per cent from the present at 15
per cent of total travel trade whereas
outbound MICE which is still in its
growth trajectory will continue to
rise another 15 per cent of the present
trade volume. Majority of traditional
travel agents and tour operators have
shifted their core focus to MICE
activities and are reaping beneﬁts.
We foresee MICE industry as a better
solution provider to its clients and self
educating to prosper in years to come.”
While Amit Aggarwal, Director, Wish
Bone India expects the MICE business
to grow at the rate of 15 per cent during
2015, Rajan Dua, MD, Udaan India
says that the recent statistics suggest
that the Indian outbound MICE market
Currently, India ranks 27th in the global
MICE market. While the industry is
witnessing growth in the outbound
MICE traﬃc, inbound MICE market
is gradually picking up with the active
support from the Ministry of Tourism
to enhance the MICE experience in
India. “India’s government and private
sectors are putting in eﬀorts to improve
India’s infrastructure. Public Private
Partnership (PPP) models are also
being adopted for the same,” Dua said.
Barun Jolly
General Manager
Radisson Blu
With trends
for current
year it looks
most of the
traﬃc would
be domestic
events.
Sunaina Chatterjee
Chief Executive
Icon Planners
Majority
of traditional
travel agents
and tour
operators have
shifted their core
focus to MICE
activities and
are reaping
beneﬁts.
However, Chatterjee foresees an
upward trend towards outbound
MICE only in the near future.
“With greater budget allocation on
corporate education and incentives,
we see more of outbound MICE
towards international destination.
Curb on petrol prices worldwide is
also a factor in airfare going down
globally and making international
travel interesting and cheaper.
Also, international destination is
still a major incentive for employees
in the Indian Corporate Arena,”
she
said.
Ankush
Nijhawan,
MD, Nijhawan Group of Companies,
also shared a similar opinion
pertaining to diﬀerent reasons like
revival of SpiceJet, FDI ﬂowing
into India, e-commerce boom,
signiﬁcant growth in GDP versus
2014 and reduction of fuel price. “The
growth will deﬁnitely be towards
international travel as the cost of
the MICE outside India has more
value for money.”
MICEtalk April 2015
17
trends
According to Srivastava, “The latest
GBTA (Global Business Travel
Association) report forecasts Indian
business (including MICE) travel to
grow at 7.6 per cent in 2015, up from
2.1 per cent in 2014, making it a $28.8
billion industry this year. And the
report clearly highlights that within
the business travel, MICE will grow
at a yet faster rate! And the upcoming
infrastructure projects, rail, roads
Rajan Dua
MD
Udaan India
With easy
access from
worldwide
destinations,
improved
infrastructure
and
introduction of
e-visas; India
will emerge
as one of the
most sought
after MICE
destinations.
18
MICEtalk April 2015
and highways, SEZs, the proposed
100 smart cities, improving airport
infrastructure and air connectivity
both within the country and from
outside, will all contribute to massive
growth in MICE sector.”
Attracting inbound
MICE trafﬁc
With several countries striving to
promote themselves as the most
sought after MICE destination,
India is not far behind. Serving a
perfect amalgamation of cultural
and historical attractions, culinary
delights and state-of-the-art modern
amenities, India has a lot to oﬀer to the
business traveller.
“In
recent
years,
world-class
convention and exhibition centres have
also opened doors in Gandhinagar,
Indore and most recently the Jaipur
Exhibition and Convention Centre.
And there are several state-of-theart convention centres in the pipeline
at Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, among
others. And they are also attracting
both big and small Indian and
international hotel brands in hoards
that have greatly boosted and are
continuing to boost India’s MICE
proﬁle within the country and outside,”
Srivastava added.
Aggarwal said, “After the hot-spots like
Hong Kong, Malaysia and Dubai, India
is fast gaining pace in the competition to
become an ideal MICE destination. India
continues to be third fastest growing
economy in the world with rising travel
potential. The Indian tourism industry is
interlinked with the country’s monetary
development. As GDP continues to
mature, it increases deals in fundamental
infrastructure
like
transportation
systems, which is necessary to
support the tourism industry. Further
opening of economy, ‘Make in India’
and increased decontrol has given a
new force to the corporate and
business movement.”
Another signiﬁcant factor which
predicts a growth in the inbound MICE
traﬃc is increase of Visa on Arrival to
150 countries. “With easy access from
worldwide destinations, improved
infrastructure and introduction of
e-visas; India will emerge as one of the
most sought after MICE destinations,”
Dua said. Seconding his views was
Amit Aggarwal
Director
Wish Bone India
After the
hot-spots like
Hong Kong,
Malaysia and
Dubai, India
is fast gaining
pace in the
competition
to become an
ideal MICE
destination.
Chatterjee, “Indian tourism ministry
has also pulled up its socks and
allocated budget for promotion of
conference facility in many cities
of India. Expansion of eVisa has
also improved participation from
international delegates or visitors to
India.” She supported her opinion
of predictable growth in inbound
MICE because of increasing interest
in international chain to expand in
India. “International chain of hotels
is jostling for space in hotel occupancy,
nationwide. With newer hotels coming
up, service standards are gearing
up and MICE inbound is always
in pink,” she added.
country talk
MICE in Fairyland
of the Far East
Philippines is the country where conventions industry became ofﬁcial government
policy in 1976. Today, with its award-winning resorts, culinary delights and best
beaches this country is set to become the choice destination for Indian MICE
travellers looking for a unique experience. Read on to know more.
20
MICEtalk April 2015
country talk
P
hilippines is all set to become the ultimate
destination for Indian travellers in
2015 with the launch of Department of
Tourism’s Visit the Philippines Year 2015 which
is an invitation to experience “It’s More Fun in
the Philippines.”
The rapid growth in Indian outbound travel has
been fuelled by many factors which include more
disposable income and greater connectivity.
MICE and business travel are deﬁnitely areas
that will boost outbound travel from India.
The growing interest in MICE, especially
incentive trips has been phenomenal over the
recent months.
The Department of Philippines has recorded a
growth of 17.14 per cent in 2014, in arrivals of
Indians, over 2013. With 2015 being declared as
“Visit the Philippines Year”, a rise of 20 per cent
has been targeted for outbound increase from
India, this year.
SanJeet
Tourism Attache
Philippines Tourism Marketing
Oﬃce, India
In addition to the above emerging trends,
destination weddings are also gaining a good
deal of traction in Indian market as it is a
segment which is growing rapidly as more and
more people are opting to tie the knot at exotic
locations. Overall, the preference of Indian
travellers, in both leisure and MICE segments,
is veering towards more experiential trips and
exploring niche destinations apart from the
regular and popular ones.
Convention facilities
SMX Convention Center, Manila: The country’s
newest and largest privately-run exhibition and
convention center, SMX is a world-class venue
for international exhibitions, local trade events,
and major corporate functions. The halls have a
total ﬂoor area of 9,130 sqm. Its proximity to the
Mall of Asia integrates business with recreation,
shopping and entertainment. With future
development plans for hotels and a 12,000-seat
Arena, the Mall of Asia Complex is envisioned to
be the “New Convention Destination in Asia”.
A rise of
20 per cent
has been
targeted for
outbound
increase
from India,
this year.
INFO
Philippine International Convention Center
(PICC), Manila: PICC is an architectural
landmark on its own situated in metro Manila.
Housing works of various Filipino master
artists in painting, the Philippine International
Convention Center made history as Asia’s ﬁrst
convention center. It provides the perfect venue
for every gathering and purpose. It oﬀers excellent
facilities for meetings, conventions, exhibits and
special events – an extensive hall that can seat
more than 3,500 people.
MICEtalk April 2015
21
country talk
city scope
INFO
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22
It is expected
the number of
visiting Indians
will rise to
around 75,000 in
2015 and notch
up to 100,000 by
2016 end with the
visa relaxation
and new tourism
promotion
activities.
MICEtalk April 2015
World Trade Center, Metro Manila (WTCMM):
In the Philippines, World Trade Center Metro
Manila is the ﬁrst world-class exhibition center.
WTCMM boasts of state-of-the-art facilities
and amenities at par with the world’s best. The
exhibition hall of WTCMM has a total ﬂoor area
of 11,300 sqm and a ﬂoor-to-ceiling height of 10
meters, which allows for ﬂexibility and freedom
in even the most complex event design layout,
such as two-storey exhibition booth set-ups and
sprawling designs.
In addition, because the halls are located at grade
level, it can accommodate even heavy equipment
and other massive structure for construction shows
and industrial shows that feature heavy exhibition
materials. It also oﬀers a full range of services such
as a business center, an international trade library,
and meeting facilities, all complemented by a
seasoned team of professionals in its staﬀ.
Solaire Resort, Manila: The complex, which
includes a ﬁve-star hotel with 488 rooms, is the
ﬁrst casino and hotel in the area. It is currently
the tallest hotel in the Manila Bay. The complex,
covering a total of 8.3 hectares (21 acres), houses
a ﬁve-star hotel with 500 rooms and a 1,000-seat
grand ballroom. The project includes a second
parking building, and The Theatre at Solaire,
which will have 1,760 seats and retail space of
60,000 sqm.
Cebu International Convention Center
(CICC), Cebu: The Cebu Convention Center
features an International Media Center, a large
Hall, an Exhibition Hall, and several Meeting
Rooms. CICC is an ideal venue for conventions,
meetings, trade shows, business conferences,
sports, corporate events, expositions and other
special events. It has a gross ﬂoor area of 28,000
sqm and is situated on 3.8 hectares of land.
SMX Convention Center, Davao: Davao City
is already prepared to host a large number of
guests given the rapid developments and its new
positioning as a meeting, incentive, convention
and exhibition (MICE) destination. SMX Davao
is located JP Laurel Avenue. Park Inn Hotel,
connecting to SM Lanang Premier is the nearest
hotel to the convention center. Microtel, Grand
Regal, and Waterfront Insular Hotel are other
country talk
options. The largest leasable space is a 4,746 sqm
combined space which can accommodate 5,300
persons in theatre.
Crown Regency Resort & Convention Center,
Boracay: Located at the heart of the most beautiful
island-destination on the planet, Boracay in the
Philippines, Crown Regency Resort & Convention
Center turns the beach hub into the best possible
place for business travellers to enjoy.
