1. business and industrial

The Industry is
all About Face to Face
Distancing Meetings from Leisure
Travel Should be a Priority for Everyone
1 • Destination MICE • February 2015
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2 • Destination MICE • February 2015
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contents
DESTINATION MICE MAGAZINE * FEBRUARY 2015
INDUSTRY DESK...........................................................................4
Distancing Meetings from Leisure Travel Should be a
Priority for Everyone
ASSOCIATION desk......................................................................6
Industry Issues : AIPC
VENUE desK.................................................................................8
The Industry is all About Face to Face:
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre, Bangkok
ORGANISOR speak.....................................................................10
ITB Asia: Trade Show for Asian Industry Market
ORGANISOR speak.....................................................................12
dmg Events: Truly International Affairs Showcasing
the Local and Regional Markets in their Respective Topics
tech knowlogy ......................................................................14
Novo Cinemas: We Promise Patrons a Great Time Out
UPDATES
• NTO updateS.............................................................................. 16-17
• industry updateS.................................................................... 18-23
• HOSPITALITY updateS................................................................ 24-27
• AVIATION updateS...................................................................... 28-33
• TECHNOLOGY updateS............................................................... 34-35
• APPOINTMENT updateS.................................................................. 36
• CINEMA DESTINATION....................................................................... 37
3 • Destination MICE • February 2015
special feature
industry desk
Distancing Meetings from Leisure
Travel Should be a Priority for Everyone
Joint Meetings Industry Council Executive Director Rod Cameron argues that our failure to
emphasize the distinction between leisure and meetings-related travel hurts us all in the long run.
S
omething that has haunted
the meetings industry for
many years has now become
a matter of real urgency, courtesy
of the global recession and its fallout. That “something” is our collective failure to more clearly distinguish between travel for personal
and leisure oriented reasons and
that which is undertaken for business purposes.
The reason this is so important is
that those who make decisions about
the organization and financing of
meetings, conventions, exhibitions
and conferences, as well as those
who decide who should attend them, are now highly sensitive to the appearance of such events as simply vehicles
for personal enjoyment at public or corporate expense.
In fact, just the word “tourism” in association with such
events suggests that their real purpose is something other
than their actual role as a primary tool for economic and
professional development.
This is no small issue. In fact, there are now very
specific professional codes and even legislation aimed
at exactly this point, with the result that any suggestion
of event attendees from certain sectors like the medical
area attending meetings to pursue
personal enjoyment rather than to
engage in business or professional
development can be sufficient reason to question attendance and / or
remove financial support for them
entirely. At the same time, many
governments have implemented restrictions or outright bans on meetings-related travel as a first line of
cost-saving measures, illustrating
clearly that concerns in this regard
are anything but theoretical.
We in the industry haven’t done
much to encourage such a distinction and, even worse, actually
blurred the lines by continuing to promote meetings
destinations and even attendance on the basis of leisure qualities like beaches, golf courses and nightlife - a
practice that perpetuates the notion that business travel is in fact a thinly disguised excuse for a holiday paid
for by someone else. When that “someone” is a shareholder or taxpayer it becomes almost impossible to
rationalize participation, which accounts for the kinds
of challenges we’ve seen recently like ongoing calls for
reductions in meetings participation by governments
and corporations in various parts of the world.
4 • Destination MICE • February 2015
Over the long term this failure to distinguish these
two elements of the overall travel equation - and reflect that in our promotional activities - will ultimately
reduce the aggregate amount of global travel, and impact not only the revenues associated with meetings
and conventions themselves but also the associated
travel and even incremental investment in hospitality infrastructure and services that this sector supports. The losers will be both those providing travel
products and services as well as the broader economy
that depends on business event-related interactions
to advance their economic, professional and academic
objectives.
That tourism is a beneficiary of the meetings industry is both inevitable and beyond dispute, but so is the
fact that both we and they are damaged by the association when it results in less support for participation
in business events. In other words, we risk shooting
ourselves in both feet at the same time.
Why, then, are we not addressing the problem? A
few possibilities suggest themselves;
First, there is a large part of our industry and that
of our sometimes partners in the tourism sector that
simply don’t seem to see it as a problem. For those
that have always regarded leisure-related qualities
as the best possible way to promote a destination
there appears to be a real difficulty in understanding
that a very different audience requires a very different message.
Secondly, we have fallen into the trap of measuring
industry value primarily on the basis of spending, and
particularly spending related to hospitality revenues.
Again, this creates the strong impression that it’s the
hotel stays and restaurant meals that really count
rather than the values inherent in holding the meetings in the first place. This approach not only vastly
undervalues what this industry really achieves but
also has the unfortunate effect of antagonizing our clients who would much prefer to have the value of their
events seen as the professional and business outcomes
rather than the money left behind by their members in
somebody else’s destination.
Third, the primary sources of funding for destination promotion are in many areas controlled for historic reasons by those with more of a tourism than
business events orientation – and it has been a tough
sell to make the case that ours is a business rather than
a tourism sell, if only because the relative size of the
tourism lobby in many countries or communities is
usually much more heavily weighted toward the leisure
side. To the extent that we have what are essentially
third parties marketing on our behalf – and potentially
putting the emphasis in the wrong place – we will continue to suffer the consequences.
But if the name of the game is extracting the optimal
benefit out of the investments made in the meetings
sector – as it surely must be if anyone is really paying
attention – we need to get beyond turf discussions and
into a recognition of the fundamentally different ways
in which the markets associated with these two very
different sectors must be addressed.
In short, by failing to make a clear distinction between leisure and meetings-related travel, we are
trivializing our real role in global economic and professional development, threatening our individual
competitiveness in the market and offending some
of our most important clients, and that just doesn’t
make sense for any destination that wants to achieve
the diverse benefits associated with success in the
meetings sector. The sooner we put some distance
between these two areas the better all around, but
that will only happen when we as an industry take
some action toward re-aligning ourselves with the
sectors that really count in today’s economy and
achieving a better understanding with our tourism
partners that clarifying the difference between our
respective audiences and their travel motivations
will benefit everyone in the end.
Given what’s at stake, that objective should be getting a lot more attention.
5 • Destination MICE • February 2015
expert speak
association desk
Industry Issues: AIPC
While discussing the current trends and issues of the industry
Geoff Donaghy, President, International Association of Convention
Centres (AIPC) elaborates on industry trends.
terms of formats, technology and delegate
expectations and centres need to be able
to respond to this, often within the constraints of a fixed set of spaces. The key to
success is increasingly an ability to create
flexibility in both facilities and services
that can respond to new demands.
At the same time, business practices
are also changing rapidly in ways that
create different sets of relationships
and approaches to booking and delivering events. For example, time frames in
the booking cycle have shortened dramatically in some cases and traditional
methods of booking accommodation
have shifted in the face of online alternatives. All these factors impact things
like business projections and market
strategies and place new demands on
centre staff who again need to adapt in
order to compete successfully.
>>> What are the biggest
issues facing convention
centres today?
The biggest challenges centres are facing world-wide are competition, adaptation and relevance. While these are all
linked in many respects they each need to
be addressed with very specific strategies,
and that’s a big part of what centre managers are doing these days.
>>> What’s the competition
issue all about?
There has been tremendous growth in
the centre product in recent years, through
both new entries into the market and the
renovation and expansion of existing facilities. The result is that clients have a lot
more choice and centres have to compete
harder for their business. Ironically, this
growth continued right through the recent
economic recession, largely because of
projects that were already underway along
with the fact that many governments saw
convention facilities as a way of accessing
the many benefits the industry offers.
>>> What’s been the effect of
this competition?
Today we have what is essentially a
buyer’s market, which means that organizers and those acting on their behalf can
and do negotiate hard and in many parts
of the world look for incentives and discounts beyond anything we’ve seen in the
past. That means everyone needs to work
a little harder and find new ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
It also means that centres that can’t deliver a high quality product are finding it
tougher to attract business because there
are so many good alternatives.
>>> What about adaptation?
Events today are constantly evolving in
>>> Geoff Donaghy
President, International Association of
Convention Centres (AIPC)
“
The biggest challenges
centres are facing
world-wide are
competition, adaptation
and relevance. While
these are all linked
in many respects
they each need to be
addressed with very
specific strategies, and
that’s a big part of what
centre managers are
doing these days.
“
>>> What do you mean by
relevance?
80% of centres today are owned by
some level of government – and governments have been under significant pressures arising from the financial crisis and
the economic recession of recent years.
That has put downward pressure on centre revenues at the same time that many
governments are challenged in their own
finances – which means that the “pure”
economic rationale based on incremental
visitor spending often isn’t enough to justify ongoing investment.
The answer of course is that centres aren’t just about generating visitor
spending – they’re more about what
events can do for a destination, from
creating broad economic impacts to
facilitating knowledge transfer and attracting new investment. This means
centres need to do a much better job of
underlining their broader role in sup-
6 • Destination MICE • February 2015
porting community development policies and demonstrating how they are
helping respond to today’s most urgent
government priorities, and many are doing just that.
Geoff Donaghy is
AIPC President,
CEO of International
Convention Centre
Sydney and Director
Convention Centres
AEG Ogden.
>>> How do clients select a
destination today?
Location decisions are the result of a
range of factors including both venue and
destination matters. If any one of these
is not acceptable it can result in a loss of
business, as planners need the full “package” of features in order for their event to
be a success. In terms of the venue, key
issues are the size, configuration and flexibility of space, available services, cost and
management reputation.
For the destination, issues such as the
quantity and quality of available accommodation, safety and security, ease of access, overall cost structure and attractiveness to delegates are most important. Two
rapidly emerging factors for centres in recent years have been technology and connectivity (to respond to growing delegate
communications expectations) and the
quality of the experience offered in both
the centre itself and the immediately surrounding area, as many delegates spend
the bulk of their time in and around the
facility. Centres that can respond to these
factors have a better shot at the available
business.
>>> How does AIPC support
its member centres in the face
of these kinds of challenges?
AIPC supports its centre members in a
variety of ways that relate specifically to
the key factors indicated above;
• It provides research and analysis
around industry conditions and client expectations that help them better plan marketing and management strategies;
• It offers a range of education programs that help centres develop more
knowledgeable and effective managers in
key areas such as sales/ marketing, operations and facility management;
• It provides globally recognized quality
standard guidelines that centres can use
to benchmark their performance against
industry competitor and address any areas of weakness;
• It maintains award programs that enable centres to distinguish themselves as
centers of excellence;
• It maintains strong interactions with
other global industry associations in order
to access reliable information on market
demands and planner expectations, and
• It creates events and systems that
enable centre staff to network with their
global counterparts and access a wide
range of experience and expertise.
Recent new initiatives have included
the development of a standardized economic impact calculator for performance
reporting; a revised award program that
provides all participants with an indepth analysis of how clients evaluate
their facilities and services and an updated management education program –
the AIPC Academy – that enables centre
participants from around the world to
learn about, analyze and develop strategies around key industry issues.
>>> Where do you see the
meetings business heading
from here, and how should we
respond?
No one knows exactly what the future will
bring, but there are a number of things we
can expect just on the basis of where trends
are leading now. First, our business clearly
tracks the state of the economy, so as the latter improves, so will our own business activity. However, there will be a lot of variability
around the world depending on the differences in rates of economic development,
which are very pronounced these days.
Secondly, as with most other sectors,
our business in the future will not be the
same as in the past. Content, formats and
technology will be very different, as will
what exactly delegates expect to get out of
their experience, and we will have to learn
how to adapt and respond to these in or-
AIPC represents a global network
of over 170 leading centres in 54
countries with the active involvement
of more than 1000 managementlevel professionals worldwide. It is
committed to encouraging and recognizing excellence in convention
center management, based on the
diverse experience and expertise of
its international representation, and
maintains a variety of educational,
research, networking and standards
programs to achieve this. AIPC also
celebrates and promotes the essential role of the international meetings
industry in supporting economic,
academic and professional development and enhancing global relations amongst highly diverse business and cultural interests.
der to continue to be seen as a preferred
means for interaction.
Third, competition will remain intense.
That means everyone needs to work a little
harder and find new ways to distinguish
themselves from their competitors. It also
means that centres that can’t deliver a
high quality product will find it tougher to
attract business because there are so many
good alternatives.
Finally, we need to respond to the fact
that we may be facing any number of
unknowns, and be ready for that. This
means not just creating more flexible
facilities and services but also adopting
a now kind of attitude toward change as
something that is to be expected rather
than avoided.
As the industry continues to evolve, so
will the needs that centres have for programs and tools that help them respond
effectively. AIPC will continue to monitor
changing conditions and expectations and
develop new ways that members can not
only access useful resources but also interact more effectively with one another to
benefit of the world of experience amongst
our membership.
7 • Destination MICE • February 2015
expert speak
venue desk
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre, Bangkok
The Industry is all About Face to Face
An interview with Loy Joon How, General Manager,
Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre, Bangkok, Thailand
>>> What motivated you to be a
part of the Industry?
This industry is all about face to face.
It’s about meeting new people, learning
new things, exchanging ideas, experiencing new places and cultures. These are my
motivations to be part of the industry.
>>> How long have you been in
the Industry and what changes
have you seen in the MICE
industry during the years of your
experience? What according to you
are the growth plans of IMPACT
Exhibition and Convention Centre,
Bangkok, Thailand.