Incentive activities
When business meets fun in the Philippines
there are number of activities you can indulge in.
Whether it is shopping, spa, adventure activities or
night parties the Philippines has it all to make your
trip memorable.
Post event you can go around select anything from
organic coﬀee, local wines and handicrafts all of
which make fantastic souvenirs.
With a convention center that can house up to
1,600 persons, the resort has become a prime
venue for conferences and large-scale gatherings.
Boracay Crown Regency’s desired location a
5-minute walking distance from White Beach,
wellness center, and the only oceanarium on the
island, lend a truly holistic experience.
Subic Bay Exhibition & Convention Centre
(SBECC), Subic: The Subic Bay Exhibition and
Convention Center (SBECC), with a total ﬂoor area
of 12,000 sqm is so far the biggest convention area
in Central Luzon. Only 30 minutes away from the
DMIA-Clark Airport. SBECC is great for product
launching, marketing events, concerts extravaganzas,
bazaars, indoor sport events and other events.
perfect setting
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MICEtalk April 2015
23
country talk
Hundreds of volcanoes dot the land — sizzling
peaks to make you think that the gods must have
been on edge. You can visit volcanic Camiguin,
or mystical Siquijor and experience the contrast
of sandy shores and deserted coastlines, private
islands, isolated coves, and quiet bays.
Water sports abound! Sailing in Subic Bay and
Batangas, white-water rafting down Chico River;
even the more extreme kitesurﬁng is growing
more popular by the day in Bicol, Boracay, Coron,
Cuyo, and windswept Pagudpud Peninsula.
Philippines is a hub of music and entertainment.
One can ﬁnd Filipino musicians all around
the world.
Philippines are host to South East Asian beach
games. The world’s fourth largest IRONMAN
competition is held in the Philippines which
involves approximately 500 people swimming at
the same time. There is a very real pop culture in
the Philippines.
a retreat for all
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Incentives serve to reward participants for
a company’s achieving better ﬁnancial results
or the target group’s improved performance,
to establish informal business relationships,
or to encourage greater loyalty by means of
special custom-tailored trips.
Philippines is a promising meetings, incentive
travel, conventions and exhibitions/events
(MICE) destination that can oﬀer a wealth
of available resources to the world. There
is shopping, adventure, honeymoon destinations,
culture and heritage, wellness and spa,
water activities, nightlife, golf, and diverse
culinary options.
24
MICEtalk April 2015
country talk
MICE segment has shown signiﬁcant growth
in the past two years. The development of the
Philippine convention industry became oﬃcial
government policy in 1976. A milestone year that
marked the establishment of Southeast Asia’s ﬁrst
full-ﬂedged convention center, the Philippine
International Convention Center (PICC) and the
creation of the Philippine Convention Bureau
(PCB).
Two major events this year:
Phitex which comprised 200 hosted buyers
worldwide out of which nine buyers were hosted
from India.
Philindex 19 buyers hosted from India.
From leisure perspective the Philippines is the
Cinderella of the Far East. Over two million
tourists visit every year. Filipinos are charming,
courteous, fun-loving people. The Philippines has
award-winning resorts that have gained global
acclaim. The best of beaches, Asian culinary
delight, all these factors have contributed in an
increase in leisure trips in the past two years.
Travel & connectivity
Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport
also known as Manila International Airport is
one of the two international airports serving the
Metro Manila Area and is the main international
gateway to the Philippines.
There is a shuttle bus system which connects all
terminals for passengers who have connections
on ﬂights departing from another terminal.
Airways: You can use the local airlines for quick
travel within the country. Find information
on ﬂight schedules, destinations, booking,
and on-line ticketing on their websites: Cebu
Paciﬁc – www.cebupaciﬁcair.com, Interisland
Airlines – www.interislandairlines.com,
Philippine
Airlines
(PAL)
–
www.
philippineairlines.com, Air Philippines – www.
airphils.com, SEA Air – http://ﬂyseair.com/,
Zest Airlines – www.zestair.com.p
Waterways: If one prefers travelling by boat,
try the roll-on-roll-oﬀ (RORO) ships between
Manila and the country’s major ports. To and
from smaller islands, one can also take fast sea
crafts and other ferry services. Resorts also
oﬀer island hopping by banca (small, local
boat).
Roadways: It is also possible for tourists to
travel by air-conditioned bus from Manila to
nearly all major destinations. One can rent a
car as there are car rental services available
in major cities which requires a valid
international driver’s license. Jeepneys
are vehicles originally made from military
jeeps left in the country after World War II
and are a fun option for travellers.
Over 61,000
Indians
visited the
Philippines
in 2014.
INFO
Growth of MICE
MICEtalk April 2015
25
city talk
Have a Ball
Isabella Rauter
Deputy Director
Market and Media Management
Vienna Tourist Board
In Vienna
Located in the heart of Europe, Vienna has the right mix of
everything. The city represents North European lifestyle and South
European efﬁciency. It’s a multi-dimensional city that appeals to
Indian MICE. Read on to ﬁnd out how this city can be the perfect
destination for your next event.
V
INFO
ienna almost doubles the number of
guests from India every ﬁve years. During
2014, the tourist arrival and overnight
stay numbers showed a growth of 21.1 per cent
and 18.4 per cent respectively. With numbers
bearing out the growth story Vienna Tourist
Board has focused on the key segments from
India who can explore the beauty of Vienna as
a serene destination that oﬀers something for
everyone - from imperial history, art and music.
26
Mercer’s ‘Quality
of Living
Report-2015’ has
ranked Vienna as
the most liveable
city in the world
for the 6th time in
a row.
MICEtalk April 2015
On a higher base, the city hopes to touch 100,000
overnight stays by 2017 against 65,000 overnight
stays recorded in 2014. Vienna gets most travellers
from India from across the country, with Mumbai,
Ahmedabad, Delhi and South Indian cities of
Chennai and Hyderabad being the front runners.
And there is a lot that the city can oﬀer. Viennese
cuisine is perhaps the only cuisine in the name that
is so closely linked to a city. The famed Viennese
coﬀee house culture brings alive the tradition of
exchange of ideas among some of the greatest
music maestros, artists and philosophers. Vienna
has over 1700 acres of vineyards that produce
the wine which is available to connoisseurs at
local taverns.
Accommodation & travel
Most Indian travellers visit Vienna during
summer months of May to August. Incentive
tour and conference attendees make up for about
15 per cent of the total traﬃc from India. Vienna
has 62,770 hotel beds spread across 433 diﬀerent
hotels, 189 of which fall into the four and ﬁve-star
category. In 2014 alone, Vienna’s accommodation
capacity increased by 2,900 beds (+4.9 per cent).
Many new hotels are scheduled to open up in the
coming years. It is an aﬀordable city with hotels in
a range of star categories, plenty of options exist
for eating to suit all pockets.
The Vienna-Delhi route oﬀers an Austrian
Airlines ﬂight (operated by Austrian Airlines,
city talk
through code share agreements and is also sold by
Air India). The Austrian Airlines ﬂight operates
between Vienna and Delhi seven times a week. Other
metros - Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and
Bangalore - can reach Vienna by convenient one stop
ﬂights through Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Air India,
Lufthansa and British Airways.
The Vienna Card allows travel on the underground,
bus and tram for 48 or 72 hours with discounts on
sights, guided tours, sight-seeing tours, in shops,
restaurants and wine taverns.
What attracts Indians?
Global consulting ﬁrm Mercer has for the sixth time
in a row ranked Vienna as the most liveable city. The
2015 ranking of about 230 cities is based on a host
of factors including green sustainable environment,
safety levels and use of English language.
Indians ﬁnd the pace of the city relaxing and are
comforted by the ease of commuting within the city by
aﬀordable internal public transport system comprising
buses, tram, metro and very often just on foot from the
city centre.
Vienna has something for everyone - imperial
history, among the best traditions in music, opera,
cuisine, coﬀee house culture. Indians love the green
spaces in Vienna as also romantic boat rides along
the river Danube during summers. Europe’s oldest
Zoo, the highest Ferris wheel in the Prater are among
a host of fun places to enjoy and learn for children.
popular MICE destination
The 2013 International Congress and
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and the arts city is all set to host Eurovision
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Vienna Tourist Board engages with a large number
of airlines and travel agents through face to
face interactions at road shows in India as also
digital connect through the year. Vienna’s beauty,
well blended architectural traditions, rich collection
of art and history helps it to be rated as a destination
of choice by most travel magazines of repute
year after year.
Vienna Convention Bureau
The bureau is charged with promotion of
Vienna as congress, convention, meeting destination
by actively acquiring international association
congresses, corporate meetings and incentives.
Vienna Convention Bureau services include:
Vienna is one of the world’s top destinations
for international meetings and conventions.
We are looking forward to welcoming more
incentive groups from India.
MICEtalk April 2015
27
city talk
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
Present
numerous
event
locations and help you choose
the right location for event in
Vienna
Reserve the required hotel room
allocations for the event
Connect with the local service
providers
Help prepare detailed bid and
presentation materials – digital
or printed
Arrange site inspections tailored
to client requirements
Provide conference organisers
and delegates with promotional
material such as brochures,
videos, digital pictures, city maps
Publicise event in the online
Vienna convention calendar
Incentive activities
Monumental Moments: Vienna is a city of
monuments. One of the most imposing Ringstrasse
buildings is the Parliament House modelled along the
lines of a Greek temple. With Ringstrasse celebrating
its 150th anniversary this year, starting May 1, a series
of exciting events have been planned to mark the
occasion - in the museums, palaces, art galleries,
opera house, concert halls, Vienna University, parks
and green spaces located on the Ringstrasse.
Likewise, the Vienna University is a reﬂection of
Italian High Renaissance architecture. Standing tall
at 93 metres, The Ring Tower on Schottenring is the
headquarters of an insurance company.
did you know?
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Culture Corner: Hailed as the world’s music capital,
the Neo-Renaissance style Vienna State Opera
opened in 1869 with Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”. At
the Vienna State Opera, around 50 operas and 20
ballets are performed 300 days of the year.
The National Theater which was built over 14 years
has been crafted in an artistic manner. The ceiling
paintings above the staircase are a sight to behold.