I have been in the industry for over 20
years. The industry has evolved rapidly in
terms of sophistication and innovations
to meet the ever changing behaviors and
needs of customers through the application of technology, creativeness, contents
and sustainability.
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention
Centre is one of the biggest venues in Asia
with an indoor space of 140,000 sq meters. We have recently become one of the
first venues in Thailand to be listed as a
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in
the Thailand stock exchange. We will continue to strive to achieve our objectives
to be the most desired and admired exhibition and convention facility in Thailand,
and one of Asia’s top 5 venues.
>>> In terms of the new shows to
be launched? How do you think that
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention
Centre has influenced the MICE
industry?
Apart from being a venue, we are also
an active exhibition organiser. Over the
last 6 years, we have built up an impressive portfolio of over 15 exhibitions that
we organise with both local and interna-
tional partners.
We also provide our customers with
one-stop solutions and value-added services, ranging from event management,
logistics, operation, to even helping our
customers in sales and marketing.
>>> Loy Joon How
General Manager ,
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre
Bangkok, Thailand
>>> What are the expansion
plans of IMPACT Exhibition and
Convention Centre?
We are investing in the constant improvements of our facilities and technologies so as to provide a world class facility
that offers the ultimate choice for our customer success. One major project is the
construction of our second hotel which
will be a 500 room 3-star hotel located
within our venue premise, augmenting
our current 360 room 4-star hotel.
>>> How do you think that the
MICE sector is affecting the world
economy?
The MICE sector is one of the fastest
growing segments within the tourisim
industry, generating millions of revenues
for cities and countries. It has long b e e n
recognized that business travelers spent
anywhere from twice to four times that of
leisure travelers.
>>> Where in the world do you
think, the government support for
MICE sector is most welcoming for
the organisers?
While Europe and United States remain
the major markets worldwide in terms of
numbers of MICE events, the MICE market has seen tremendous growth in Asia,
expanding by 133% over the last 6 years in
comparison to global market growth rate
of 19.9%. As such, there has been increased
competitions amongst Asia countries in this
lucrative sector and many Asian countries
like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea,
8 • Destination MICE • February 2015
Taiwan, to name a few, have established exhibition and convention bureaus to attract
more MICE events to their countries. These
bureaus offer various government supports
to organisers.
>>> What all expected changes you
see in the industry five years from
now?
As the market continues to grow, there
will be more intense competition, especially in Asia. As the industry try to reach
out to a younger generation of MICE
customers, the application of interactive
technology will be accelerated. Continued
globalization and shift towards a knowledge based economy will spur demands
for global enterprise, R&D and knowledge
which in turn will drive the continued
growth of the MICE industry.
>>> What message would you like
to share with the industry?
There is a general lack of MICE professionals in our industry. MICE players need to focus more on attracting,
developing and retaining good human
capital to meet the growth demand and
challenges ahead.
9 • Destination MICE • February 2015
expert speak
organiser speak
ITB Asia: Trade Show for
Asian Industry Market
Katrine Leung, Executive Director, ITB Asia share her views with
Destination Mice Magazine about ITB Asia organised by Messe Berlin.
>>> Please tell us a about your organisation?
Organised by Messe Berlin, ITB Asia is ‘the Trade Show
for the Asian Travel Market’ and connects visitors to hundreds of exhibitors from all segments of the travel industry
over three days.
>>> How was the year 2014 for your
business?
The seventh instalment of ITB Asia in 2014 was a huge success, with the event’s conference programme hosting a record
4,080 minutes of high powered content and its exhibition attracting almost 9,650 attendees from 108 countries, a 6% increase over last year.
>>> What growth did the industry see in the
past year?
Over the past decade, Asia Pacific has become the largest
business travel region in the world. This region was expected
to account for 40% of global business travel spend in 2014
and this growth has led to many opportunities, including the
growing prominence of the MICE sector at ITB Asia.
>>> What would be the growth marketing
and business development strategy for 2015?
>>> Katrine Leung
Executive Director, ITB Asia
Continuing ITB Asia’s industry-driven approach, we aim
to listen to and engage industry professionals from around
the world, collating key topics of interest that will help to
shapeour conference programme, providing valuable insights to all attendees.
>>> Which all will be the potential
destinations that will bring in valuable returns
to your business as well as economy of the
country?
Asia is the driving force of many sectors in the travel industry. China and India especially are key markets with huge
potential for both the MICE and leisure sectors in the coming
years.
>>> How do you see Expo 2020 as a growth
prospect for your business?
Trade shows such as Expo2020 and ITB Asia are valuable
platforms as they provide attendeesthe opportunity to network
with key industry players from all around the world, identify
new opportunities for growth and generate business leads.
10 • Destination MICE • February 2015
11 • Destination MICE • February 2015
expert speak
organiser speak
dmg events:
Truly International Affairs Showcasing the Local
and Regional Markets in their Respective Topics
Interview with Matt Dentos, Senior Vice President, dmg events. The organiser hosting major
trade events across the MENA region, India, South East Asia, and the Americas.
>>> Please give us a brief
introduction of your organisation?
dmg events is an international events
organiser located in Dubai and responsible for hosting major trade events across
the MENA region, India, South East Asia,
and the Americas.
Founded in 1989, it has operated in the
Middle East since 1995. It is the whollyowned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and
General Trust PLC, an international portfolio of digital information, media and
events businesses.
Our portfolio of events includes The Big
5 in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India
and Indonesia, The Hotel Show in Dubai
and Saudi Arabia, ADIPEC, and the INDEX Exhibition. We also publish several
publications including Pipeline for the
Energy sector and The Big 5 Hub Quarterly for the Construction sector.
>>> Who makes up the bulk of
your MICE guests at DMG Events?
The majority of our exhibitions are truly
international affairs showcasing the local
and regional markets in their respective topics. They therefore attract a hugely diverse
audience from across the world. The Big 5
Dubai for instance attracts over 2,500 exhibiting companies, almost 70% of these are
international and many participate in one of
the 32 national pavilions the show attracts.
On the visitors’ side, this is more skewed
towards the domestic visitors, but again
with a show like Big 5 the visitors reach is
truly international, with the majority of the
70,000 participants coming from the GCC,
but the rest of MENA features strongly and
there is a good representation from Europe
and the Americas. ADIPEC our global oil
and gas event in Abu Dhabi boasts an even
more international draw as it is truly the
regional global showcase for the oil and gas
industry.
some regulation here would be beneficial
– but it is not an issue with the majority of
events, just the blockbusters.
>>> Matt Dentos
Senior Vice President,
dmg events
>>> What change would you like to
implement to the MICE sector?
From our perspective the industry is
working very well, we see fabulous support
from industry, media and government partners to support events. Many of our events
are located in the UAE and the Emirates’
support of the MICE industry is well documented. That said simple supply and demand can sometimes work against us and
when we have a major international event
in town, hotel prices can be pushed up in
turn making participation less cost effective
and putting more pressure on ROI. Perhaps
>>> From your perspective, how
is the MICE industry evolving in
the years to come? Any specific
change in the Industry trends as
recognised by you.
Our industry, the exhibitions one, is
thriving at the moment, but like most media is constantly evolving and content is
king. It is no longer enough for events to
showcase products and services; increasingly we need to provide content and education. As you look across the exhibition
industry you see more and more seminars
and masterclasses, technical session and
conferences. Traditionally a by-product of
the main event they are now integral in attracting the audience and delivering a fullfeatured experience.
>>> What do you think are the
major challenges faced by the
industry by technology centric
webinars making the world
smaller and easily reachable?
We don’t see technology as a challenge
but rather an opportunity. In our view
technology is an extension of live events
allowing us to engage with our customers 365 days a year. Traditionally annual
events provided a single opportunity in the
year to maintain contact with customers,
however digital technology has allowed us
keep our customers up to date on the latest trends, results from industry surveys,
share opinion and such like. Nothing can
replace the value that face-to-face interaction provides and so we don’t perceive
digital technology to be anything but a
value-add for our customers.
Technology is not just helping us preshow though, it is proving a great tool on-
12 • Destination MICE • February 2015
site. With smart phones in the hands of
the majority of visitors our apps can tailor
content for them, letting them know where
and when they should navigate the show.
Imagine trying to find your way around
the 20 halls and over 2,500 exhibitors at
the Big 5, or select from the 40+ technical
seminars. Technology and apps make this
possible and allow visitors to better plan
their day and focus their valuable time.
Add in technologies like ‘near field communication’ and ‘gps tagging’ and the future looks great.
Specifically looking at webinars – these
are a great promotional tool for events
– giving potential visitors insight into a
subject they can explore more fully and in
person at an exhibition or conference.
close support to ensure events stay at
the top of their field and if international
continue to put that country of the map.
The UAE very much positions itself as
a leading global MICE destination and
that benefits all organisers’ that operate
here, we sell Dubai the destination in the
same breath as the event.
>>> What are the major
developments that you anticipate,
may shape the future of Business
in UAE both in the short term and
the long term?
Venue developments, the booming construction market, Expo2020. The list is
long, but the anticipation, planning for and
execution of Expo2020 is probably single
largest development on the horizon.
>>> What growth did the industry
see in the past year?
According to recent statistics, the GCC’s
USD 1.3 billion Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry is
set for continuous growth and expansion.
The UAE boasts nearly 50 per cent of
the USD 1 trillion construction projects
currently underway in the GCC, enabling
it to emerge as the top MICE destination
in the region. With its successful bid to
host World Expo 2020, the UAE will continue its lead through its well-established
business events industry. Dubai, host to
almost 27 per cent of all events staged in
the region, is set to welcome more than 25
million visitors over a period of six months
during the Expo. Abu Dhabi, on the other
hand, generates USD 700 million from its
MICE sector and is forecasted to grow at
an annual rate of 7 per cent to reach USD
1.4 billion by 2020.
>>> What would be the growth
marketing and business
development strategy for 2015?
For us, we have a unique problem,
many of our events are wall-bound and
we have little physical space to grow.
Whilst we are working with the venues
to create more space in the future, in the
short term it forces us to look deeper
at our events and target more vertical
markets with more tightly focused exhibitions. A dedicated Stone and Marble
show has recently been borne from The
Big 5 Dubai for instance. In addition
to this we look further afield and will
continue to successfully geo-clone, or
export, our branded events around the
region. The Big 5 is now held in Jeddah,
Kuwait City, Mumbai and Jakarta. The
Hotel Show has a strong edition in Jed-
>>> How do you see Expo 2020
as a growth prospect for your
business?
dah also. So a two prong approach to grow
both domestically and internationally.
>>> Which will be the potential
destinations that will bring in
valuable returns to your business
as well as economy of the country?
As I mentioned before our exhibitions
and predominantly international, so as in
Dubai and Abu Dhabi, they attract a large
following of international exhibitors and
visitors that they bring to a host city, supporting the MICE industry and benefiting
the economy of the country. Where next?
We are looking with interest to ASEAN
and have made our first tentative steps.
We also see a great opportunity in Africa,
both North and Sub-Saharan, as their industries mature and open up.
>>> What kind of support do the
regulatory authorities provide
to the International Exhibition
and Convention organisers? Are
there any special features added
by the authorities to attract these
organisers to choose UAE as a
destination?
This varies from country to country
and is hard to define. Many countries see
the value of the MICE industry in their
development and work hard to bring annual or peripatetic events to their venues. Emerging countries may subsidise
new events to attract them or assist in
the marketing of the shows. Other more
mature exhibition markets will still see
Dubai’s successful bid to host World
Expo2020 will significantly impact various
economic segments of not just the UAE but
the entire GCC. The high-level global event
has particularly injected new energy into the
construction, real estate, tourism, hospitality and transport industries, with significant
fresh opportunities steadily emerging. More
state-of-the-art infrastructures and hotels
are being constructed and hospitality jobs
being created to support the expected influx
of 25 million people attending the six-month
world fair – 71 per cent of whom will come
from abroad.
As with many such events it is the legacy
that is equally important and Dubai Expo
2020 will create some fantastic facilities
for the city, facilities that will carry forward the exhibition industry in the coming decades.
>>> What message would you like
to share with the industry?
As we finally shake off the last remnants
of global economic crisis the UAE’s events
are going from strength to strength and
the UAE has confirmed itself as the MICE
hub not just for the GCC, for the entire
region. These are exciting times as our
events reach further and further to draw
exhibitors and visitors. With the added
content and offerings that successful exhibitions now need to offer we’ll increasingly reach outside of the exhibition halls
and we look forward to working with hotels, venues and other MICE professionals
to deliver value-packed events around our
exhibitions that enhance the visitor experience and showcase our cities.
13 • Destination MICE • February 2015
tech knowlogy
Novo Cinemas
We promise patrons a great time out. In an interview with Destination Mice Magazine
informed Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, CEO, Novo Cinemas.
>>> Please tell us a little about
>>> Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen
CEO, Novo Cinemas
Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen joined
Novo Cinemas as CEO in July 2013.
An accomplished leader, Mrs. Kristiansen brings with her the vast experience gained at such companies as
Regent Exhibitions - IMEX Frankfurt,
where she served as VP for Global
Salesfrom 2001 until 2005. In 2005,
Debbie joined Bahrain Exhibition &
Convention Authority, and by 2009
had achieved the post of Chief Executive. In 2009, she became CEO of
events@Bahrain, a company owned
by Bahrain Mumtalakat holdings
company, where she had achieved
exemplary business growth despite
the economic climate.
Among the highlights of her career,
Debbie had the unique pleasure of
hosting international movie star Liam
Neeson exclusively at Novo Cinemas for the region’s very first Fan
Premiere, an event that threw the
spotlight on the thriving cinema business in the UAE, in collaboration with
Emirates Airline. Hailing from England,
Debbie now lives in Dubai with her
husband and two children.
your organisation?
Novo Cinemas is the largest chain
of theatres in the Middle East, with
115 screens and 14 state-of-the-art entertainment hubs across the UAE, Qatar and Jordan. At Novo Cinemas, we
promise patrons A Great Time Out.
>>> How was the year 2014 for
your business?
We saw a lot of interest from event
planners looking for a more creative
space for their corporate events, product launches and small conferences. We
were also leading the charge in evolving
the cinema business into an all-round
entertainment experience.
>>> What growth did the
industry see in the past year?
Our cinemas as out-of-the-box event
venues saw a huge increase in activity,
especially with the telecoms, aviation
and banking sectors.
>>> What would be the
growth marketing and business
development strategy for 2015?
Our strategy is to throw the spotlight
on our cinemas as excellent event venues – creative and innovative alternatives to traditional spaces, but with all
the required amenities, including catering, marketing and technical support.
>>> Which all will be the potential
destinations that will bring in
valuable returns to your business as
well as economy of the country?
Our reach is regional – across the
UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
>>> How do you see Expo 2020
as a growth prospect for your business?
Expo2020 will certainly bring in a
large number of tourists looking for A
Great Time Out, as well as both local
andvisiting businesses looking for an innovative space to host their events.
14 • Destination MICE • February 2015
15 • Destination MICE • February 2015
NTO update
Innovation Norway Selects Simpleview for
New VisitNorway.com, CMS & CR
Innovation Norway, the Norwegian
government’s primary instrument for
empowering Norwegian enterprises and
industry, has selected Simpleview as its
Visit Norway travel and tourism development partner following an extensive
international bidding process.
Simpleview will create a new design
for VisitNorway.com, which currently provides information and tools to
more than 20 million website visitors
annually. The site will be powered
by Simpleview CMS and integrated
with Simpleview CRM for travel and
tourism sales, marketing, forecasting,
reporting and other core destination
marketing functions.
“We’re excited to be working with one
of the world ‘s leading providers of online and mobile solutions for DMOs,”
said Hans Petter Aalmo, Web Manager at
Visit Norway. “Beyond initial design and
launch, we look forward to using Simpleview’s CMS and CRM systems to shift
resources from technical development
and operations to focus more on content
and activities that will inspire people to
experience our unique destination.”
Simpleview’s contracted services for
Innovation Norway include:
• Creative development and design for
the new VisitNorway.com
• I mplementation of Simpleview CMS,
including a number of custom features to meet needs outlined by Visit
Norway
• Content in seven languages developed
through a mix of automated and professional translation services
• Implementation of Simpleview CRM
A team of six Simpleview employees spent a week with the staff of Visit
Norway in Oslo early in December to
finalize production planning and begin drawing inspiration for the new
site design. “After experiencing Innovation Norway’s passion for driving
tourism firsthand,” Account Manager,
Adaleta Avdic recounts, “the Simpleview team is eager and ready to expand
this partnership and work hand in
hand to inspire visitors to travel to its
destination.”
“Norway is recognized internationally
as one of the world’s most progressive
countries in many ways,” said Simpleview
President Rich Reasons, “from the highest
levels of government to everyday design.
Given that reputation, we’re especially
proud to have been selected for this project and for the opportunity to extend our
services in the European market working
alongside such an innovative partner.”
Sustainable Business Travel Initiatives on the Rise in Europe
The majority (57 percent) of Europeanbased companies have sustainability initiatives written into their company’s travel
policy, according to a new study on sustainability in travel programs by the GBTA
Foundation, the education and research arm
of the Global Business Travel Association
(GBTA).
This marks a significant increase from 39
percent in 2012, and is largely attributable
to the financial benefits, and safety and security enhancements delivered by the programs. The study also found that more U.S.
companies are incorporating sustainability
programs into contracts (from 11 percent in
2011 to 19 percent), but they continue to lag
behind European counterparts.
“Overall, sustainability initiatives appear
to be more integrated in Europe-based organizations, with opportunity for improvement among US-based organizations,”
said Joseph Bates, GBTA Foundation’s vice
president of research. “We found that European companies are focused on efforts that
result in both financial and environmental
benefits, while American companies have a
strong focus on the human relations aspect
of sustainability.”
The GBTA study – “Sustainability in
Travel Programs” – was sponsored by Enterprise Holdings, which owns and operates
the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car
Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands. The
annual revenues of Enterprise Holdings, the
world’s largest car rental company, rank
near the top of the travel industry, ahead of
many airlines and most cruise lines, hotels,
tour operators and online travel agencies.
Nearly 300 U.S. and European-based Travel Managers were surveyed to better understand how they currently view sustainability initiatives and the role sustainability
plays with ground transportation. In addition, the study focused on future intentions
regarding incorporating sustainability into
programs as well as similarities and differences by regions and across time.
Moving beyond the initiatives themselves,
the survey also examined the impact of sustainability initiatives, finding that among
companies that measure their environmental footprint, nearly all measure air travel activity (96 percent in Europe and 92 percent
in the U.S.).
“It does not surprise me to see sustainability issues rising up the agenda for Travel
Managers,” said Jim Burrell, Senior Vice
President for Enterprise Holdings in Europe.
“Sustainability within the travel supply
chain has been a core component of contractual discussions for a number of years. However, there is a definite shift to this becoming
more about measurement and impact than
just a ‘nice to have’.”
Burrell also noted that Enterprise has been
working with organizations to help them
understand the long-term impact of corporate travel, not only in terms of cost, but also
environmental considerations, employee
safety and efficiency. “This goes beyond the
provision of vehicles,” he said. “We also are
noticing a much stronger emphasis on questions about how we manage our own supply
chain in relation to sustainability.”
16 • Destination MICE • February 2015
NTO update
Canada Expands Immigration in
2015 - Canadian Visa Expert Reports
2015 is going to be a year with a very high
demand for immigration to Canada due to
a large number of attractive migration programs that exist in Canada, and especially
because of the new Express Entry application
management system that the government of
Canada designed and inaugurated earlier
this year in order to help more foreigners
with skills get to Canada much faster.
The program that will lead the immigration to Canada in 2015 will be the Federal
Skilled Worker’s Program through the administration of the new Express Entry application management system, but, it will
not be the only government program that
will enable foreigners with different skill
sets or backgrounds to migrate successfully to Canada in 2015.
In direct response to Canada’s growing
immigration opportunities in 2015, Canadian Visa Expert has expanded its immigration services and activities in order to
help more people and families realize their
immigration goals to Canada.
Additional immigration programs in
Canada, like regional enrollments by Provinces such as Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Alberta, etc. will also enable and facilitate new immigration by the thousands.
For those who want to immigrate, today
Canada offers a variety of opportunities
that are equally suitable for academics
and professions with high-tech or low-tech
skills, such as welders, carpenters, fishermen, automotive mechanics, engineers,
managers, among other skills which the
government of Canada has published.
Canadian Visa Expert specializes in immigration opportunities to Canada and
provides comprehensive immigration services to customers from all over the world
on a variety of Canada’s viable 2015 immigration programs. After a professional
assessment, Canadian Visa Expert matches
its customers with the best immigration
track they may qualify for based upon
details they entered, including education,
age, language skills and other relevant criteria and leading indicators.
Spain Tourism Operators Spend Time
with Seychelles Tourism Officials
Tour operators from Spain this week were
invited to meet with the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Alain St.Ange,
and to hear about the new developments on the
islands. The informal gathering that took place
over a dinner was also attended by Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the island’s Tourism Board, and
Bernadette Willemin, the Tourism Board’s Director for Europe. Present also were local representatives for a number of international hotel chains
as well as Mason’s Travel.
Monica Gonzalez Llinas, the Seychelles
Tourism Board’s Manager for Spain, was the
first to address the evening function in the
presence of both the island’s Consul based
in Barcelona and also the one from Madrid.
She was followed by Bernadette Willemin, the
Seychelles Tourism Board’s Director for Europe, who thanked the Spanish operators for
their continued support for Seychelles. Sherin
Naiken, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism
Board, said when she took the floor that Spain
remained a potential market for Seychelles.
“This is why the Tourism Board and partners
who want a share of the Spanish tourism market were present at FITUR,” Ms. Naiken said
before detailing the latest developments that
had taken place in Seychelles.
Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister holding the tourism portfolio, on his part
said when he addressed the dinner function
that he was thankful that Seychelles had true
friends in Spain as they have in every major
tourism source market. The Minister thanked
the Spanish tour operators for remaining faithful to the islands and for making time even during the busy trade fair time to come out to hear
what Seychelles had to say.
Japan National Tourism
Organization (JNTO)
Concludes ‘Visit Japan
Trade Seminar’ in New
Delhi and Mumbai
Japan National Tourism Organization along
with a strong delegation from Japan comprising of Participating Partners successfully
concluded ‘Visit Japan Trade Seminar’ in Delhi
and Mumbai. The ‘Visit Japan Trade Seminar’
was organized in New Delhi and in Mumbai
recently.
The trade seminars had participation of
delegates from trade members comprising
airlines, hotels, and popular attractions, such
as Home of Mt. Fuji-Shizuoka, Nagano Prefecture, Tour Quality Japan, Fujikyu Group, Hokkaido Tourism Organisation, Osaka Government Tourism Bureau, Hyatt Regency Osaka,
Air India Osaka Office, Ayabex Inc, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.
The delegation held business sessions with
the Indian trade partners in addition to interacting
with the media thereby creating a strong platform
of information exchange. The delegation met
more than 200 trade partners during the course
of the seminars in the two cities. The objective
was to update the travel trade community and
the media organisations about the latest developments and product offering in Japan.
‘Visit Japan Trade Seminar’ also had presentations by Mr. Hideki Manabe, Executive Director, Japan National Tourism Organization and
Mr.Toshi hiko Yamahoshi, Councillor, Embassy
of Japan and from partners like, Mr. Michikoo
Nakamori of Hokkaido Tourism Organisation; Mr.
Hiroyuki Ashizawa of Home of Mt. Fuji-Shizuoka;
Mr. Hideki Kasahara of Tour Quality Japan and
Mr. Harunobu Ota of Clair Singapore who showcased their destinations and services to the Indian partners and the media. JNTO also invited
Ms. Anoothi Vishal, renowned food and travel
writer to talk about her experiences when she
travelled to Japan.
Last year Japan welcomed 11,009,000
tourists, a growth of about 27% compared to
the corresponding period in the previous year.
During this period 73,600 Indians visited Japan – a growth of more than 15% over the
last year.
17 • Destination MICE • February 2015
industry updates
ACTE, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives,
Stages Trade Seminar etc in ITE & MICE 2015
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) will again support ITE & MICE
which will next be held from June 11 to 14,
2015, and host there an Executive Forum on
Corporate Travel for ACTE members etc. To
facilitate further contacts and interactions of
corporate travel managers with related exhibitors of the Travel Expo, ACTE will hold a VIP
tour and a reception.
As ITE & MICE supporter, ACTE will also
send complimentary invitations to members
in Hong Kong and Guangdong to visit during trade days the Travel Expo, which will
be held at Halls 1A to 1E of the Hong Kong
Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Founded in 1988, ACTE is a leading non‐
profit organization that serves and advances
the global business travel industry in 102 different countries. The education ACTE provides infiltrates to more than 12 million business travelers worldwide.
“Our members would welcome an Executive Forum and additional activities in
an international travel fair like ITE & MICE,
as that makes their visits more efficient and
cost effective”, said Benson Tang, ACTE Regional Director, Asia which strives to make
business travel more productive, cost-effec-
tive and straightforward.
“We welcome continuation of co-operation
with prestigious international organization
like ACTE, and the top quality education it
brings into our travel expo”, said KS Tong,
Managing Director of TKS Exhibition Services
Ltd which organizes ITE & MICE.
The organizer has designated June 12, 2015
as MICE / Corporate Travel Day, as there will
be several related trade seminars, activities
such as Business Matching and presentations
by exhibitors.
ITE & MICE 2015, which is a co-location of
the 29th ITE and the 10th ITE MICE for synergy, is also supported by China National
Tourism Administration, Hong Kong Tourism
Board, Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong,
Barcelona hosts annual AC Forum
meeting, coinciding with 15 anniversary
The Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, pictured with some of the AC Forum participants.
Organised by Barcelona Convention
Bureau, the meeting brought together
the main European association’s congress organisers. The mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, and deputy mayor,
SòniaRecasens,and the Healthcare delegate at City Hall, Cristina Iniesta, also
attended the event.
Barcelona, January 30, 2015. Last January 22-24, Barcelona Convention Bureau,
a Turisme de Barcelona programme, organised the Annual Meeting of the AC
Forum (www.acforum.net), which brings
together the main European associations
that organise conferences, the majority
of these in the medical sector. The event,
Macau Government Tourist Office, trade associations of travel agents and event industries
from Hong Kong and in the region. Prestigious chambers of commerce and professional
bodies also help distributing invitations to
their members.