Have a Ball of a Time: While the Viennese ball
season oﬀers over 2,000 hours of dancing, some
of the most admired ones are the New Year’s Eve
Ball at the Hofburg Vienna (Imperial Palace) or the
Opera Ball at the Vienna State Opera. As the city
of waltz, the spirit of Viennese ball lives through
the year.
Panoramic View of Vienna: Vienna is one of the
greenest cities of over a million inhabitants in the
world. More than half of the metropolitan area is
made up of green spaces. Vienna has a total of 850
parks, and 280 imperial parks and gardens enrich
the cityscape. Some of the prominent ones include
Volksgarten and Burggarten.
Food For Thought: A must-visit place is the
legendary Viennese Coﬀee House. It was here that
business people and anyone who wanted to discuss
politics, artists and men of letters, and chess and
billiards players met - with each of these diﬀerent
groups having their own preferred cafés. Since 2011,
the traditional Viennese coﬀee house culture has
even belonged to the cultural heritage of UNESCO.
While many traditional coﬀee houses are in the old
city centre, the city is also known for pastry shops,
singled out for pies and cakes. Vienna also has a fair
share of Indian restaurants.
28
MICEtalk April 2015
debate
W
Business on Cruise
For incentive activities, cruising offers highest satisfaction as
well as incredible value. Unlike land-based incentives, cruises
are all-inclusive with few out-of-pocket extras. With Indian
MICE market becoming more and more sophisticated and
evolving in its preferences and interests, we ﬁnd out how it
has warmed up to the idea of cruise for MICE.
P
eople are adding
sailing to weddings,
conferences and oﬀ sites.
Currently MICE groups
look for safety, large
numbers, customised
formats and engagement
in a unique manner.
Aquasail provides this
through sailing as we
have 80 boats, seven
varieties – ranging from
Zia Hajeebhoy
two-man kayaks to sailing
Director
cruising
yachts of about
Aquasail
15 persons. We are able
to handle large groups by taking out multiple boats at
one time. We oﬀer products that appeal to diﬀerent
proﬁles for example: Beach Fiestas – ideal for sales teams,
dealer incentives, employee reward, ‘sailebrating’ events
(weddings, special occasions etc); Regattas – good for
HNI clients and stake holders, leadership and senior
management; Cruising extravaganzas & Flotillas – great
for networking, smaller groups, bonding. We cater to
MICE groups by educating them on what can be done.
30
MICEtalk April 2015
C
ith
travel
emerging
as a leading
option among
MICE groups,
the Indian
incentive
travel market
is growing
and seeking
new outlets
Ratna Chadha
and cruising
Chief Executive
is increasingly
TIRUN Travel Marketing
seen as a
fresh, novel
way to motivate staﬀ and reward customers.
Over the years, TIRUN Travel Marketing
has conducted several MICE activities
for companies across diﬀerent sectors
like cement, paints, home appliances,
electronics, auto, ﬁnancial, pharma, rice,
lights, designer watches and jewellery,
insurance and more. A full ship charter
is the ultimate in privacy, exclusivity and
customisation. MICE groups are now
increasingly considering longer sailings.
Earlier, such customers would mostly look
at two-three night getaways but they are
now embarking on long haul sailings that
cover destinations like Europe, the Bahamas
and Alaska.
ruise companies who sail
around the world and cater
to diverse segments of clientele –
are looking at India as a market
with immense potential. Cruises
with their range of price points
oﬀer value across a variety of
MICE Tiers from budget to
super deluxe. Gala events and
team bonding activity can be
personalised down to an art
with the help from the Cruise
Shibani Phadkar
Director of Entertainment and
Senior Vice President
his Teams and this is a big plus
Products & Operations
point. Cruise Tourism is ﬁnding
Leisure Travel (Outbound)
Thomas Cook (India)
a strong uptake Y-O-Y and at
Thomas Cook India we are
witnessing an impressive growth rate of over 35 per cent
for our cruise segment. While the cruise market internationally
was traditionally the domain of the seniors TG, our India data
indicates a vibrant diversity in demand- right from our youthful
Gen Y, women only groups, honeymooners, family and ad
hoc groups of family and friends to our corporate executives
and MICE.
debate
did you know?
55IFSFBSFNPSFUIBOTFBHPJOHDSVJTFTIJQTJOUIFXPSME
5IFZDBODPMMFDUJUWFMZBDDPNNPEBUFPWFSQBTTFOHFST
per day
55IFMBUFTUTVQFSTJ[FETIJQTDBSSZPWFSQFPQMFDPVOUJOH
QBTTFOHFSTBOEDSFX
5IFZXPVMEEXBSGUIF5JUBOJDBOEBSFBT
UBMMBTBTJYUFFOTUPSZCVJMEJOH
5"SFDPSENJMMJPOQMVTHMPCBMQBTTFOHFSTXFOUPOBDSVJTF
in 2012
5"DDPSEJOHUPUIF/PSUI"NFSJDBO$SVJTF.BSLFU1SPmMF
4VSWFZDSVJTFUSBWFMMFSTSBOLBOPDFBODSVJTFBTUIFCFTUPWFSBMM
WBDBUJPOFYQFSJFODF
5 There are over 2000 ports of call around our planet that cruise
ships can visit
5 Caribbean is the most popular cruising destination in the
world with almost every cruise line operator
I
ndia has shown remarkable
acceptance to cruise vacations.
Yachting as a category too is a growing
segment with the discerning traveller
who is looking for unique luxury travel
holiday options. Corporates, in India
are open to looking at sophisticated
and unique holiday experiences and
are not afraid to dig deeper in their
pocket provided they see a value
for what they are paying for. We are
positive that SeaDream’s exquisite
Gitanjali Balani
oﬀerings will appeal to the Indian
Director
Corporate. For oﬀering as an incentive
In Rhythm
travel to premium clients or personal
holiday options of the top management.
The idea of yachting vacations is being appreciated by corporates,
as the journey on board a ship that is not only pleasurable, studded
with state of the art facilities, lavish cuisine and recreational
facilities, but is also comparatively free from sea travel health
hazards. Given SeaDream’s ﬁve-star hospitality service, at sea and
luxury experience, corporates are receptive to exploring yachting
holiday options to oﬀer as an incentive to premium clients.
M
ICE groups
ﬁnd this very
convenient as they
can get the entire
group under one
roof. So they will not
disappear as they do
if you take them to
cities like Dubai or
Singapore. On the
ship, you will have
their rapt attention.
Also, as far as MICE Nalini Udai Gupta
Head, India Operations
is concerned, the
Costa Cruises
satisfaction levels
are very high and
by sheer word of mouth you get the next group and
very often from the same company. That adds as
a great visibility and a great initiative to promote
business on cruises. For us, the MICE segment is
growing very well. Thanks to ships close to home,
we get a lot of business groups.
T
Kiran Bhandari
Co-founder
Cruise Club Vacations
he state-of-the-art facilities with amazing new ships, logistical convenience of cruise where-in
you travel to multiple locations without needing to check-in and checkout every few days, and
the value for money proposition that cruising oﬀers is making cruising an increasingly sought after
choice for the Meetings & Incentives (M&I) segment. Traditionally, cruising brought novelty value
to the guests and short two and three-night cruises from Singapore were the preferred options for
M&I. However, Indian M&I planners are now venturing to further shores like Bahamas, Greek
Islands and Western Mediterranean. At the same time, they are looking for newer ships. The
Norwegian Epic, for example, with its plethora of entertainment options, and with Indian food
onboard has been particularly popular from Barcelona. Another interesting trend is that smaller
MICE groups are also looking at full charters of river cruises in Europe along the Rhine and
Danube. These vessels take from around 120-180 guests, and are perfectly suited to the needs of
Indian M&I groups, whilst allowing the guests to explore Europe in a diﬀerent light. With these
smaller sized vessels, agents and corporates are able to completely personalise the experience,
giving a lot of ﬂexibility to the M&I planners.
MICEtalk April 2015
31
debate
C
ruise packages are
more aﬀordable
and accessible. They
include multiple
onboard entertainment
options, including
casinos which are a
huge attraction for
Indians. We recently
did an incentive group
for one of our corporate
clients; 140 people as
an incentive dealer
Shefali Singh
group to Singapore
Managing Director
Mysha India Services
using the up market
cruise liner with
an approximate cost being `90,000/- per person.
Corporate meeting and incentives are taking place
in cruises. It’s a perfect place that combines business
with pleasure. The advantage being that it is unique,
oﬀers multi-generational appeal, creative space and
being at the sea leads to out-of-the-box thinking and
the same also works as an incentive to the employee
or partners to take that extra initiative. The ship is
a self-contained environment fostering relationship
building and encouraging greater meeting attendance
and participation. There are less outside distractions
so attendees can focus on the programme agenda. The
WOW factor being the theatres and lounges, stateof-the- art in built technology, multiple cuisines and
dining venues, bars and brilliant entertainment options.
Cost eﬀectiveness comes from the fact that they have
in-house conference facilities which is a part of the
package. The group can also visit multiple destinations
with comfort and ease: no extra packing and unpacking.
Each day in a new port brings an anticipation of
exploration, discovery and adventure. Superior service
levels all under one roof.
opinion
5 8JUIUIFJSNVMUJHFOFSBUJPOBM
appeal cruises are becoming more
BOENPSFTPVHIUBGUFSGPS.*$&
BDUJWJUJFT&YQFSUTFYQFDU*OEJBO
corporates to warm up to chartering
PGDSVJTFTIJQTBTXFMMJOUIFGVUVSF
32
MICEtalk April 2015
W
e have seen maximum
MICE requests coming
from the states of Maharashtra,
Kerala and West Bengal for
cruises. Our own assessment is
that this could be due to the fact
that a large number of companies
have their HQs in these states.
Princess Cruises oﬀers about 125
diﬀerent itineraries across the
world, but for India market, the
itineraries most sought after for
MICE movements are: Alaska
Nishith Saxena
Founder and Director
Round Trip Itineraries for 7
Cruise Professionals
days from Seattle or Vancouver;
Alaska One Way Itineraries for
7 days between Vancouver and Whittier; Scandinavian and
Russia Round Trip itineraries for 11 days from Copenhagen;
Grand Mediterranean One Way Itineraries for 12 days between
Barcelona and Venice. These itineraries are popular amongst
Indian corporate primarily because of the destination itself,
the luxurious ships and over all past experiences and referrals.
Based on the size of the ship, we could take upto 50 per cent
of the ships capacity for MICE groups. While there have been
a few charters from India, internationally chartering of cruise
ship is a very big business and we hope that in the years to
come, Indian corporate and business houses would evolve into
chartering mid-size ships, if not large ships.
guest column
The
Future
of
Travel Marketing
Consumer behaviour has changed dramatically over the last few years, and
with it, the way marketers talk to consumers. Thanks to increasing mobile
broadband penetration, we now have a small yet powerful device with us at
all times. Matt Hulen, Head of Travel & Financial Services, Southeast Asia for
Facebook tells us how social media is impacting travel marketing.
I
ncreasingly,
consumers
are
shopping and sharing online, giving
businesses the potential to grow,
drive sales and strengthen their brand.
According to TNS Mobile Life 20131,
mobile dominates the device share
of time in emerging markets in Asia.
Fundamentally, the rise of digital
and mobile has changed consumers’
expectations and behaviour. People
are consuming media on demand.
They are focused on discovery and
sharing, and they expect things to be
interactive and personalized to them.
79 per cent of smartphone users now
keep their phones with them for all but
two hours of their waking day2 and
this trend is only set to grow. Despite
this shift in consumer behaviour,
marketers’ investments and resources
have yet to catch up, and connecting
with travellers at every stage, on every
device is the new challenge.
Inspiration
Large, people-based platforms oﬀering
social context, such as Facebook,
give marketers more ways to inspire
consumers. The dreaming phase of
travel is now more shareable, and 42
per cent of Facebook users did just that
in 2013, sharing at least one travel story
with their friends and family. Through
Even more so for travellers, mobile is
an integral part of their lives, as the
whole journey can be documented
on a mobile device; be it dreaming,
planning, booking, experiencing or
reﬂecting. As such, it’s essential that
marketers connect with travellers at
every touch point, on every device,
including mobile phones.
Taking a look at the three most
important travel marketing goals,
here’s how social media impacts each
of them:
1
TNS Mobile Life 2013 (Emerging Asia includes Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam)
IDC Always Connected Report, US, March 2013
2
34
MICEtalk April 2015
Matt Hulen
Head of Travel & Financial Services
Southeast Asia
Facebook
inspiring people, marketers are helping
to create memories, and motivating
them to continue booking trips. People’s
natural tendencies to share their
travel experiences in real time play an
important role in helping others in their
network discover what matters to them.
Now, travel companies no longer have
to push generic messages to consumers
and hope that they result in action.
They are able to strategically time
and tailor their messages to targeted
audiences, leveraging web feeds’ role in
providing relevant information to ensure
an optimal experience for customers.
lifecycle of customers. Instead
of transactional relationships
that ebb and ﬂow, marketers
can now reach consumers at all
the right points in time to form
longer, more valuable relationships.
To maximise reach and its eﬃciency,
businesses can marry any data they have
with that on Facebook.
Conversion
Conversion is imperative to any business
but the path to purchase is complex as
the consumer experience is now omnichannel. Technology has changed
eﬃciency, and marketers need to
reach the right travellers at the
right time, on the right medium
that drives action.
70 per cent of digital
users now access the
Internet across both
mobile and PC3 –
up from 63 per cent
a year ago – due to
consumers’ increased comfort moving
across a number of devices to stay
connected and consume content. To
a consumer, the messages are coming
from the brand, and not the channel.
No matter where or when they are
touched by a message, each of the
combined touches have an inﬂuence
on their purchasing behaviour. As
such, marketers must now integrate
content into the moments that matter to
consumers, and ensure that this content
is relevant and personalised.
Consumers are increasingly using apps
within the context of large, peoplebased digital platforms over searching
on mobile browsers4 with 86 per cent
of mobile activity generated via apps.
This underscores the importance of a
mobile app strategy for any business in
the travel industry. Marketers have to do
more than just building an app and hope
consumers will use it. Besides traditional
banner ads, another option is Facebook’s
Mobile App Install ads, which drives
downloads of apps directly from mobile.
One example is Hotel Tonight, which
saw a 10 times higher click-to-install
rate from Facebook’s Mobile App Install
ads, compared to traditional banner ads.
Loyalty
Lastly, there is retention, which can be
broken down into three parts: Customer
Relationship Management (CRM),
brand, and mobility. Digital technology
and the abundance of data now available
open up massive opportunities for
managing customer relations and the
For example, having just rebranded
its frequent ﬂier program, Garuda
Indonesia
wanted
to
raise
awareness of the programme
and encourage frequent ﬂyers
in Indonesia to take part. To
achieve this, the airline
ran Facebook video
ads for four days,
targeting
working, travel,
and
ﬁnance
professionals
in
Indonesia.
In that time span, Facebook helped
Garuda reach its core audience and
boost awareness of its new service, with
a 24 per cent increase in ad recall, 6 per
cent increase in brand recommendation
among men and 3 per cent lift in
purchase intent.
Gone are the days when massive reach
meant one message was shared with
a large audience. Advertisers can now
achieve massive reach while delivering
relevant messages to segmented
audiences. As travel continues to be a
key sector focus for Facebook, travel
marketers are starting to leverage
people-based targeting to drive
personalisation at scale, and mobile
to reach customers at every point of
their journey.
3
Millennial Media, Cross-Screen Consumer Behavior Decoded
http://www.ﬂurry.com/bid/109749/Apps-Solidify-Leadership-Six-Years-into-the-Mobile-Revolution#.VG1jBtKUfTo
4
MICEtalk April 2015
35
A Quality
Connection
With business class seats, tea, ﬂying chefs and Bollywood entertainment
Austrian Airlines has been wooing Indian travellers, particularly the MICE
segment. Read on to know how Austria’s largest carrier provides a high
quality passage between India and Vienna.
When did Austrian Airlines
start flying to India? Has
passenger profile changed
over the years?
Wolfgang Will
Director
South Asia, Austrian Airlines
36
MICEtalk April 2015
Austrian Airlines is ﬂying to India (Vienna
– New Delhi) since October 1997. India has
become the third largest market for the airline
in the Asia-Paciﬁc region after China and
Japan. The Indian market is growing so fast
now, hence, it has shown a parallel increase in
the proﬁle of the consumers. In past years, we
transported mainly tourists from Austria and
Europe to India, today the business related
travel has become more important and the
leisure segment too.
and expectations of Indian customers and are
always open to bringing in variations.
What is the capacity being
offered into India and out? Any
plans to increase flights?
Our ﬂights to and from India are mainly
operated by B767-300 oﬀering 225 seats in
total (26 in Business Class and 199 in Economy
Class). Austrian Airlines oﬀers daily ﬂights
from New Delhi to Vienna. There are no plans
to expand the network to India for now.
Is OS planning any upgrades in
its aircraft on the India route?
Is the Indian passenger
demanding more from
the airline?
We have introduced the new Business Class
seat in 2013 which means that all the Austrian
Airlines long-haul aircraft now oﬀer a seat
which converts into a full-ﬂat bed.
In a bid to attract Indian customers,
the airline is oﬀering Indian
cuisine, as well as other products
ranging from Bollywood movies
on their in-ﬂight entertainment
systems to latest Indian news on
board ﬂights between Delhi and
Vienna. With this, we believe we
have tried to meet the demands
What is Austrian Airlines’ USP
that builds loyalty in
its passengers?
Operating as an independent carrier with its
own brand in the Lufthansa Group, Austrian
Airlines oﬀers a high quality connection for
passengers travelling from India to Vienna.
aviation talk
On board the long haul Business Class, passengers
enjoy the personalised service of Austrian Airlines
staﬀ and the accompanying “Flying Chef ”. After
landing, passengers can enjoy themselves in
Vienna and feel the still vital atmosphere of the
Habsburg emperors in the city. Transferring in
Vienna is really easy because there is a minimum
connecting time of only 25 minutes. All these
facilities along with a warm hospitality helps
the brand build loyalty with the customers and
emerge as one of the chosen airlines to travel with.
Do you serve Indian meals on
board?
11 most popular speciality coﬀees; Austrian’s
Business Class guests can also enjoy specialities
such as an original “Wiener Melange” seems
to have generate a great amount of enthusiasm
amongst the business class travellers.
With a budget that tilts towards
the business community, do you
see an increase in the number of
business passengers into and out
of India?
As a company policy, we will refrain from
commenting on the budget. However, we notice
a growing demand of business related travel.
Austrian Airlines oﬀers the ideal product and
service to this passenger segment.
Does OS offer some special
services for a large MICE group?
We have special MICE oﬀers in place for our
Indian customers with interesting discounts and
attractive fare conditions. These can be accessed
through travel agencies or our call centre.
Have you seen a growth
in MICE movement to
Austria from India?
Has Vienna Airport
upgraded in the last
few years?
This segment fortunately has been
growing constantly and above
average. Austrian Star Alliance
Terminal 3 at Vienna airport opened
in 2012. It boasts of short distances
and
sophisticated
technology
resulting in a transfer time of barely
25 minutes to connect after arrival
to the next ﬂight.
Anything else you would like to
tell us.
Austrian Airlines is Austria’s largest carrier
and oﬀers a global route network of around 130
destinations. That route network is particularly
dense in central and eastern Europe with
39 destinations.
Thanks to its favourable geographical location
in the heart of Europe, the company’s hub
at Vienna International Airport is the ideal
gateway between East and West. Austrian
Airlines operates a ﬂeet of 80 aircrafts,
including 11 long haul planes, and has carried
approximately
11.2
million
passengers
worldwide in 2014.
Baggage
allowance:
1 piece of
maximum
23 kg in
Economy
Class, 2 pieces
of maximum
32 kg in
Business Class.