Of the total 12308 buyers and trade visitors of ITE & MICE 2014, 2588 are from
MICE or corporations and 6522 from travel
agents; and its 650 international exhibitors
came from 47 countries and regions from all
over the world.
For more details of the Expo or trade visitor
registration, please visit trade website of www.
itehk.com. For exhibiting or general enquiry,
please email to travel@tkshk.com or contact the
Organizer, TKS by phone: (852) 31550600.
which coincided with the 15th anniversary of the AC Forum, gathered a record
80-or-so participants from across the continent. The objective of the yearly meeting
is to share information and experiences
about the destinations where they hold
their events, amongst other points.
Strategic sector for the city
“The meetings sector is one of the city’s
strong points. It is a strategic sector for
our economy and Turisme de Barcelona is
working hard in this area,”says Turisme
de Barcelona’s Managing Director, Jordi
William Carnes.
Participants attending the meeting this
year praised the professionalism of the
city of Barcelona and its tourism industry,
and this, according to Carnes, “points to
an increase in the number of new congresses and meetings in Barcelona in the
future.” The city receives 600,000 meetings delegates a year.
The AC Forum was held at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, Barcelona International
Convention Center (CCIB) and Pullman
Barcelona Skipper.
18 • Destination MICE • February 2015
industry updates
MCE Central & Eastern
Europe: Program Specs
The Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw’s most visible landmark, will be the
proud host of the opening night of the 5th
annual edition of the MCE CEE.
The event is expected to kick off in style
with the official Welcome Gala Dinner
taking place on Sunday evening. Organized by the Warsaw Convention Bureau,
and hosted in Poland’s tallest building,
the Palace of Culture and Science, the
evening will be the perfect opportunity
to introduce attendees to Warsaw and
each other.
Guests will be picked up from the hotel
and enjoy a short bus tour of the city (organized by Haxel DMC), before arriving at the
palace. Once there, they will be provided
with the opportunity to tour the amazing
venue, before assembling into the Palace’s
restaurant, where they will be wined and
dined like VIPs. With a line-up of wonderful entertainment and a marvelous dinner
offered by Belvedere catering, the first evening is certainly expected to set the scene for
the remainder of the two days, allowing for
plenty of opportunities to relax, network and
get to know each other.
A busy two days awaits participants on
Monday and Tuesday, when the event goes
into full swing. An array of educational sessions, one-to-one meetings and plenty of net-
working is on the agenda, as we commence
the day with some introductions and welcome words.
Offering exclusive and business progressive insight into the CEE Region,
Jonathan Bradshaw and Daniel Tschudy,
along with the participating Central and
Eastern Europe Convention Bureaus will
take the stage to introduce and highlight
exactly why the CEE region is becoming
an increasingly ideal destination for MICE
activities. Mr Bradshaw and Mr Tschudy,
experts in their respective fields, will remain for the duration of the event, with Mr
Bradshaw taking the stage once again on
Monday afternoon to discuss “The Secret
Science behind Connecting with Others”,
while Mr Tschudy gives his key-note session on how “Cross-Cultural Competence
can help approaching new markets in the
right way”, on Tuesday morning.
All-in-all the 5th edition of the MCE
CEE is promising to be the best one yet,
bringing in even more buyers, providers, meetings, networking and education
than ever before. We can’t wait to see
you all in Poland!
For more information and participation
visit the Europe Congress:
http://www.europecongress.com/events/
mce-cee-2015-warsaw
Eventex Congress 2015 is Just a Few Time Away
Sofia Will Welcome Global Event Professionals for
2 Days of Education and Networking in February
Eventex Congress is a unique professional
event for the European market. It ‘s not an
expo, nor it is a trade show; it’s a blend between a conference and networking event with
boutique exhibition and a lot of entertainment.
2 days of shared knowledge, 15 esteemed expert speakers and a lot of inspiration is the essence of Eventex Congress 2015. Here’s what
to expect during the congress:
On February 25, 2015 Eventex Congress 2015
starts with Event Technology Conference, held by
5 extraordinary speakers, each covering a different subject. Trends, Best Practices and Insider
Tips are shared by some of the most influential
event professionals in Europe.
A simultaneous half-day master class is
held on Venue Sales by Rob Davidson, one of
the 50 most influential people in UK Business
Event Industry.
On the evening of February 25, Eventex Awards
Gala will honor the nominees in 10 categories for
events and 4 event tech categories. A night, full
of outstanding performances and inspiration,
drawn from the most prominent events and
technology solutions from the past year.
On February 26, 2015 Eventex Congress
2015 will cover the Event Marketing Trends and
Strategies with 5 more master speakers, sharing their invaluable experience in event publicity
and sponsorship, sales, marketing and audience
engagement. Same day, half-day masterclass
is dedicated to Meeting Design with top author
and facilitator Eric De Groot.
On the evening of February 26, Eventex Party will
gather all attendees to celebrate the new connections
and knowledge, established during the congress.
Registrations from 17 countries worldwide were
made by far in the 7th edition of Eventex Congress,
expecting their peak in the coming weeks.
“This year Eventex Congress will be a memorable and refreshing experience not only because
of the respected event professionals but with the
young talents that won our competitions” - said
Ovanes Ovanessian, Founder of Eventex.
CINZ MEETINGS 2015 is
the Place to do Business
New Zealand’s premier business events
trade exhibition, CINZ MEETINGS 2015 returns for its 19th year in June, promising
bigger business opportunities and an expanded programme.
Buyers booked valuable business at last
year’s show. Conventions and Incentives
New Zealand (CINZ) Chief Executive Sue
Sullivan says this growth is set to continue
as the country’s business events sector
expands.
“Over $50 million was written at CINZ
MEETINGS 2014. It is the place to do business,” Sue Sullivan says.
“MEETINGS is New Zealand’s leading
platform for connecting important domestic, Australian and international buyers with
key regions, meeting facilities, accommodation, off-site venues and activities.”
Organised by CINZ, MEETINGS 2015
will be staged across two large pavilions at
Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds on June 10
and 11. All of New Zealand’s regions will be
showing their business tourism strengths,
with more than 180 exhibitors and an expanded Luxury Collection.
“We are delighted to be back in Auckland
again and at ASB Showgrounds. Exhibition
space is already booking fast after the success of our first show here last year,” Sue
Sullivan says.
“The expansive pavilions have proven
popular with exhibitors and buyers, who really appreciate the open, friendly feel.”
Leveraging MEETINGS’ growing international reputation, CINZ is again working with
partners Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) and
Air New Zealand to attract quality buyers.
They are bringing more than 35 influential buyers and media from North America,
Japan, China, India and South East Asia to
MEETINGS 2015.
Through their joint strategic partnerships
in Australia, TNZ and CINZ are also inviting
key association buyers to the event with the
support of Air New Zealand.
Australian hosted buyers are in for another
treat this year, with the chance to join one of
eight regional familiarisation programmes
prior to the show, Sue Sullivan says.
Air New Zealand is Principal Sponsor for
CINZ MEETINGS 2015, renewing its ongoing
commitment to the sector and to the Hosted
Buyer Programme. The event’s other major
sponsors are ASB Showgrounds, Peek Exhibition and Centium Software.
19 • Destination MICE • February 2015
industry updates
MPI Announces Host City for 2016
European Meetings and Events Conference
IT&CM China
2015 partners with
Marriott Group
IT&CM China has partnered with the Marriott Group, which will provide accommodation for more than 400 hosted delegates attending the 2015 event.
JW Marriott Shanghai Changfeng Park,
Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel and
Shanghai Marriott Hotel Parkview will all be
used to host the delegates for the upcoming
expo which is being held at the new Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing.
“IT&CM China is a very important event
for the MICE industry, especially to a MICEfocused hotel like us,” said Shanghai Marriott
Hotel Parkview general manager Ricky Lam.
“As the newest Marriott property in Shanghai, being able to partner such an influential
event which is a hub for international MICE
activity in the region is a great opportunity to
showcase our property to the market.”
IT&CM China 2015 will take place from
April 14 - 16, 2015.
Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
has selected Copenhagen, Denmark, as the
destination for its 2016 European Meetings
& Events Conference (EMEC). The association revealed its plans earlier today during the
closing of EMEC 2015 in Kraków, Poland.
Next year will be the third time MPI has
hosted a conference in the Danish capital.
The association previously held its former
Professional Education Conference-Europe
in Copenhagen in 1998 and 2007. EMEC 2016
is scheduled for February 7 – 9, 2016, at the
Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel.
“MPI is thrilled to return to Copenhagen,”
said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO
of MPI. “In selecting the host city for EMEC,
MPI works closely with our European volunteer leaders, strategic partners and Pierre
Fernandez – the head of MPI’s European operations – to identify destinations that provide
world-class infrastructures and facilities, are
accessible for our membership and align with
our culture to push the envelope in meeting
design. Copenhagen excels in each of those
areas.”
Copenhagen is one of the most popular destinations for meetings and events in Europe.
The city has been recognized by the International Congress and Convention Association
(ICCA) for several years in its annual ranking
of top convention cities.
“MPI Denmark, together with our partners
VisitDenmark, Wonderful Copenhagen CVB
and Radisson Blu Scandinavia, are honored
to welcome EMEC 2016 to Copenhagen, and
we are all very excited about this unique opportunity to showcase the Danish Meetovation meeting design concept. Our vision is to
help make this conference a state-of-the-art
event where Meetovation meeting designs
are implemented in the execution,” said Helle
Svaneborg, president of the board of directors,
MPI Denmark Chapter.
Denmark and its capital of Copenhagen are
known for their commitment to innovation,
sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Copenhagen is the birth place of
“Meetovation,” a meeting design concept that
aims to create a better learning outcome and
an increased return on investment (ROI) by
using creative, state-of-the-art elements and
techniques. The city also has a long track record of sustainable meetings management and
was voted Europe’s Green Capital for 2014 by
the European Environment Commission.
“Evidence of being in action to make a social, economic and environmental difference
is essential to be a world-leading destination.
I am thrilled that MPI’s EMEC will be held in
Copenhagen in 2016 because it is a city that
clearly demonstrates their commitment to sustainability,” said Fiona Pelham, chair-elect of
MPI’s board of directors.
MPI’s partners for EMEC 2016 include VisitDenmark, Wonderful Copenhagen Convention & Visitors Bureau, Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel and the MPI Denmark Chapter.
To register interest and receive updates on
next year’s conference, visit www.mpiweb.
org/emec2016.
GBTA Alarmed by DHS Funding
Fight’s Impact on Business Travel
Recently, a Department of Homeland Security funding bill failed to pass a procedural vote. The
statement below can be attributed to Michael W. McCormick, Executive Director and COO of the
Global Business Travel Association.
“The Global Business Travel Association is concerned that today’s vote failing to fully fund the
Department of Homeland Security could have serious, unintended consequences for business
travel, an industry that is expected to account for $310.2 billion in spending during 2015. We call
on Congress to work together to fund DHS, which supports the movement of people, goods and
services throughout our transportation system.
Absent a full year funding bill, business travel can easily be disrupted, causing an immediate
impact on our economy. For every one percent decrease in business travel spending, the U.S.
economy loses an additional 71,000 jobs, nearly $5 billion in GDP, $3 billion in wages and $1.2
billion in tax collections.”
20 • Destination MICE • February 2015
industry updates
Milestone 2014 for Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
(the Centre) celebrates its 10th year in operation on the back of a milestone 2014
with 1,759 events hosted, an 11% increase
over the previous record of 1,565 in 2013.
The Entertainment and TenOnCall segments saw business grow 40% and 14%
respectively while Banqueting & Functions and Exhibitions both registered a
9% growth. Delegate numbers were up
accordingly, to over 1.97 million against
1.96 million in 2013.
And as it approaches its 10th year, the
Centre can take pride in having served
more than 17.6 million delegates and visitors from 9,969 events and contributed
RM5.5 billion in economic impact since
opening in June 2005.
General Manager, Alan Pryor attributed
the Centre’s success to date and the year’s
(2014) excellent performance to a flexible
and innovative outlook that supports the
generation of value-add solutions to meet
the different needs of a range of local and
international clients and in turn, ensures
the continuing delivery of quality products and services.
Looking at the year ahead, Pryor says
the Centre will look to build on the momentum achieved in 2014 by “leveraging
the knowledge and experience we have
gained from a decade in the industry. This
valuable knowhow has moulded us into
the savvy and resilient team of professionals we are today.”
The Centre’s 10th anniversary tagline
of ‘Focusing on perfection, always, celebrating ten enriching years’ with the
accompanying message ‘Leaving you
with memorable impressions is what
drives us. Our motto will always be to
passionately deliver excellence to make
you happy’, aptly describe how the experience, knowledge and commitment
Melbourne Welcomes Indonesia’s Largest Incentive Group
The single largest Indonesian incentive
group ever hosted in Australia will be landing
in Melbourne throughout February and March
for the Tupperware Indonesia Manager Incentive Trip 2015.
A global leader in direct selling, Tupperware
is one of the most trusted names in housewares
globally, and will use the event to reward over
4000 of its highest achieving sales managers,
team leaders and distributors.
Delegates will arrive in stages over the next
eight weeks for a four-day program and deliver
an estimated $19 million economic contribution to the Victoria Economy.
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) tailored a
unique itinerary to appeal to the specific interests of
the group; first time visitors to Australia, and mainly
women aged between 30-50 with a passion for
shopping and sightseeing.
Tupperware Indonesia Sales Support Manager, Agus Mustapa, said MCB’s collaborative approach, commitment to finding the perfect fit, and
the city’s ability to easily host a group of this size,
were important factors in his decision to choose
Melbourne over other potential Australian cities.
“MCB took the time to understand what
we were really looking for: an exciting, entertaining and inspiring trip in a safe and vibrant
destination.”
“Melbourne was the clear stand out. Aside
from the endless attractions, thriving shopping
culture, ease of access to regional areas, and
reputation as a safe and friendly city, it also has
the infrastructure necessary to accommodate
large groups – great hotels, entertainment and
attractions, and all in a city that is easy to get to,
and easy to get around,” he said.
MCB CEO Karen Bolinger said that “Melbourne
is becoming an increasingly attractive option for the
Asian incentive market, and we are seeing growth
from Indonesia in particular.”
“We are in the unique position to offer visitors
an exciting and dynamic urban experience in the
World’s Most Liveable City, with the natural and
historical wonders of regional Victoria only an
hour or two away,” she said.
“Guests can leave having experienced a
real taste of the beauty, complexity and diversity of Australia, from both a regional and
urban perspective – a characteristic quite
unique to Victoria.”
MCB collaborated with key partners City of
Melbourne and Tourism Australia, who assisted in securing the bid, negotiating a seamless
customised VISA application process between
WITA Tour (the travel agent) and the Australian
embassy, and facilitated discussions with airlines to ensure ease of travel.
to quality will hold the facility in good
stead going forward.
In tandem with the (Centre’s) 10th anniversary is a host of marketing and promotional packages to thank clients and
stakeholders who have contributed to the
venue’s growth and success to date. These
range from discounts on ancillary charges
for Day Conference
Packages (DCPs) and complimentary
mocktails for Banquets to Exhibition Loyalty Value-Add Programme tier upgrades,
and much more.
Among the many high-profile events on
the Centre’s 2015 roster are the ASEAN
Finance Ministers Meeting 2015, Global
Food Safety Conference 2015, 18th Human Genome Meeting 2015, Global
Round World Scholar Cup 2015, International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) 2015, Annual Meeting of
the Asia Pacific Association of Cataract
and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS) 2015,
Congress of the International Society for
Hemodialysis (ISHD) 2015, Congress of
the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
2015; and Asean Federation of Endocrine
Society (AFES) 2015.
Cambodia Hosts
1st World Conference
on Tourism and Culture
Cambodia hosted the 1st World Conference on Tourism and Culture to talk about
the challenges and lasting development opportunities for cultural tourism. The three-day
event, organized by Cambodia in cooperation
with the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the UNESCO, brought together,
ministers and representatives of tourism and
culture from 99 countries, for the first time.
At the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Hun Sen said the conference was an
appropriate opportunity to discuss and
exchange experiences among experts and
researchers in order to pan out new measures for continued development of tourism and culture.
He said that this conference will help
promote more active cooperation in building a new partnership between tourism and
culture so as to push for the sustainable
development of cultural tourism.
Last year Cambodia attracted 4.5 million
international tourists, generating total revenue of more than $3 billion. The country
will witness around 5 million foreign visitors
this year and up to 7.5 million in 2020.
21 • Destination MICE • February 2015
industry updates
Business Events to Benefit from
New Air Deal with China
Prague is the second
Best Meeting Destination
in the Region
Prague has again been ranked among the
best meeting destinations in the region and won
another Meetings Star Award for 2014. Prague
already gained this award last year when it
ranked first with a total of 4.64 points.
This year, it has gained the same number of
points and ranked second out of 45 evaluated
destinations. The best destination of 2014 is Istanbul, third place goes to Dubrovnik.
The Meetings Star Awards are presented annually by Slovenian Kongres Magazine which
focuses on MICE in Central and South East Europe. When evaluating individual destinations the
following criteria are taken into account: natural
and cultural factors, general and transport infrastructure, tourist and meeting infrastructure and
marketing buzz. The additional criterion that the
editorial board of Kongres Magazine also took into
account is the current ranking on the ICCA Country and City Ranking 2013 and Mercer’s global
scale of quality of life in individual capitals.
The winners were awarded at the welcome
reception at 2015 Conventa trade show in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on Wednesday 21 January,
2015. The award for Prague was taken over by
a representative of GUARANT International who
is a member of Prague Convention Bureau, the
official convention bureau of the City of Prague.
The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) congratulates Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure & Regional Development Warren Truss
and Trade & Investment Minister Andrew
Robb on announcement of a new air deal
with China.
The new arrangements allow Australian
and Chinese airlines to immediately increase
capacity by 18% to 26,500 seats each way per
week between Australia’s major gateway cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth)
and Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Both
sides can also operate a further 26,500 seats
each way per week between all other cities
in China and Australia’s major gateways. By
October 2016, this will expand to a total of
67,000 weekly seats.
Airlines will continue to be allowed to
offer unlimited services between China and
regional Australian convention destinations
including Adelaide, Darwin, Gold Coast
and Cairns.
AACB President, Lyn Lewis-Smith stated that, “This announcement builds on
other Government initiatives improving
Nigeria Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference
Nigeria Hotel and Tourism Investment
Conference is a high-powered, three days
conference which aims to bring international hotel and regional industry experts together to discuss and debate the
changing landscape and to help identify
intelligent and targeted investment opportunities. Through an interactive programme that includes panels, breakfast
briefing and breakout sessions, delegates
can learn about the latest trends and how
the future of the industry is expected to
develop in the coming years.
It will be a well attended event and will
give attendees the opportunity to explore
Nigeria’s diverse and largely untapped
potential. Jonel Hospitality Consulting
in Association with Federal Ministry of
Culture, Tourism and National Orientation
and Woodstarhotels.com are delighted to
join forces to bring to interested investors
in African’s biggest economy the Nigeria
Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference
(NHTIC) 2015
Australia’s access to Chinese delegates
such as the China-Australia Free Trade
Agreement, multiple-entry three year
business visitor visas and trial of electronic visa lodgement for Chinese visitors. It
also compliments the ‘Attracting Business
Events to Australia: Role of Government
Agencies’ framework, announced by Minister Robb in November 2014.”
According to the 2020 Business Events
Sector Quarterly Progress Report, year ending September 2014, the Chinese market represented 61,000 business events delegates to
Australia with a spend of $238 million. The
Chinese market is currently ranked fourth
in delegate spend behind the traditional
markets of the United States of America,
United Kingdom and New Zealand.
AACB Executive Director, Andrew Hiebl
said, “Aviation capacity out of China has
been challenging for Australian convention
bureaux. This announcement helps our efforts in attracting large groups from this
high-yield growth market.”
Deloitte Access Economics (2014) suggests
that delivering more growth from Asia requires deepening our economic understanding and strengthening our economic ties.
“International business events are a proven mechanism for building professional
networks and promoting cultural exchange.
Opening up access to Chinese delegates further encourages trade, investment and research collaboration opportunities between
the two countries,” Hiebl added.
Increasing Chinese air rights is also integral to achieving Australia’s Tourism 2020
targets. Overnight spend by business event
delegates in Australia is currently worth $13
billion (Tourism Research Australia, 2014),
with a target of $16 billion by 2020.
Many of Australia’s convention bureaux
will target the Asian market in partnership
with Tourism Australia at IT&CM China
and Business Events Australia’s North Asia
and South East Asia Showcases across April
and May.
22 • Destination MICE • February 2015
industry updates
Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre Team
Continues to Expand As Opening Day Nears
A number of senior executives have
been appointed to the Oman Convention
& Exhibition Centre team in preparation
for the venue opening its doors to the
world in 2016.
OCEC General Manager, Trevor McCartney said the Sultanate of Oman was fast
becoming recognized as one of the world’s
most exciting emerging convention destinations, with the venue being the catalyst
in attracting hundreds of thousands of
visitors from next year.
He said to assist in meeting the demands of business meeting organisers
worldwide, the OCEC had expanded its
Business Development, Technical, Finance
and Food and Beverage teams.
The new appointments include Chanaka
Fonseka as Food and Beverage Director;
Troy Reynolds as Head of Event Operations; Sheikha Al Mugheiry as International Business Development Manager;
Thomas Joseph as Business Development
Manager for Exhibitions; Derek Wilson as
Audio Visual and Production Manager;
Pieter du Plooy as Systems Administrator;
and Mohammed Waheed Al Lawati as an
Executive Assistant.
Mr. McCartney said as it approached its
grand opening in early 2016, the Centre’s
priority would be to grow awareness and
interest in Oman as a serious contender
for hosting large scale conventions and
exhibitions.
“A key part of that strategy will be recruiting staff with expertise in specific areas as well as nurturing and developing
the local talent pool,” he said.
Chanaka Fonseka is an internationally experienced executive specialising in
food and beverage operations. Chanaka
is already part of the AEG Ogden family
and has undertaken a number of leadership roles in his career in the hospitality
industry.
Troy Reynolds, a Certified Meeting
Professional of the Convention Industry
Council, brings over 25 years of experience in the events and hospitality industry. His brings to the venue a passion for
delivering remarkable meeting experiences which in turn leave an enduring impact
on the local community and economy.
With six years in the local Five Star hospitality industry, Sheikha Al Mugheiry’s
experience within the international and
regional market place will be critical to
the OCEC’s relationship with the Omani
community and in attracting major international conventions to Oman.
Ms. Al Mugheiry said it was a privilege
to be a part of such a landmark development and being able to showcase the
beauty that Oman has to offer the world.
“The OCEC is a key opportunity for
young Omanis to be exposed to a thriving
business events environment and advance
themselves professionally, through the
highest standards of training from an international venue operator, such as AEG
Ogden, “she said.
Thomas Joseph has spent almost a decade in the local exhibition, business and
live events industry, and will utilise these
skills and his knowledge of the regional
market to increase the Sultanate’s market
share in this competitive arena.
Derek Wilson joins the OCEC with over 30
years of experience in providing technical
services to the exhibition and events industry at some of Great Britain’s foremost convention centres and global events, including
a managerial position at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Pieter du Plooy has developed an extensive knowledge base on business systems
analysis over the past 25 years, working
closely with unique, industry-specific
software to provide a single solution to
the fully-integrated management of the
events and meetings marketplace.
Mohammed Waheed Al Lawati brings to
the OCEC a range of marketing and entrepreneurship skills. He has previously been
involved in a number of large scale national
projects and previously served in a pivotal
role with Injaz Oman, which is part of the
internationally renowned Junior Achievement Worldwide organisation.
Mr. McCartney said the OCEC would
continue its local and international recruitment drive with the aim of having
more than 180 full-time staff by the end of
this year.
23 • Destination MICE • February 2015
hospitality updates
IT&CM China 2015 Unveils Brand New Venue
and Marriott Group Official Hotel Partners
IHG to open third
Holiday Inn in
South Africa
Featuring a selection of meeting rooms and
function space, the hotel is well equipped for
hosting events or private business meetings.
Guests can enjoy food and beverage in the
hotel’s restaurant and two bars. Located close
to the Airport, guests staying on business are
also guaranteed convenient access to Sandton Convention Centre as well as the major
city centres of Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport will
be the second IHG hotel in Africa with the
operators who also manage Crowne Plaza
Nairobi. This will be IHG’s third Holiday Inn
hotel in South Africa. As with all Holiday Inn
hotels, guests can expect the ideal mix of
business and leisure in an inviting and comfortable environment.
Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer,
India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said,
“Holiday Inn has enjoyed a long and successful history in South Africa since we
launched our first hotel in Johannesburg in
1971. Today South Africa ranks amongst
the top business events and leisure travel destinations in Africa and we are confident in the
market’s long-term growth potential.”
“Choice Decisions 65 (Pty) Ltd is a reputable hotel developer with a strong track
record as a hotel developer and we are delighted to be working with them again. We
are confident Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport will be the hotel of choice for travellers
looking for a comfortable and reliable stay
in South Africa,” he added.
Nazir Akbarali, CEO, Choice Decisions 65
(Pty) Ltd, said, “We have been working with
IHG for many years – on earlier Holiday Inn
properties we developed with them in Canada and the current Crowne Plaza Nairobi.
Our partnership with them has been very
successful and we are pleased to be managing our second hotel with them in Africa.
We look forward to welcoming guests when
the doors to the new Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport open early this year.”
IHG currently has 29 hotels open on the
continent of Africa across five brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn,
Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites,
and a further six hotels in the pipeline. Across
the Asia, Middle East and Africa region there
are 84 Holiday Inn hotels totalling more than
19,400 rooms, with an additional 48 hotels
due to open in the next three to five years.
Exciting news in store for IT&CM China
delegates as the 2015 show gears up to open
at a brand new venue in April this year.
Deemed the Pearl on the River, Shanghai
Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing (SHCEC) is the perfect combination of convention and exhibition.
The international multifunctional complex houses facilities for conventions, exhibitions, activities and catering.
Located in the center of Shanghai Changfeng Ecological Business District, surrounded by Suzhou River and adjacent to Hongqiao business area, SHCEC has a total area of
9,000sqm of conference rooms, 16,000sqm
of exhibition area, 5,000sqm of catering area
and 800 underground parking lots.
Stone Shi, Director of Sales & Marketing
reveals, “SHCEC is a new venue in Shanghai.