INFO
The airline is oﬀering Indian cuisine, as well as
other products ranging from Bollywood movies
on their in-ﬂight entertainment systems to
latest Indian news on board ﬂights between
Delhi and Vienna. In Austrian Airlines Business
Class passengers get to choose between two
international menus and two Indian main dishes,
a ‘Flying Chef ’ on board creates the dishes for
Austrian’s six-course gourmet menus on long-haul
ﬂights and the Austrian ﬂight attendants serve a
selection of beverages, including Indian tea, also
Austrian oﬀers the ﬁrst ‘Viennese coﬀee house’
above the clouds by serving a selection of Vienna´s
MICEtalk April 2015
37
technology
Magic Wand
A Year-Round Mobile Event App
Darren Edwards
Darren Edwards is the founder
of Invisage Creative Services in
Australia. With more than 22 years’
of experience in the meetings and
events industry, Darren continues to
explore and develop creative design
and innovative technology products
to the beneﬁt of the global event
industry.
Contact: info@invisage.net
A year-round mobile App may not be the Holy Grail to some – but for
event App developers it is music to ears as it gets their App into the
hands of event participants. Read on to ﬁnd out why it is important to
plan for your mobile App so that it is utilised year round.
Y
ou work hard building content
and an audience for your mobile
event App, why not extend the
experiences well beyond the event.
Typically, the event itself drives the App’s
initial download. You plan the content for
the event, keep it updated, and schedule
promotions of the App in the lead up to the
event. So why stop there? By planning for
your content to be maintained year-round
you keep your audience engaged.
Apps provide you with a powerful tool to
communicate with the audience you have
worked hard to build. Start by making a
content playbook with a year-long calendar –
one that does not stop at the event. Pre-event
content can be loaded surrounding speakers,
38
MICEtalk April 2015
who’s attending, pre-event surveys, goals for
this year, what to look forward to at this year’s
event. Maybe even create content which
focuses on certain sponsors and exhibitors
leading up to the event. Then, after the event
is over, add some content about highlights
from the sessions, exhibitions and
networking functions. Keep your App alive.
Use a survey to measure audience feedback.
Talk about leadership’s goals for the
upcoming year. And before you know it – it
is time to begin talking about the upcoming
event again.
In this tech driven age people almost always
carry their mobile phones and devices with
them so don’t miss out on the opportunity to
utilize your mobile event App as a vehicle to
technology
communicate with the audience you have built.
If you do plan for year-round engagement you
will need to make sure from the outset that you
choose a mobile App that is not going to stop
working as soon as the event is over. It only
takes a little common sense to know that if the
front screen of the App is all about content that
is happening at the event with titles, pictures,
etc. then the App life is generally complete when
the event has ﬁnished. Well at least in the users
mind it is.
We ﬁnd that less than 15 per cent audience who
have downloaded the event App will actually
delete it from their device after the event is over.
This is another reason why you should plan for
ongoing use of your App as you already have
your audience’s attention. Keep promoting the
App year round and you will see the impact
it has on your community and events. Don’t
remove App promotion from you website and
emails. As a matter of fact, add little notes like
“Check out the article on ‘Leaderships Goals’ for
next year’s event on our mobile App” and then
have the link right there for users to access the
app. Keep it alive.
You should always plan your content for more
than just the event dates. Plan this to be for the
whole year until next year’s event. You have an
audience – take advantage of using the App to
communicate with them!
Promotion of the App is more than just putting
up a link. Let your audience know what the App
contains. Let them know that you plan to use
the App year round. Highlight some of the cool
features or new features in emails and on your
website. Provide your App’s
link and a button for all of
the event’s partners to put on
their websites.
Downloads are great, but usage
is king! Keep in mind, one
million people could download
the App but if only 100 people
use it then it is worthless.
No one sees the content,
sponsorships and most likely
they will delete the App from
their phone. So follow these
steps and look for the usage
to grow! If your organisation’s
goal is to grow your brand, build
your audience, and make the audience aware of
your initiatives, then there is no better way than
going mobile.
Plan beyond your event’s initial content and
follow some of these ideas above and you will
have the Holy Grail of a year-long mobile event
App and add another powerful vehicle to help
meet your goals.
App ideas
Lead up to the event:
s Plan the content for the event
sKeep it updated, and schedule
promotions of the App
sPre-event content can be around
speakers, who’s attending,
pre-event surveys, goals for this
year, what to look forward to
at the event
After the event:
sAdd content about highlights
from the sessions, exhibition and
networking functions
s Survey to measure audience
feedback
sLeadership’s goals for the
upcoming year
Beyond one event:
sMake a content playbook with a
year-long calendar
Add notes like
“Check out
the article on
‘Leaderships
Goals’ for next
year’s event
on our mobile
App”. Keep the
App alive and
active.
INFO
Less than 15%
audience who have
downloaded the event
App will actually
delete it from their
device after the event
is over. This is another
reason to plan for
ongoing use of
your App.
MICEtalk April 2015
39
hotel talk
Meetings
By The Lake
No matter how absurd it sounds, this is possible in the metro
city of Mumbai. Corporates can conduct their meetings in the
solitude of nature at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention
Centre Hotel located on the banks of the Powai Lake.
Rex Nijhof
General Manager of Renaissance
Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel
& Lake Lakeside Chalet Marriott
Executive Apartments
Hazel Jain
A
mong the largest convention centres
in India with 21,368 sqm of total
meeting space, the Renaissance Mumbai
Convention Centre Hotel has a unique advantage
by way of its location that not many hotels in
Mumbai can boast of.
simple idea like MICE space can be promoted
to corporates. “Approximately 18 per cent of our
guests are MICE travellers. We therefore need
to keep innovating and keep things fresh for
corporates so that we create an environment that
inspires creativity and productivity,” he says.
It is situated on the banks of the Powai Lake.
By this virtue, it promises corporates a relaxed
environment leaving them alone with 15 acres
of landscaped grounds for company to conduct
serious business.
green meetings package
Even MICE needs innovation
As the General Manager of Renaissance Mumbai
Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet
Marriott Executive Apartments, Rex Nijhof
has been exploring diﬀerent ways in which a
40
MICEtalk April 2015
$100% recycle pens, conference pads,
pencils and conference blotters
$100% cotton table linen
$Organic, local table mints
$Paperless communication with
panaboard replacing ﬂipchart boards
$Meeting takeaways, seed or samplings
$Energy-saving AV equipment
$Green Meeting certiﬁed event planners
hotel talk
convention centre details
access
$Full-service business
centre
$Translator
$Meeting equipment
$Video camera
$Photographer
$Videoconferencing
$Speciality lighting
This is why Nijhof oﬀers corporates numerable
meeting space options besides the traditional
boardrooms. “For instance, we can innovate
a meeting format by a poolside or even a spa
meeting sessions thereby bringing something
new to the typical meetings format. Also, our
exciting theme breaks is something that leaves
our guests in awe,” he says.
Elaborating on this, he adds that corporate guests
at the hotel can choose from a variety of fun
themed coﬀee-tea breaks which are: indigenous
in nature (like Mumbai Dabbawala, Bollywood,
local ingredients, monsoon, regional cuisines),
product-based (chocolate, coﬀee, Indian sweets,
spices, ice-cream, candy), international (fashion,
Hollywood, wine ‘n’ cheese), and even sportsbased (like football or cricket), to make their
event more exciting.
What businessmen want
Having understood the business traveller over
the years, Nijhof reveals that one of the primary
things they look for these days is connectivity
besides the regular functionality of a room and
F&B service.
“For most corporate travellers, it is important to
be connected back home or to be able to work
whilst travelling aboard. A hotel must therefore
ensure that they have high-speed Internet
connection that the guests can use. Besides that,
time is of great value to most corporate travellers
and having applications such as mobile check-in,
car check-in can be very helpful indeed,” he adds.
For most corporate travellers, it is important to
be connected back home or to be able to work whilst
travelling aboard. A hotel must therefore ensure that
they have high-speed Internet connection that the
guests can use.
Green meetings
Being so close to nature requires the Renaissance
Mumbai Convention Centre to be green as well.
In keeping with the times then, the hotel also
oﬀers corporates the option of going green while
doing their meetings. “We are committed to the
environment in every way we can and like to
give corporates the option to be so as well. We
therefore oﬀer them a ‘Green Meetings’ package
where they can reduce their carbon imprint in
some small way,” he adds. Some of the things
that they oﬀer in this package are a healthy,
local welcome drink that is not carbonated and
not packaged, water pitcher service in place
of standard bottle service, and fresh, organic,
local delicacies.
about the hotel
It is within close proximity to the
international and domestic airports.
The Renaissance Terrace and the Renaissance
Garden make for great outdoor venues.
The Executive Lounge is the largest in the
country with a total area of 1,161 sqm. It is
set on the topmost ﬂoor of the Renaissance
tower and features a sun-deck terrace,
foot reﬂexology, library, boardrooms and a
central bar.
The hotel
oﬀers an
expansive
spread of
21,368 sqm
of innovative
indoor and
outdoor
convention
space.
INFO
$549 rooms and 34
suites
$17 meeting rooms
$Grand Ballroom with
a capacity of 1,800
$Maximum of 15
breakout meeting
rooms
$High-speed Internet
MICEtalk April 2015
41
guest column
Time for Smart
Travel Policies
Business travel is a new sector for the Indian economy and it holds much
promise. Manoj Chacko, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, Kuoni Business Travel,
Kuoni India explains what factors will determine the growth of business
travel in India this year.
A
s many Indian companies have become increasingly
internationalised, Indian business travellers are
becoming more and more common. Expansion of
sectors such as telecom, pharmaceuticals, heavy engineering
and BPO operations have led to growth in business travel.
Not only with spends, but also the number of people travelling
for business has increased. E-visa facility will also spur
growth extensively.
The travel industry growth is intrinsically linked to the
country’s GDP. 2015 will see business travel spend grow at a
rate in excess of 7 per cent. Domestic travel transactions will
however form over 80 per cent of total travel transactions.
Business travel in India is also increasing in tier two and tier
three cities. Overseas travel too will see a boost - no more stops
at Europe and USA - newer destinations include Australia,
South East Asia, Middle East and Africa.
Corporate women travellers are an increasingly important
segment of the Indian travel market, for both leisure and
business travel. The Indian women business travellers are
amongst the most signiﬁcant growth segments of the Indian
travel market, and represent an opportunity for travel
providers that barely existed a few years ago. But there are
trends watch
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gain currency
42
MICEtalk April 2015
Manoj Chacko
Chief Executive Oﬃcer
Kuoni Business Travel
Kuoni India
other emerging segments that are also likely to represent
signiﬁcant opportunities for travel providers.