It is a one-stop service platform of exhibition,
convention, activities and catering for domestic and international events. Hosting the
IT&CM China 2015 event will enable SHCEC
to showcase our facilities and capabilities.”
In addition, three properties from the
Marriott Group have partnered with IT&CM
China as Official Hotels for over 400 hosted
delegates – JW Marriott Shanghai Changfeng
Park, Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel
and Shanghai Marriott Hotel Parkview.
“IT&CM China is one of the largest and
leading international MICE trade shows
in China that attracts a large contingent of
national and regional convention visitor bureaus and tourism offices from China. It is
the best platform for us to meet with quality buyers and media from across China and
the rest of the world”, commented Crystal
Song, Director of Marketing from JW Marriott Shanghai Changfeng Park.
Jürgen Sterkau, General Manager of Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel echoed
his agreement, “IT&CM China’s reputation
is acknowledged by many industry clients
and guests. As an official hotel, Renaissance
Shanghai Yangtze Hotel can be assured of a
stronger market presence that further underlines our hotel as one of the leading MICE
hotels in the Shanghai MICE market.”
As the newest kid on the block, Shanghai
Marriott Hotel Parkview is more than ready
for the upcoming April show. Ricky Lam,
General Manager said, “IT&CM China is a
very important event for the MICE industry,
especially to a MICE-focused hotel like us.
As the newest Marriott property in Shanghai, being able to partner such an influential
event which is a hub for international MICE
activity in the region, is a great opportunity
to showcase our property to the market.”
6th Annual Young Hoteliers Summit 2015
Announces Challenge Provider
This year’s Young Hoteliers Summit will focus on the transition from classic to contemporary hospitality and aims to address the issues
that enhance competition and shape decisions
that drive the industry forward. Participants will
evaluate the evolving trends and assess the impact of global economic developments on the
travel and tourism trade. Key topics of discussion will include the future power of OTAs, the
effect of the millennial generation entering the
workforce, the impact of the sharing economy on
traditional hotels, and much more.
YHS anticipates the involvement of 33 international hospitality schools, having Takoradi
Polytechnic Ghana, Royal Roads University, and
Cesar Ritz Colleges join for the first time. Keynote talks and workshops from several industry
speakers will be giving partakers an excellent
networking opportunity.
As Challenge Provider, The Dorchester Collection is the main partner of the summit, presenting the delegates the Creativity Challenge
– a current Human Resources issue of the brand
on which delegates will collaborate to gener-
ate innovative and actionable solutions. The
Dorchester Collection’s passion for excellence
and innovation along with their commitment to
impeccable hospitality service makes them a
great fit as Challenge Provider for the 6th Edition of YHS.
Eugenio Pirri (Vice President, People & Organization Development) and Ana Brant (Director,
Global Guest Experience & Innovation) will present
this year’s Challenge Provider Keynote topic.
The Young Hoteliers Summit will be held from
Monday 16th - Wednesday 18th of March, 2015
at the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland.
24 • Destination MICE • February 2015
hospitality updates
Hyatt Launches New Hyatt Centric Brand
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) today
introduced Hyatt Centric, a new, full service
lifestyle brand designed for business and
leisure travelers. The launch marks the sixth
brand Hyatt has introduced since 2006, and
offers Hyatt the opportunity to again set the
standard by using its distinctive approach to
empathetic engagement with guests leading
to innovation.
The Hyatt Centric name was inspired
by the brand’s mission of putting its guest
at the center of the action in the best destinations. True to its promise, more than 15
Hyatt Centric locations, comprised of open
and previously announced hotels, will debut this summer in the heart of some of the
world’s most popular cities, including New
York, Paris, Atlanta, Chicago and Miami.
“From listening to our guests, we learned
there was an opportunity to better meet the
needs of a large group of travelers that we
call Modern Explorers. These travelers are
looking for a cosmopolitan vibe in the center
of the action, so we worked to test various
elements in real time, in real hotels over the
past two years. Hyatt Centric is the culmination of that work,” said Mark Hoplamazian,
president and chief executive officer, Hyatt.
“The new Hyatt Centric brand will further
strengthen the overall Hyatt brand portfolio
and expand our opportunities to work with
world-class developers and operators. We
are delighted to expand our offerings in the
lifestyle segment and believe that the Hyatt
Centric brand will be embraced by Modern
Explorers and redefine its category, just as
all the brands we’ve introduced over the
past eight years have succeeded in doing.”
Modern Explorers are a multigenerational
group comprised of travelers who view their
hotel as more than a place to stay. Rather,
their hotel is the hub of their experience,
connecting them to unique experiences, the
best of what the destination has to offer – experiences that lead to great stories.
“Modern Explorers are truly a savvy, curious group. Their expectations are simple,
but their standards are high and they want
their experience to be intuitive and smart.
They want options and all the must-haves
from a full service hotel but without any
fuss or complications,” said Kristine Rose,
vice president of brands, Hyatt. “We believe Hyatt Centric hotels will deliver on
our guests’ desire for experiential travel
while inspiring them to go out and explore.
From the eclectic and fun hotel design to
colleagues who are explorers themselves,
the Hyatt Centric brand will be the perfect
launching pad for our guests to start their
experience, whether for business or pleasure, within the destination.”
In response to the needs of this target
guest, the Hyatt Centric experience will focus on three core elements:
An authentic entryway to the destination:
At Hyatt Centric hotels, guests will know
they can rely on an experience inside that
will serve as a launching pad to exploration
outside. Each hotel, located in the heart of
interesting destinations, will offer a unique
and modern take on its location. The artwork, furniture, food and beverages will tell
a story, allowing guests to immediately get
an authentic feel for the location.
A focus on simplicity, thoughtfully
crafted: Hyatt Centric hotels will provide a
simple, welcoming environment that delivers the essentials in the easiest, most stream-
lined way possible. For example, at Hyatt
Centric hotels, room service will be offered
as a knock n’ drop service, which will allow
guests to enjoy gourmet food in their rooms
without formal delivery. Additionally,
while each hotel will be custom designed to
its market, the Hyatt Centric brand will be
characterized by certain common elements,
including spaces like The Corner, where
guests can work, socialize and peruse a curated collection of local books and magazines, and a bar and restaurant area that will
help foster great conversations and deliver
thoughtful, locally inspired food and signature cocktails.
A human touch in a digital world: Hyatt
Centric hotels will offer a balance of advanced digital capabilities but with the
understanding that these experiences are
even more beneficial when combined with
a human touch. While guests can enjoy the
in-room technologies designed to connect
seamlessly with their devices and media, a
staff of knowledgeable associates will be on
hand to aid guests in their discovery of the
destination – particularly useful for business
travelers with limited time for exploration.
“There’s no substitute for a live conversation with someone who can tell you firsthand about that interesting café you found
on your smartphone,” said Rose.
More than 40 Jin Jiang Hotels Launch
Exclusive Promotions for Corporate Clients
Starting from Feb, Jin Jiang International
Hotels will launch an exclusive Spring festival
promotion for its valued corporate clients at
more than 40 of its participating four and five
star hotels in over 30 cities in many interesting travel destinations acrossChina including
Beijing, Shanghai, Inner Mongolia, Kunming,
Sanya and Urumuqi.
More than 40 Hotels Launch Exclusive Promotions for Corporate Clients Jin Jiang continuously creates special incentives and extra privileges for its corporate clients, and this time they
are offering two different promotion packages
to choose from. The first includes free room
upgrades when booking rooms at a wide selection of its participating hotels. The second is a
banquet promotion whereby clients will receive
a range of exciting gifts when booking catered
banquets for events at a choice of its participating hotels. This offer includes:
* One complementary bottle of red wine
for reservations of 2 tables and above *
One complementary bottle of red wine and
one room coupon for reservations of 5 tables
and above * One complementary bottle of
red wine, one room and catering coupon valued together at3,000 RMB for reservations
of 8 tables and above * One complementary
bottle of red wine, one room and catering
coupon valued together at5,000 RMB plus
one mysterious special gift package for reservations of 10 tables and above Cinn Tan,
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales
at Jin Jiang International Hotels, states, “Our
corporate clients are very important to us,
many of which have been staying or holding
events at our hotels for years, and we want
to show our sincere appreciation for the
support through the creation of such incentives. We will continue to offer value added
products and benefits for our valued clientele and their guests, and we at Jin Jiang are
committed to making sure that they receive
the best hospitality services.”
25 • Destination MICE • February 2015
hospitality updates
Marriott Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Delta Hotels and Resorts
Continuing its rapid global expansion,
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:
MAR) announced today it has signed definitive agreements to acquire the Delta Hotels and Resorts® brand and management
and franchise business from Delta Hotels
Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of British
Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC) for C$168 million (approximately $135 million).
The Delta brand comprises a diverse range
of hotels and resorts with 38 hotels and 10,000
rooms in more than 30 cities across Canada.
Delta offers a fresh approach to the guest experience, including its new ModeRoom(TM)
guest room designs, innovative use of new
technologies, and new properties, such as its
flagship Delta Toronto located at the hub of
Canada’s hottest high-rise neighborhood,
South Core. When completed, the transaction
will increase Marriott’s distribution in Canada to more than 120 hotels and 27,000 rooms,
making Marriott the largest full service hotel
company in Canada. [Click here for images]
Arne Sorenson, president and chief executive officer of Marriott International, said,
“Delta has an impressive portfolio of hotels
that are among the most preferred in Canada.
With this acquisition, we are continuing our
focus on building our brand portfolio and
growing in attractive regions outside the U.S.
Combining the strong Delta brand with Mar-
riott’s hotel development expertise will accelerate growth of the brand in Canada and in
other markets around the world.”
David Grissen, group president overseeing The Americas for Marriott International, said, “at completion, this transaction
will propel Marriott to a leading position
in Canada. Canada represents the largest
international source market for our hotels
in the United States, and the integration of
Delta into Marriott’s 4,100 plus hotel global
portfolio will provide new travel opportunities for both Delta and Marriott customers.
We expect integrating Delta into Marriott’s
systems, sales engines, Marriott.com, and
the more than 49 million member Marriott
Rewards loyalty program will create meaningful operational synergies for owners and
franchisees.
Marriott’s Americas management team
looks forward to working closely with
Delta’s hotel owners and franchisees, and
Worldhotels Promises Sales
Starting this year, hotels will be able to hold
Worldhotels to its Sales promise. At the group’s
Annual Conference, held in Guangzhou from 22nd
to 25th January, Worldhotels launched the ‘Check
5’programme – a bundle of key initiatives designed
to help hotels build their sales intelligence. The
programme comes with a confident guarantee: affiliates can leave the network if Worldhotels fails to
deliver the promised activities.
As part of the‘Check 5’ guarantee, hotels are
given the opportunity to focus their sales efforts in
five core markets of their choice. For each selected
market, Worldhotels provides them with the below
success factors to grow their businesses:
Access to market intelligence and information collected from Worldhotels sales experts that provides
hoteliers with essential insights into the economy,
politics, and segmentation of their key feeder markets
Quarterly webinars hosted by Worldhotels’
sales experts that update hoteliers on all “real
time” happenings within their markets
Dedicated face-to-face working sessions with
Worldhotels’ sales experts during the Worldhotels Annual Conference
A personal introduction to the selected mar-
kets, that walk hoteliers through the “need to
know” info for their business trips
An annual review of the hotel’s‘Check 5’ Guarantee and the delivered Worldhotels activities
Affiliates can adjust their market focus and
reassemble their Top 5 markets each year.
Commenting on the ‘Check 5’ Guarantee, Worldhotels COO, Geoff Andrew, says, “Sales has always
been our strongest suit. It’s why many of our hotels
have chosen Worldhotels. With our ‘Check 5’ guarantee, we take our sales efforts to the next level and offer
our hotels a more focused and efficient approach, ensuring the depth and breadth of their local success.”
“A promise without consequence is no promise at
all”, adds CEO, Kristin Intress. “If we fail to deliver the
‘Check 5’activities, our hotels are free to leave us. “
For 45 years, Worldhotels has been deeply committed to expanding its Sales foothold in global key
markets and driving incremental revenue towards
member hotels. With 32 sales offices worldwide,
of which 8 are in Asia Pacific (Beijing, Shanghai,
Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne,
and New Delhi), Worldhotels is the leading global
Sales organisation for independent hotels and regional hotel groups.
welcoming Delta employees, who will have
access to a larger range of opportunities in
North America and globally once the transaction closes.”
Under terms of the agreement, Marriott is
acquiring the Delta management and franchise business, as well as the Delta brand
and related intellectual property. At stabilization, after realizing certain operating synergies, Marriott expects the purchase price
to be approximately 10 times annualized
earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation
and amortization (EBITDA).
bcIMC-affiliated entities own 13 Delta hotels (and one under development) and will
sign new 30-year management agreements
with Marriott for these properties. Third
parties own the other 25 Delta hotels; 15 are
managed by Delta and 10 are franchised. In
total, five managed hotels (approximately
1,100 rooms) are under development.
The transaction is subject to receipt of certain third party and governmental consents,
including by the Canadian Competition
Bureau. Assuming receipt of the necessary
approvals, the parties expect to close the
transaction in the second quarter of 2015.
Marriott does not expect the transaction will
have a material impact on its 2015 results,
excluding one-time transaction and integration costs.
Avington acted as exclusive financial advisor to bcIMC.