Business travel thrives best in a free and robust economic
scenario and India is gradually moving in that direction.
With liberalisation paving the way for healthy competition
and business going global the Indian traveller too is evolving
into a global traveller. A liberal foreign exchange regime and
cheaper air-fares, ex-India are also factors responsible for
catapulting business travel.
Corporate travel management is moving to automated
solutions like corporate booking tools and centralised service
delivery models. Smarter Travel Policies with eﬀective
implementation, increased usage of Low Cost Carriers and
advance Purchase Behaviour will spur growth.
The Indian business travel scene is undergoing a
metamorphosis - value for money - is the new mantra.
Customising travel and travel-related arrangements for
India’s top corporates with value for money is key. Clients are
well travelled and demand the services they pay for. Today,
information is instant and available to everyone and agents
are automated and equipped to meet increasingly complex
travel needs of the corporate traveller. Processes and data
analysis ranging from an eﬃcient requisitioning to an entire
end-to-end solution is what corporates expect from their
Travel Management Company.
With business travel forecast to experience more growth
to and from India, travel will play a vital role in helping the
Indian economy to grow.
India’s business travel market was always expected to see
strong growth this year, but it seems the country is performing
even better than industry experts thought. A very positive
sign for the potential of business travel growth in India in the
years to come.
Visions of Venice
Satinder Singh Bhasin
Managing Director
Bhasin Group
Recreating the quintessential city of trade, leisure and love, The Grand Venice
in Greater Noida provides a unique one-stop venue for events, meetings and
entertainment. We spoke to Satinder Singh Bhasin, Managing Director,
Bhasin Group to ﬁnd out more about the unconventional set up and what it can
mean for MICE activities.
Where is Grand Venice located?
How much area does it cover?
INFO
Grand Venice is at a strategic location. Being
closer to Pari Chowk at Greater Noida the location
is advantageous. It spans an area of over 11 acres
out of which 1 million sqft is shopping space.
44
Located close to
Pari Chowk at
Greater Noida
spanning an
area of over
11 acres out of
which 1 million
sqft is shopping
space.
MICEtalk April 2015
Do you plan to make it a MICE
centre also?
Yes, we do have separate corporate spaces for
meetings and conferences. Moreover, we are
positioning The Grand Venice as continuous
events hub so that it attracts more and more
public of all ages. We have already started
having various events like movie promotion for
‘Tevar’, Valentine’s event and as the launch date
is arriving; we have a lot of events pipelined. We
also see large incentive group movement from
other cities. We don’t have any convention centre
as of now but one mega banquet hall spread over
50,000 sqft which can be used as a convention
centre as well.
With the Sheraton opening, do
you see Grand Venice becoming
a bigger success? How?
Sheraton will augment the scope of Grand Venice.
The hotel group will add up 270 classy suites for
accommodation within Grand Venice. It will also
house luxury spas, concept bars, convention halls,
world class gymnasiums, round the clock coﬀee
shops and ﬁne dining restaurants.
venue talk
What made you think of starting
Grand Venice?
Grand Venice is a utopian idea in commercial
real estate sector. A concept such as this is a
step ahead of conventional business schemes.
Our concept is to create a one-stop hub for
entertainment, shopping, accommodation and
surreal amusement. We took Venice to be the
prototype because the city has plethora of arts
and architectural landmarks. Italy has been
famous throughout the globe for its phenomenal
sculptures and artworks. As Grand Venice will
be with ﬁve star rated suites and accommodation
provisions, it will attract the business class
and international tourists, along with average
Indian visitors.
Do you expect it to attract
international tourists also?
From its architecture and canals to its unique
pulsating energy, Grand Venice brings alive
the magic of Venice in India. The attractions in
Grand Venice would cater to the needs of all kind
of visitors making it a mega tourist destination
for both national and international tourists.
What entertainment activities
are you offering?
Grand Venice oﬀers post entertainment options.
It has provisions for every age group. A ﬁve
screen multiplex managed by Cinepolis promises
to bring greatest blockbusters for audience. With
international collaboration, we have set up the
largest aquarium for under water experience of
Indian Ocean. There will be mermaid shows and
displays of exotic aquatic life forms.
Apart from this, a relaxing and romantic gondola
ride reveals all the charm, excitement and passion
that is Venice and the Venetian. Grand Venice
oﬀers ﬁrst time Gandola ride through manmade
canals. The 3D sky is another attraction for
visitors. This is the ﬁrst digital sky in India with
cinematic quality; clear image and 3D surround
sound system. Visitors will be able to experience
a sunny sky in cold winters and a freezing
winter sky in hot summers.
Are there cafes, restaurants and
pubs in the area?
There will be arrangements for a number of cafés,
restaurants and pubs, highlighting the top brands
from across the globe. They will be accessible
through the intricate waterways ﬂowing through
the entire setup where visitors will experience
Gondola rides.
As Grand Venice will be with ﬁve
star rated suites and accommodation
provisions, it will attract the business
class and international tourists.
MICEtalk April 2015
45
Checklist
checklist
46
MICEtalk April 2015
Once you have a budget for your event and have the ﬁnal date
approved by your senior management team for a conference
or meeting with your own staff or management or an incentive
group, you need to start the actual planning of the event. If it is
a large event (or even a smaller one out of your city with travel
involved) start the planning six months in advance and if it is
smaller (within your city) then three months is good enough.
;For selection of date check thoroughly
to ensure no other important event is
clashing with yours.
; Finalise date in writing.
; Research and ﬁnd an event management
company and / or a DMC (Destination
Management Company) with the
capability of managing your event in the
city or an outside location.
; Check their history to see if they have
done the kind of event you have in mind.
Find one who has done it well.
; Choose a theme and visit potential
venues that match your theme. (Always
keep a second indoor venue as a back-up
in mind in case of inclement weather).
; Or choose a destination based on:
* Hotel within your budget
* Room availability
* Large size conference room
* Meeting rooms
* Potential for gala evening(s)
* Possibility of other activities after
business hours
; Appoint an event coordinator
* This is very important if you don’t want
to be swamped with the event work,
not allowing you to concentrate on
sales and marketing, which should be
your core function.
; Form a committee with sub committees
for various functions. Choose well.
; Empower this committee to:
* Get cost estimates for site rentals (if it is
being organised in your city) based on
your theme
* Get ﬂight and ground transportation
costs (if outstation)
checklist
Checklist
* Get recommendations and proposals
for entertainment
* Get CD’s of the artists or hold auditions
if the event is large enough
* Get bids for decorations of stage and
venue, with sound and lights etc
* Get cost estimates for design and
printing of invitations, programmes,
menus etc
* Get bids for other major costs - to be
decided by the committees
; Remember to send a reminder invitation
one month before the event again
;If you can organise sponsors for various
items at your event:
* Set sponsorship amounts
* Make a list of sponsors to be contacted
; Locate a graphic artist to design:
* The event logo
* The invitation
* Menu cards and placement cards
for dining and conference seating if
required
* T-shirts,caps,mugsoranyothergive-away
items that will be used for gifting during
the event
; Involve your sales team in this job
; If you are organising a charity event then
plan on ticket price now
; Set aside one month for the planning
and budgeting exercise. Weekly updates
must be sent to the Chairman of the
committee and in one month all above
decisions should be in place.
Thereafter:
* Compile a mailing list
; Let the Finance Committee draft the
initial budget to ensure you are working
within the framework of your total budget
Once the budget is approved under
diﬀerent heads by the Chairman of the
Committee, the next steps to be followed
would be:
; Send invitations 3 months in advance
to ensure important guests block their
dates
; Public Relations is very important for
such an event
* Develop a press release
* Arrange for photographs of Chairman
and leadership team
* Get photographs of Honorees and
Keynote Speaker, if any
* Get biographical information of the
above mentioned VIP’s
* Ensure an updated list of media to be
invited for the event
; Invite a keynote speaker at least 6 months
in advance. Good speakers are normally
already booked much earlier.
; Check thoroughly the need for any
permissions, licences, insurance coverage
etc. for the event
MICEtalk does not accept any liability or responsibility for the information or any errors or omissions set out in this listing.
This is designed to act as a guide for general reference only.
MICEtalk April 2015
47
expert talk
Discipline in
Age Of Technology
Ours is a dynamic world which everyday witnesses changes touching
the lives of a majority of the demography. Who would have thought
we will be able to not only shop online but also exchange and return
goods online? Even a WhatsApp chat can completely surpass the joy
of a group discussion. Is there any need for the timeless principle of
discipline in this new world?
W
hy does a person even need to get
early to bed and be early to rise when
he has to coordinate with people
across the globe and be up half the night to do
so? Even oﬃce hours have given way to shifts and
ﬂexi hours and informality and ﬁrst names are
cooler than designations and formal set ups.
INFO
Given this backdrop how does one explain the
principle of discipline? What does one have to be
disciplined about? There may be people who walk
the talk of self-discipline and try to set and follow
daily routines, but for how long? With increasing
number of options every minute, maybe ﬂexibility
and going with the ﬂow is the order of the day.
48
With practice
and eﬀort we
can discipline
our mind to not
give in to anger
or other forms
of negativity;
with discipline
we can remain
steadfast on
our goals.
MICEtalk April 2015
So where and how does discipline ﬁt into our
lifestyles? Maybe in this world of change, we need
a diﬀerent adaptation of discipline. It used to be a
principle of external order and people followed it
because they had to ﬁt into a
pattern or routine and it was
more about the ability and
will power to conform. It was
even used as a mechanism to
instil rules and respect. But
since the need to conform
itself
is
diminishing,
discipline has to be viewed
very diﬀerently.
Perhaps, we need to view
discipline as an internal
mind set, a state that allows
a person to control their
thought. If we can discipline
our mind to focus on
whatever we want, be it mindfulness or stillness
we will be better equipped to face our challenges.