Note on forward-looking statements: This
press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal
securities laws, including the parties’ plans
for closing; the resulting impact on the size of
Marriott’s operations in Canada; Marriott’s
expectations for Delta’s stabilized EBITDA
and EBITDA multiple and Marriott’s 2015
earnings impact; and similar statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. We caution
you that these statements are not guarantees
of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including the
ability of the parties to agree on definitive
transaction documents, the receipt of necessary consents, and other risk factors that Marriott identifies in its most recent quarterly report on Form 10?Q. Any of these factors could
cause actual results to differ materially from
the expectations expressed or implied in this
press release. We make these forward-looking
statements as of the date of this press release.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
26 • Destination MICE • February 2015
hospitality updates
ILHA announces Simmons Hospitality
Bedding as Official Sleep Partner for 2015
The International Luxury Hotel Association is excited to announce that Simmons Bedding Company, LLC (“Simmons”) is their exclusive Sleep Partner
for the coming year, and will be sponsoring a session at the ILHA Fast Forward 2020 Conference, to be held 28-29
September 2015, in Orlando at the Orlando Convention Center.
Steve Tipton, vice president of the Hospitality Group for Simmons, will also join
the ILHA Advisory Board this year.
“Simmons is an industry innovator,
constantly evolving their sleep technology to improve the guest experience and
reduce the impact of their products and
operations on the environment,” said Barak Hirschowitz, President of the ILHA.
“We are honored to have them as a partner in 2015.”
Since the development of the Beautyrest® mattress in 1925, Simmons has
been serving the hotel industry with innovative bedding solutions that deliver
not only a compelling value proposition
to hotel owners and operators, but also
an exceptional night’s sleep to guests. De-
cades of intense focus on innovation have
made Simmons a recognized and trusted
leader in hospitality bedding.
“Every day we think about the future;
about how we can improve and move our
products to the next level,” said Tipton.
“If a guest has a great night’s sleep, the
room seems bigger, the food tastes better
and the staff seems friendlier. It helps start
their day off in a great, great way.”
In a recent analysis of traveler’s
online reviews by TrustYou and published by Travel & Leisure in an online
exclusive report, Simmons took 3 of
the top 5 positions for most comfortable hotel bed, including the coveted
number one spot for contributing to
Hilton Introduces ‘Meet with Purpose’ to Inspire
Sustainable, Healthy Choices for Events
Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) recently announced Meet with Purpose, a concept designed to
make it easier for meeting professionals to reduce
waste and incorporate health and wellness into
meetings and events.
Meet with Purpose provides meeting professionals with sustainable choices to incorporate
into events that not only enhance the experiences
of attendees, but also align with many customers’
corporate responsibility goals.
Inspired by Hilton’s corporate responsibility
strategy, Travel with Purpose, Hilton gathered
feedback from customers and sales Team Members to identify the most pressing sustainability
issues for meetings and events. To meet these
needs, Hilton created Meet with Purpose, supported by two focus areas:
Mindful Eating encourages meeting professionals to reexamine event dining to minimize food
waste and encourage healthy choices. Hilton offers
solutions such as portion control, sourcing locally,
pre-plating salads and establishing central water
stations with reusable containers.
Mindful Meeting inspires meeting professionals to
host more sustainable events by considering practices
that are less resource-intensive. The solutions range
from using paperless registration and placing notepads
in a central location to turning off climate control when
a meeting room isn’t in use.
the New York Distrikt Hotel’s guest
sleep experience. It also took spots 9
through 13 of the top 20.
“We view hospitality as an extension of
our brand,” said Tipton. “We listen – to
the needs of hospitality clients and guests
– and innovate around both. Our focus?
Ensuring our beds stay in hotels longer
and deliver reliable, durable performance
from the first day in a hotel room to its
last.”
The International Luxury Hotel Association is a member-based nonprofit organization chartered to provide education and
resources designed to assist the hospitality and travel industries to meet consumer
needs and expectations.
When put into practice, Meet with Purpose can
have a large impact on an event. As examples:
Last Sep, Hilton San Francisco Union Square
hosted an event that typically draws approximately
60,000 attendees. Hilton’s team helped the company recycle 66,858 pounds of waste material, source
approximately 30 percent of energy from renewable
sources and contribute more than 1.3 tons of food
donations.
Additionally, Hilton Chicago has a robust recycling and composting program, efficient water systems and partners with local farms to source food
locally in addition to growing their own vegetables
on a rooftop garden. The hotel works with customers to incorporate these practices into meetings and
events hosted at the hotel to add value to the event
for attendees and the host company.
“Today’s meeting attendees seek greater meaning
in their event experiences and expect event planners to
consider the broader implications of the meeting itself,”
explains Lesley Brasesco, Hilton Worldwide’s managing director of sales effectiveness for the Americas.
“Meet with Purpose offers meeting professionals a
menu of options that make it easy to incorporate
sustainable, impactful and healthy choices that deliver on the broader corporate responsibility commitments of our customers and Hilton.”
27 • Destination MICE • February 2015
aviation updates
American Airlines Welcomes First Boeing 787 Dreamliner
42 Boeing 787 aircraft, with the right to
acquire an additional 58. American will
take delivery of both the 787-8 and 787-9
as part of the 42 firm orders. American
expects its first 787 to enter revenue service in the second quarter, flying domestically between American’s hubs for several
weeks before being launched on international flights.
The 787 will bring new benefits to
American’s network and customers. It
has an onboard experience unlike any
other airplane and provides improved
aerodynamics, advanced engine technology, reduced maintenance requirements,
better fuel efficiency and lower overall
operating costs.
on the Union
Budget 2015 -16
American Airlines today officially welcomes its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
American took delivery of the airplane, a
787-8 with registration number N800AN,
on Thursday at Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington, and it is scheduled to
arrive in Dallas/Fort Worth on Friday afternoon.
“We are committed to delivering a fantastic product for our customers with the
continuation of our unprecedented fleet renewal program and more than $2 billion in
improvements in the customer experience,”
said Doug Parker, American’s chairman
and CEO. “The 787 makes our fleet younger
and more modern and it will open up new
possibilities to connect our customers to the
places they want to fly.”
“We’re proud that American Airlines
has chosen the 787 to be a key part of
its fleet renewal plan,” said Ray Conner,
president and CEO of Boeing Commercial
Airplanes. “We appreciate American’s
confidence in the airplane and know the
Dreamliner will open exciting new routes
for American’s customers.”
American has placed firm orders for
American already has the youngest fleet
of the U.S. global network carriers, with an
average aircraft age of 12.3 years. In 2015,
American plans to take delivery of an average of two new aircraft per week. These
new deliveries will make American’s fleet
even younger, more modern and more efficient and will provide a solid foundation
for continued improvements in technology, products and services.
American is in the midst of more than
$2 billion in planned improvements to
give customers a superior travel experience around the world. These investments
include fully lie-flat seats on international
long-haul aircraft; international Wi-Fi; more
in-flight entertainment options and power
outlets; a new, modern design for Admirals
Club lounges worldwide; and an upgraded
assortment of complimentary healthy food,
cocktails and more. In addition to taking
delivery of hundreds of new planes, American is retrofitting its entire fleet of Boeing
777-200s and selected 767-300s, 757-200s
and Airbus A319s to refresh the cabins and
enhance the experience on domestic and international flights.
OUTLOOK
JAL Awarded the Best On-time
Performance Service in the Asia-Pacific
Major Airlines Category
Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group and
Member, CII National Committee on Civil Aviation
“The Indian aviation industry is on a high growth trajectory, with the
coming up of new world class airlines and development of world
class airports. The need for regional connectivity has been felt and
Cabinet’s decision to develop new airports in Tier-I and Tier-II Cities
is definitely a very positive move. Yet there are significant challenges
related to land acquisition, various regulatory approvals and finalization of airport tariffs. I expect these challenges to be addressed in the
forthcoming budget. There is an immense potential for growth of the
Indian civil aviation industry provided certain structural deficiencies
are corrected. It would serve as a key enabler for economic growth,
employment creation and tax revenues. It is imperative that success
of civil aviation is seen as a national priority, a goal shared by different
ministries, government agencies and the industry.”
Japan Airlines (JAL) received the Best On-time Performance Service award in the Asia-Pacific Major Airlines Category, from an independent aviation performance-tracking company FlightStats, for
its domestic and international flights operated between January and
December 2014.
Asia-Pacific Major Airlines
JAL has achieved on-time arrival rate of 87.78% for its domestic
and international flights, and was named number one in the AsiaPacific Major Airlines category for 2014.
It means that JAL has topped the Best On-time Performance Service in Asia-Pacific Major Airlines category for the third year in a row
and five times since 2009.
JAL Express won the best On-time Performance Service award in
Asia-Pacific Major Airlines category in 2009, the only year including
regional airlines.
The oneworld® alliance, to which JAL also belongs, has received
FlightStats’ Airline Alliance On-time Performance Service award for
2014.
Placed safety in flight operations above all else, JAL Group staff
will endeavor to challenge achievement of higher on-time performance, and meet the needs of our customers so as to become the
most-preferred airline in the world.
28 • Destination MICE • February 2015
29 • Destination MICE • February 2015
aviation updates
Alaska Airlines to Offer Free Inflight Entertainment through
March, Introduces New Microsoft-Powered Tablets
Alaska Airlines today announced it will
continue to offer free premium inflight
entertainment directly to customers’ personal electronic devices for two more
months, in addition to the more than 100
titles of free content that are available all
the time, to all passengers, as part of the
new Alaska Beyond(TM) experience.
All content, including premium movies and TV shows, will be complimentary
through March 31, 2015. Starting April 1,
customers can still enjoy free access to a
wide selection of complimentary custom
curated content and purchase premium
movies and TV shows starting at $1.99.
The new entertainment service is available today on more than half of Alaska’s
mainline aircraft and will be equipped on
nearly all of Alaska’s all-Boeing fleet by
April 2015.
Additionally, beginning Feb. 1, Alaska
will also introduce new Inflight Entertainment tablets powered by Microsoft. The
tablets will be available to rent on long-
haul flights for $8-10 and will feature
movies, TV, XBOX games, music, digital magazines, and easy Internet access
on WiFi-equipped flights. The rentable
tablets will continue to be offered at no
charge to First Class customers and MVP
Gold75Ks.
“Our customers tell us they love our
new, free, inflight entertainment service,
and we’re listening. We’re excited to con-
tinue offering our premium content - like
mainstream movies and TV to reward
customers for trying out Alaska Beyond
Entertainment,” said Halle Hutchison,
Alaska’s managing director of brand marketing.
Last month, Alaska debuted its new
flight experience, ‘Alaska Beyond.’ In addition to the new, free inflight entertainment offerings, Alaska Beyond features
delicious, locally sourced food and beverages, comfortable Recaro leather seats and
personal power at every seat.
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska
Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with
its partner regional airlines, serves more
than 100 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii,
Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines
ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction
Among Traditional Carriers” in the J.D.
Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for seven consecutive years
from 2008 to 2014. Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan also ranked highest in the J.D.
Power 2014 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report.
Qatar Airways to Increase its Capacity on
All Routes to Italy and Introduce Double Daily
Singapore Airlines
Campaign launched
in Germany
Tourism Australia and Singapore Airlines have launched a new co-operative
marketing campaign in Germany to inspire
affluent long-haul travellers to fly Down
Under with Singapore Airlines. The campaign consists of a 30-second ‘There’s
Nothing Like Australia’ TV commercial on
Germany’s most watched news channel
“n-tv” and digital advertising including
YouTube pre-rolls. A range of tour operator and state partner promotions were
launched concurrently with the campaign,
which runs until 13 February.
Qatar Airways is continuing its rapid growth in Europe
with an increase in capacity on its flights to Italy, as well
as the introduction of double-daily flights to Madrid. The
increase in both capacity and service will roll out over the
next five months to help meet the expanding passenger
needs for both these popular destinations.
With the introduction of widebody aircraft commencing March 29 to Rome and Milan, and June 16 to
Venice, the capacity to the airline’s three Italian destinations will increase by 30%. Furthermore, a change in
the departure and arrival times to Rome and Milan will
also help improve connections to a number of other
destinations for the Italian market. The increase in capacity to Italy will be provided by introducing the Airbus
A330 on the Milan and Venice routes, and the Boeing
787 Dreamliner on the Rome route.
Qatar Airways currently offers 35 flights a week to Italy, including double-daily services to Rome Fiumicino and Milan
Malpensa, as well as daily flights to Venice Marco Polo.
In addition, commencing on 16 July, Qatar Airways
will begin operating a double-daily, direct scheduled
service to Madrid-Barajas Airport from Doha’s Hamad
International Airport, adding four extra weekly flights.
The flights will be operated by a Boeing 777, offering
293 seats in Economy Class and 42 in Business Class.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency
Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Our commitment to bringing
a five-star experience to all our passengers is reflected
in our continual growth in not just our destinations,
product and services, but also in the increases in capacity and frequency that we implement to ensure that
our passengers have multiple options when planning
their journeys. As such, we are delighted to be able
to offer more opportunities to connect with both Italy
and Spain, two of our most popular destinations, for
both our leisure travellers looking to explore the world
of history, art and architecture, as well as those travelling for business.”