With practice and eﬀort we can discipline our
mind to not give in to anger or other forms of
negativity; with discipline we can remain steadfast
on our goals. There is a lot we can accomplish
by not giving in to momentary distractions. For
instance, while working on a project, one may
get irritated with any interruption and the focus
shifts to being irritated rather than attending to
the issue and reverting work on hand.
Take some minutes oﬀ now and use silence to
discover to what level your mind is disciplined. All
that you have read and heard about importance
and beneﬁts of discipline still holds true if you
can apply it to the mind and self -understanding.
Try and ﬁnd your own perfect mix of external
ﬂexibility and internal discipline.
expert talk
If an organisation
needs an employee to
appear more in line with
the corporate culture
and if does not make you
uncomfortable then one
should be open to it.
A
expects you to change your look for your
Q: Ifjob,yourwhatcompany
should you do?
A:
There is no harm in looking good as long as the change doesn’t
invade the intrinsic you. So if an organisation needs an employee to
appear more in line with the corporate culture and if does not make
you uncomfortable then one should be open to it. What is important
is your own comfort level with the change. Some organisations even
conduct grooming or etiquette classes for employees to provide
them exposure. For that matter many organisations do other soft
skills training or computer familiarisation skills. As long as it is
viewed in the light of furthering your skills and conﬁdence and you
do not feel you are compromising on your value system, why not
enjoy the new look.
A side note, as per certain South East Asian customs, a man with
a moustache denotes misfortune for the company. So sometimes,
employees in these organisations are discreetly advised to shave
their moustache oﬀ if they want to be a part of the senior team. How
would you react to that?
Q:
A:
How important are designations in today’s corporate environment? What
should one bargain for in a job – better designation or better salary?
If you want to explore a speciﬁc case, where you were promised a possible improvement
in package, then you need to understand the reason for it. Is it a company policy or
the end of a probation period or the six month period coincides with the company’s
annual increment policy? If it is any of these or similar administrative reasons then there
should be a system in place that will bring up your case for review and there should
be no hesitancy in following up with your supervisor or HR head or even the CEO,
provided he/she is involved in handling such issues. Else, protocol demands that you
follow the chain laid down for escalation of such matters. However, if the commitment
was ad hoc in nature then ideally the terms of review should have been established in
the very beginning. If you haven’t done that, then please review your own performance/
contribution and see if it warrants an increment. If you feel you have earned it or it is due
to you as a matter of principle then you should take it up with the person who made the
commitment. If you have misgivings about taking up the issue then that’s a whole new
area to explore but that’s all about you.
about the author
Shabnam Mehra
Life Coach & EFT
Practitioner
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XSJUFEJSFDUMZUPNFBUTIBCOBNTNFISB!ZBIPPDPNPSWJBNZXFCTJUFXXXSFnFDUJOHBOHMFTDPN
MICEtalk April 2015
49
etiquette talk
Dress for
Success
You can have
anything you want
in life if you dress
for it. However, what
makes a difference is
not what you wear
but how you wear it.
Here are some tips
for Indian women
professionals that
will make sure they
are dressed for
success.
W
hen deciding what to wear, play it
safe by focusing on the dress code
in your host country, for example, a
global ﬁnancial services ﬁrm may allow business
casuals in San Francisco, formal attires on most
days at their Munich oﬃce and business formals
in Tokyo, thus displaying lack of a uniform dress
code in global business. However, business attire
is an important ﬁrst impression tool as it builds
trust and conveys respect at a non-verbal level.
When deciding what to wear, ask yourself: “Can I
wear this for a meeting with the host CEO, while
delivering a presentation to the local team, when
dining with an investor or while negotiating with
a client?” If you’ve answered yes, you are dressed
for success!
Shital Kakkar Mehra
Practitioner of Corporate
Etiquette and International
Protocol in India
50
MICEtalk April 2015
Tips for dressing in
international business:
łAttire: Indian women are well-appreciated in
both saris (weather permitting) and westernstyle business suits.
łDress conservatively: Dress to build
business relationships, drawing attention
to your merit and not your attire.
High-necklines,
well-tailored
clothes,
neutral colours, sensible shoes and
minimal make-up or jewellery all convey
professionalism.
łColours: Dark colours connote success
and wealth and oﬀer the added advantage
of remaining wrinkle-free longer. Bold
colours (red/orange/yellow) are best
avoided as they convey diﬀerent things in
diﬀerent cultures.
łAccessories: Branded laptop bag, handbag,
pen and wrist watch are must-haves.
łWinter wear: Invest in a classic kneelength black woolen overcoat and a pair
of black closed shoes.
łPower of pearls: Universally popular, a string
of white or oﬀ-white pearls are feminine,
yet convey power.
łIndian accents: A pashmina shawl or stole
or a traditional piece of jewellery is ideal
for evenings.
guest column
Tips to Kickstart
your Business Tour
Business tours and meetings come with the hassle of frequent
travel. Mohan Limbu, Country Head, Plaza Premium Lounge
suggests some steps to make your travel stress-free and enjoyable.
P
Spa, Massage & Beauty Services
Meet & Greet
Transit Hotel
Consider using the airport’s meet and greet
service. It will allow you to drive right up
to the terminal building where a member
of the meet and greet team will be waiting
to park your car. When you return, you will
be able to present your ticket/receipt in the
meet and greet oﬃce to get your car back.
Luggage Service
If you want to move around the airport
hassle-free, make sure to avail the baggage
delivery and handling services to help manage
your luggage while you explore the airport.
This service not only provides you comfort
and convenience but also helps save time.
Food & Beverage
Catching a good bite at the airport is never easy
and airline food is not tempting. Satiate your taste
buds at the airport lounge that oﬀers an array of
fresh and hot meals with a choice of drinks to go by.
Your airport experience should be a pleasure
rather than pressure. Start your journey with
a relaxing and rejuvenating massage at the
airport lounge. The lounges are a haven at the
airport, oﬀering massage treatments speciﬁcally
designed to tackle common travel ailments
and fatigue. They aim that your time at the
airport is not only fantastic but also refreshing.
Do you have an early morning ﬂight and a late
check-in time? Or a late night arrival at the airport
and next day check-in at your hotel? Worry not.
Use the transit hotel services at the airport that
allow you to take a nap, shower and even provides
you with an early morning breakfast option so
that you are fully charged for your next journey. It
is a convenient and comfortable accommodation
option especially at the peak travel season.
Business Facilities
Do you need to catch on last minute work before
you completely switch oﬀ? Airport lounge is the
perfect place for you to check your e-mails, take
last minute print-outs and ﬁnish your pending
work.
Now that we have checked all the missing
boxes, you are ready to fasten your seatbelt for
an enthralling journey to a successful and
enjoyable meeting.
Airport
lounges oﬀer
massage
treatments
speciﬁcally
designed to
tackle common
travel ailments
and fatigue.
INFO
lanning your next business meeting to your
favorite destination? We are sure that you
have done all the hard work and put in place
the itinerary, but have you thought what you will
do at the airport? Flight delays and transit time
can take a toll on you and quash your hopes. Make
sure that the journey to and from your meeting
destination is not only stress free but also special
and memorable by following these simple tips.
Mohan Limbu
Country Head
Plaza Premium Lounge
MICEtalk April 2015
51
yours ofﬁcially
‘Duty Care’ for
Corporate Travellers
Adam Knights
Group Sales & Marketing Director
ATPI Group
ATPI is set to unveil new features for the Employee Tracking
System (ETS). The upgradations to the system will provide real
time access to data, as well as destination and health related
information. Read on to ﬁnd out more.
E
nhancements to the Employee
Tracking System (ETS) with
new features aimed to deliver
more sophisticated duty of care
programmes for business travellers was
demonstrated by the ATPI Group at the
2015 Business Travel Show. The business
travel and event management company
has developed new features to its ETS to
ensure that clients can provide the highest
level of duty of care to their employees.
ETS allows access to real time data that is
available 24/7, based upon enquiry.
INFO
The technology oﬀers ATPI clients a host
of beneﬁts including access to detailed
pre-trip and en-route travel data, enabling
the user to review traveller destinations
and research security and health
information on a case-by-case basis, to
ensure employees are fully prepared before
they travel.
52
ETS features
an interactive
map showing
traveller
population
density so that
you can see
instantly if you
have employees
in a speciﬁc
area.
MICEtalk April 2015
If a security alert arises, ETS’ ﬂight plan
reports, passenger location reports and
hotels reports identify travellers who are
due to arrive in the aﬀected country, or
are already at that destination. One of
the latest features of ETS is an interactive
map showing traveller population density
so that you can see instantly if you have
employees in a speciﬁc area.
Adam Knights, Group Sales and
Marketing Director for the ATPI Group
says: “Travelling for business particularly
to areas where there is the risk of political
unrest, extreme weather or threats to
health means that companies must
Developments to ETS
enable our clients to utilise
the latest technology and
monitor traveller data in real
time, so that we can respond
as required, across our global
network to make any necessary
changes to travel requirements
and to deliver increased
eﬃciencies to all client’s travel
programmes.
ensure they have adequate systems
in place to deliver a robust duty of
care
programme
to
employees.
Unfortunately, recent global events
have seen major incidents in cities
and destinations often regarded as safe
for business travel.”
Knights also added, “It has never been
more important for businesses to be able
to know the whereabouts of their people
and have procedures in place to manage
employee movements.”
“Developments to ETS enable our
clients to utilise the latest technology
and monitor traveller data in real time,
so that we can respond as required,
across our global network to make any
necessary changes to travel requirements
and to deliver increased eﬃciencies to all
client’s travel programmes,” he said.
visa talk
Austria
Passport with validity of
minimum three months
(from the date of return)
and minimum two blank
pages (One for sticker, one for
border stamps)
Please note:
4 Copy of pages of passport containing
personal information and also pages
providing important travel information.
4 Passports issued beyond 10 years will not be accepted by the
Embassy
4 Handwritten passports will not be accepted.
4 Indian Passports can only be accepted if their bio data (name,
date of birth, place of birth, & sex) have not been modiﬁed
by an “observation”. However, observation regarding the
validity of the passport or any observation on the last page is
acceptable.
4 Attach all your old passports (if any)
Application Form: One visa application form duly ﬁlled
and signed on column 37 and main column
The following forms also need to be duly ﬁlled, signed and
submitted along with the application
4 Declaration and Undertaking form
4 Letter of Guarantee
4 Disclaimer
Please note : Applicant mobile number should be mentioned in
visa form as Embassy / Consulate can contact the applicant at
any point of time during visa processing.
Photo Speciﬁcation: Two recent passport size colored
photographs with matt or semi matt ﬁnish, 60%-80% face
coverage, white background and without border (Size: 35mm x
45mm)
Please note: Photograph should not be more than three months
old, scanned/stapled and should not be used in any of the
previous visas.
Cover Letter :
a) Cover letter from company with naming list and passport
details of all applicants. The letter should be duly signed by the
authorized signatory and taking the guarantee of all applicants
that they will return back to India before the expiry of visa
issued to them. b) Cover letter from applicants individually on
company’s letter head.
Please Note: The letter should be addressed to The Visa Oﬃcer,
Embassy of Austria, New Delhi.
Invitation letter: In case of business purpose, an invitation
from Austria along with naming list and passport number
of all applicants.
Financials
a) Company’s updated bank statement for last six months till date
mentioning the Bank’s name, Bank’s telephone number clearly.
b) Company’s ITR for last three years.
pV
isa Requirem
;
;
;
;
;
Source: Udaan
54
MICEtalk April 2015
;
Proof of Occupation:
Student:
a) Leave Sanction Letter from
school including phone number
and address of school
Minor:
a) An NOC by parents, ITR and
Bank Statement b) If one of parents is
accompanying the minor then an NOC attested
by notary has be to submitted by the other parent
Self Employed:
a) Company Registration Certiﬁcate / Certiﬁcate of Incorporation
b) Brief Company Proﬁle c) Articles of Memorandum
(Incase the applicant is MD/Director) d) Proof of
Proprietorship / Partnership (In case applicant is Proprietor
/ Partner in a ﬁrm) e) Import / Export License (if applicable)
Employed:
a) Proof of employment like Salary Slip or Appointment Letter
b) NOC from Employer on letterhead with travel dates
Ticket: Day to Day travel itinerary with proper dates mentioned
on it.
Accommodation Proof: Hotel conﬁrmation for all Schengen
countries to be visited along with a letter from the travel agent
stating the naming list and passport number of all applicants that
they are doing the hotel, ticket, insurance for all the passengers.
Medical: Overseas Medical Insurance for the stay duration
amounting to 30,000 Euros to be submitted in original along with
the photocopy. Insurance to be done by the Authorized Insurance
Companies
Please Note: The policy should be either in English or German and
should cover date of arrival and departure.
Jurisdiction: Pan India submission in Delhi only.
Fees: `4,230/Applicant.
VFS Charge: `563/Applicant
en
ts
Grou
Passport: Original
;
visa talk
Grou
;
Passport: Original
Passport with the validity
of minimum six months
from the date of return and
minimum two blank pages
for visa stamping.
Please note: Attach ﬁrst page, last
page & observation page of passport
along with all old passports (if any).
Visa Application Form: One visa
application form to be duly ﬁlled and signed by the
applicant.
Photo Speciﬁcation: Two recent passport size photographs
with matt or semi matt ﬁnish, 60%-80% face coverage, white
background and without border (Size: 35mm x 45mm).
Please note: Photograph should not be more than 3 months old,
scanned/stapled and should not be used in any of the previous
visas.
Cover Letter :
a) Cover letter from company with naming list and passport
details of all applicants. The letter should be duly signed by the
authorized signatory and taking the guarantee of all applicants
that they will return back to India before the expiry of visa
issued to them. b) Cover letter from tour operator with naming
list and passport details of all applicants mentioning travel dates
and taking the guarantee of all applicants that they will return
back to India before the expiry of visa issued to them.
Please Note: The letter should be addressed to “The Visa Oﬃcer,
Embassy of the Republic of Philippines”, Delhi.
Invitation letter: In case of Business purpose, an invitation
letter from Philippines company is required along with the
naming list and passport details of all applicants. The letter
should be addressed to “The Visa Oﬃcer, Embassy of the
Republic of Philippines”, Delhi.
Financials
a) Company’s and personal ITR for the last three years.
b) Original Personal Bank Statement for last six months with
minimum balance of `80,000 and name and address of the
applicant. The statement must have name, contact number,
stamp and signature of the bank’s authorised signatory
c) Salary slips for last three months.
;
pV
isa Requirem
;
;
;
;
;
Proof of Occupation:
Employed:
a) Certiﬁcate of the current employment from employer stating
employer’s full name address and telephone number, applicant’s
length of service.
b) NOC Letter from the employer.
c) Salary slip for six months.
Self-employed:
a) Copy of Income Tax Return for last three years.
b) Company registration copy with director naming list/
partnership deed.
Source: Udaan
56
MICEtalk April 2015
en
ts
Philippines
Student:
a) Leave Sanction Letter, School
ID card and NOC from school
mentioning the dates of trip.
Airline Reservation: Conﬁrmed air
ticket
Proof of Accommodation: Hotel booking
along with day to day itinerary.
Agreement: A notarized agreement between
the Indian and Philippine tour operators, covering at
least one year period. Please note that since the document
will be coming from the Philippines, this must be duly authenticated
by the Department of Foreign Aﬀairs.
Certiﬁcate: Certiﬁcate from TAAI, TAFI and OTOAI that the Indian
tour operator/travel agent is a bona ﬁde member of said association,
of good standing and has been doing business for a certain number
of years.
Tour Package: Copy of the tour package on the letterhead of the
Philippine tour operator, created for the tour group handled by the
Indian tour group operator/travel agency with:
a) Name of passengers with passport details;
b) Name of hotel/resort with that the group will stay will in the
Philippines
c) Itinerary of the destinations that the group will visit, and
d) Arrival and departure dates of the group.
Jurisdiction: Submission of tour group applications is done only at
the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi.
Visa Fees: Payment is done through Demand Draft `2,560/applicant.
Hotels high on MICE
Rajeev Menon
Chief Operations Oﬃcer
(Southeast Asia & Paciﬁc)
Marriott International
Roger Wright
General Manager
Hyatt Regency Gurgaon
Clevio Monteiro
Business Head
Dubai Visa and
Marhaba Services
Kuoni Business Travel
Marriott International announced
the appointment of Rajeev
Menon as the Chief Operations
Oﬃcer (COO) for Marriott
International in South-East Asia
& Paciﬁc. In his new capacity
as COO, Menon will be a key
member of the continent’s
senior leadership team and will
function as the operational
business leader for the region,
under his responsibility. He will
also help drive key initiatives and
ensure implementation of brand
discipline programmes.
Roger Wright has been appointed
General Manager of Hyatt Regency
Gurgaon. He has over 30 years
of international hotel experience.
Wright has led twelve ﬁve-star and
ﬁve-star deluxe business and leisure
Hyatt and internationally branded
hotels across the Asia and Paciﬁc
Region. His knowledge of hotel
operations, positioning, ﬁnancial
and strategic focus, combined with
a deep personal commitment to the
Hyatt brand, will play a vital role
in developing the Hyatt Regency
Gurgaon’s position as the city’s
“logical ﬁrst choice”.
Clevio Monteiro has been appointed
as Business Head – Dubai Visa and
Marhaba Services (DVMS), Kuoni
Business Travel. He has over 22 years
of experience working with travel,
aviation and technology solutions
companies. He has previously worked
with companies such as Air Sahara,
Interglobe Technologies and Suvidha
Infoserve. Prior to this, he managed
a pan India responsibility as General
Manager with Go Airlines for their
online business and consolidators.
His forte lies in sales, business
development, customer service and
relationship management.
German scheduled
airline Hahn Air
announced the
appointment of
Susan Strössinger
and Robert Jason
Heerenveen as
the two new
Susan Strössinger
Robert Jason Heerenveen department
Heads of Global Account Management, Hahn Air heads for its
Global Account
Management team. They will be in charge of a team of 22 Global
Account Managers around the globe who are responsible for
executing sales and marketing activities as well as trainings and
product presentations for 95,000 Travel Agencies worldwide.
Manas Banerjee
General Manager
Hyatt Bangalore
Geoﬀrey Lipman
Special Advisor
Global Travel & Tourism
Civic Resource Group Int’l
Manas Banerjee has been appointed
as General Manager by Hyatt
Bangalore. He has more than 17
years of experience in the hospitality
industry. A graduate of Institute of
Advanced Management from Kolkata,
Banerjee brings with him a vast
expertise in hotel operations as well
as pre-opening functions. He started
his career with Holiday Inn, Vadodara
and later moved to ITC hotels as an
F&B Manager. His last assignment
was with Crowne Plaza, Bengaluru
as the General Manager. He has
also certiﬁed in CHBA (Certiﬁcate in
Hospitality and Business Acumen).
Civic Resource Group Int’l (CRG)
announced the appointment of
Geoﬀrey Lipman as Special Advisor,
Global Travel & Tourism. CRG has also
entered a strategic partnership with
Greenearth.travel of which Lipman
is Chairman. Lipman will work with
CRG to promote green growth and
sustainability related to travel and
tourism, which is a key component of
CRG’s international expansion plans
in the government and related civic
sectors. His stature and experience
in the industry will reinforce the
company’s commitment to promote
sustainable tourism on a global level.
MICEtalk April 2015
57
events
June 2015
event calendar
9-11
IBTM
America
Chicago
USA
Asian
International
Trade &
Tourism
Expo
11-14
International
Travel Expo
Korea
World
Travel Fair
Hong Kong
SAR China
Seoul
South Korea
Dhaka
Bangladesh
11-14
10-14
July 2015
24-26
Travel &
Tourism
Fair (TTF)
Hyderabad
Travel &
Tourism
Fair
Kolkata
31-Aug 2
August
IT&CM
India
New Delhi
18-20
2015
5-7
China
Incentive
Business
Travel Market
(CIBTM)
Beijing, China
58
MICEtalk April 2015
Postal Reg. No. :DL(ND)-11/6150/2014-15-16
WPP No.:U(C)-305/2014-2016, Posting on 29th-30th of Advance Month
PSO, Market Road PO, New Delhi-110001, Date of Publication:22/03/2015
RNI No.:DELENG/2010/34144