30 • Destination MICE • February 2015
aviation updates
Virgin America And San Francisco Giants
Score Big With Extended Partnership Agreement
The San Francisco Giants and Virgin
America announced a multi-year partnership extension, which maintains the Bay
Area-based airline’s position as the “Official Airline of the San Francisco Giants”
through the end of 2018. This announcement came during an “orange carpet”
send-off for the 2014 World Championship
Trophy as it heads to New York City for
the East Coast leg of a three-month World
Championship Trophy Tour presented by
Bank of America.
The trophy will fly in style, riding in Virgin
America’s exclusive eight-seat First Class cabin from San Francisco International Airport
(SFO) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) onboard the Virgin America Airbus
A320 aircraft “Fly Bye Baby,” named in honor
of the hometown team. Onboard the flight, Giants President and CEO Larry Baer will invite
fellow Virgin America guests to grab photos
with the trophy and will host a live Twitter
chat at 35,000 feet using the airline’s inflight
WiFi. Guests and fans alike are encouraged to
follow along and submit questions using the
hashtags #sfgtrophy and #flytogether.
The extended partnership includes
unique co-branding elements at AT&T
Park, including the “Virgin America Loft,”
a premium customized suite located in
right field above McCovey Cove, and the
“Virgin America Club Level” that features the airline’s signature cabin moodlighting. In 2012, the airline first unveiled
its Giants themed “Fly Bye Baby” aircraft
that was updated in 2014 with a crowdsourced #FlyTogether design populated
with the photos of hundreds of Giants fan
who submitted photos on Instagram and
Twitter. Today at SFO, Virgin America
unveiled the aircraft’s newest design - the
2014 World Championship mark - in celebration of the San Francisco Giant’s latest
World Series Victory.
“As the only airline headquartered in the
Bay Area we, alongside all our flyers, had
the opportunity to cheer on our hometown
champions as they earned their third World
Championship in five years,” said Luanne
Calvert, Chief Marketing Officer of Virgin
America. “We are thrilled to extend this
partnership and look forward to many more
AirCharter.com Launches Their Revolutionary,
Industry-Changing Private Jet Booking Engine
AirCharter.com is pleased to announce version
III of the eCharterConnect charter reservation system. For the first time in the US a system will allow
users to view what is normally held confidential
by brokers. In all transparence, the complete operator information along with the tail number and
data for as little as $4 per record, customers can
view it all including cost of block hour rates as well
as aircraft specifications, insurance, safety rating,
up-to-date interior and exterior aircraft photos. AirCharter Credits will unlock a tail data indefinitely
for viewing. With the provided data the user will be
able to contact aircraft operators directly, avoiding
what can cost thousands of dollars in broker commissions traditionally.
Since 2001 eCharterConnect software, was
the first website to offer Absolute Fixed Guarantee
Pricing that calculate pricing for private jets from
takeoff and taxi times, wind speed, delay probabilities, flight time, crew charges, crew swap,
takeoff & ramp fees, high density airport charges
and much more.
Also with this release AirCharter.com launches
the new operator backend platform, located at www.
aircharter.com/operator which allows for the operator
to respond to customer’s quote requests, post empty
legs, update aircraft information, such as pricing,
manufacturing and refurbishment date, aircraft photos, relevant insurance and safety information and any
needed paperwork.
With customers in mind, this new addition to its
backend allows AirCharter’s list of 10,500 verified
and accredited aircraft to continue growing. Users
using this new system can get instant quotes with
near flawless accuracy, giving customers an exact
figure expected to pay for the trip. With a few clicks
customers can view the cost of each leg, the cost
of repositioning and the ability to change the departure airport to the home base of the aircraft, saving
thousands of dollars.
years of success for the team. We can’t think
of a better way to celebrate than kicking-off
the East Coast leg of the Trophy Tour in
style onboard Virgin America.”
Once in the Big Apple, the trophy will
be available to Giants fans that have followed the team for generations - a history that dates back to when the team was
based in New York before moving to San
Francisco in 1958. A public viewing of the
trophy will be held on Saturday, January
24 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Finnerty’s Bar
in Manhattan.
“We are delighted to extend this dynamic and creative partnership with Virgin America - a partnership that we’ve
cultivated since 2008,” said Larry Baer,
President and CEO of the San Francisco
Giants. “We love the synergies that exist
between our two organizations and are excited to bring the look and feel of Virgin
America’s unique planes to AT&T Park
and to create a Giants presence onboard
the airline’s flights so fans never have to
miss a minute of the game thanks to live
television at 35,000 feet.”
In addition to a Main Cabin that offers
custom-designed leather seating with a
deeper, more comfortable pitch, the airline’s
First Class cabin offers plush white leather
seating with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees
of recline and lumbar massagers.
Virgin America’s airport lounge - The
Loft - is located at LAX and its Elevate frequent flyer program offers no black-outs
or restrictions on rewards seats with three
levels of status including Elevate Gold and
Elevate Silver.
The airline continues to expand its network across the country with flights to Austin, Boston, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas Love
Field, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Newark, New York (JFK
and LGA), Orlando, Palm Springs (seasonal), Portland, Puerto Vallarta, San Diego,
San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C.
(IAD and DCA).
31 • Destination MICE • February 2015
aviation updates
Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines, Vital Voices Global
Partnership Join Together for Humanitarian Flight
Boeing (NYSE: BA) joined with Ethiopian
Airlines and three separate non-profit organizations to deliver more than 4,000 pounds
(1,814 kilograms) of medical supplies and
equipment for charities and hospitals in
Ethiopia and Somalia. The deliveries, carried on the ferry flight of Ethiopian’s newest
787 Dreamliner, were made to a number of
medical institutions via Vital Voices Global
Partnership, Horn of Africa Neonatal Development Services (HANDS) and Seattle
Alliance Outreach (SAO).
“Ethiopian Airlines continues to be a
leader in corporate social responsibility
activities in Ethiopia. With this delivery
flight, we are also very happy to facilitate the supply of much needed medical
supplies in neighboring Somalia as well,”
said Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam. “As the flag carrier for the
country of Ethiopia, we are viewed as not
only an airline but also as a source of vital
Air Charter Service to Invest
£10 Million in Charter Technology
Leading aircraft charter company, Air Charter
Service, has announced plans to spend around
GBP10 million over the next five years advancing the company’s charter booking technologies
and online presence.
Chris Leach, Chairman and Founder of ACS,
commented; “Whilst we believe that the awardwinning personal service that we offer will never
be replaced entirely by technology, we are adapting the traditional brokerage model. Developments such as our popular jet prices app, which
launched two years ago and allows customers
to get instant charter quotations, enhance our
customers’ ACS experience, as we move more
online than in previous years. We are currently
revamping and redeveloping all of our websites,
with enhanced functionality, with the planned release date in the spring. We are developing real
time customer information portals and are planning on investing in other disruptive technology
over the next few years.
“We have always invested in technology, but
now the need is greater than ever. To cover the
three divisions in each of our eighteen offices
and the 50,000 aircraft that we have access
to, we already have many websites around the
world in multiple languages - each tailored to the
local marketplace and culture. Each office also
has our custom-made charter bookings platform, and this bespoke software allows us to efficiently source aircraft anywhere in the world.
“Many of our competitors claim to be unique
by investing in technology, but ultimately we feel
that we have an advantage due to our existing
international footprint, meaning technological
developments will easily be rolled out worldwide. We provide our customers with global
solutions, not local gimmicks.
“It is an exciting time at ACS following an
outstanding 2014 which showed strong growth
and around GBP300 million in sales. We have
always been a highly ambitious company and
the board is hoping that this investment will
keep us leading the technology race in the charter marketplace.”
service for the people of Ethiopia. We are
proud and honored to work with Boeing
to help our people and country where we
have such great needs.”
The shipment includes an autoclave to
sterilize surgery equipment which will be
used by a new kidney dialysis center in
Ethiopia, as well as neonatal medical equipment for Jimma University,College of Public
Health & Health Sciences which is dedicated to saving infant lives. Vital Voices Global
Partnership will send medications, computers and medical equipment valued at approximately $68,000 onwards from Addis
Ababa to the Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation in
Somalia, a charity that provides basic needs
through the access to healthcare.
“The Vital Voices Northwest Council
has been thrilled by Seattle’s enthusiasm
and generous donations to this important
cause,” said Rosita Van Coevorden, chair
of the Vital Voices Northwest Council.
“We are delighted to be donating stateof-the-art medical supplies such as hospital-grade defibrillators that will provide
sorely needed resources at the Hawa Abdi
General Hospital.”
“Ethiopian Airlines is an active partner
in Boeing’s Global Corporate Citizenship’s
Humanitarian Delivery Flights program,”
said Liz Warman, director, Boeing Global
Corporate Citizenship, Northwest region.
“We have a long history together not only
buying and selling airplanes, but also working in collaboration and using our respective
resources to help deliver medical supplies
and equipment to those who are in most
need of them in Ethiopia and Somalia.”
The Boeing Humanitarian Delivery
Flights program is a collaboration effort between Boeing, airline customers
and non-profit organizations to deliver
humanitarian aid throughout the world
to communities in need or crisis. Since
Boeing’s Humanitarian Delivery Flight
program began in 1992, the company
has facilitated more than 170 humanitarian delivery flights, including 10 in 2014,
working in partnership with more than 50
airlines worldwide.
Ethiopian Airlines is the first African
operator of the 787, taking delivery of 10.
Ethiopian Airlines currently operates an
all-Boeing fleet of 737, 757, 767, 777, and
787 airplanes in passenger service, and
has 757, MD11, 777 and a 737-400F airplane in cargo operations.
32 • Destination MICE • February 2015
aviation updates
Leading UK Entrepreneurs
Support Gatwick Expansion
Gulf Air Launches Feb Fare Promotion from
Moscow to Select Arabian Gulf and Asian
Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, has launched a special February fare
promotion slashing airfares for travel from Moscow to Bahrain and onwards
to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Bombay, and Karachi between now and 20th
May 2015.
For sale until 28th February 2015 only, Gulf Air’s return Economy Class
fares start from EUR296 to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, EUR312 to Muscat, EUR447
to Bahrain, EUR454 to Bombay and EUR616 to Karachi. Gulf Air’s premium
(Falcon Gold class) return fares start from as low as EUR1182* to Dubai.
Gulf Air is the only airline operating direct flights between Moscow (DME)
and Bahrain. The airline’s four weekly flights are operated on Airbus A320-ER
aircraft in a unique layout: 14 Falcon Gold seats and 96 Economy class seats
with extended legroom. Russian travelers can discover a new destination –
the Kingdom of Bahrain and avail of excellent connectivity to a wide range of
destinations in the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Asia.
Ryanair: Business Plus Fast-Track
Service Extended to London Gatwick
Ryanair extended its Business Plus fast-track security service to London
Gatwick (from 2nd Feb), Rome Ciampino (from 2nd Mar) and Eindhoven (from
1st April) with more airports to come, as it continues to offer Europe’s business
travellers a tailored suite of travel benefits.
With Ryanair Business Plus, customers can enjoy: • Flexibility on ticket
changes • 20kg checked-in bag allowance • Free airport check-in • Fast track
airport security at selected airports • Priority boarding • Premium seats
Over 27% of Ryanair customers travel on business and Ryanair continues
to connect Europe’s major business centres, offering customers the largest
range of destinations at the lowest fares, with multiple daily flights, improved
schedules and the best service.
Starting from just Euro 69.99, Ryanair Business Plus is available to book
on the Ryanair.com website across Ryanair’s entire route network, with further
information available at www.ryanair.com/ie/business-plus.
Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kenny Jacobs said, “Ryanair will carry over
24m business customers this year and the launch of our Business Plus service has
made flying with Ryanair an even smarter choice for European businesses, with our
tailored package offering free airport check-in, flexible ticket changes, a 20kg bag
allowance, fast-track at airports, priority boarding and premium seating.
Business and corporate travellers choose Ryanair for our low fares, industryleading punctuality and the largest route network in Europe and we now offer even
more business routes, connecting Europe’s major cities with additional flights and
improved schedules, ensuring great savings for businesses of all sizes.
We’re pleased to roll out our fast-track services at London Gatwick from 2nd Feb,
Rome Ciampino from 2nd Mar and Eindhoven from 1st April and we’re continuing to
work with our airport partners to extend this service to more airports.”
In an open letter to the Airports Commission, 19 of the UK’s
most successful entrepreneurs and founders of businesses today pledged their support for expanding Gatwick Airport.
Signatories to the letter include Luke Johnson, former
Chairman of Pizza Express and Patisserie Valerie, John Stapleton, co-founder of New Covent Garden Soup and Little
Dish, Duncan Cheatle, founder of The Supper Club and cofounder of StartUp Britain and Emma Jones MBE, founder of
Enterprise Nation.
The letter highlights the importance of maintaining a
competitive network of airports in the south east to sustain choice and resilience when accessing overseas markets. It concludes that only an expanded Gatwick would
reinforce the competition that was so long in coming to
the UK’s aviation industry, and that expanding Heathrow would restore its monopoly and strangle the benefits of this diversity.
One in five of Gatwick’s passengers now travel on business
and two thirds (67%) of business travellers arenow choosing
to fly low cost on short-haul trips to the UK’s major trading
partners in Europe. Gatwick offers these business travellers
value for money, convenience and efficiency. It is increasingly
the choice of the cost conscious business traveller.
Speaking on behalf of the signatories, Emma Jones MBE,
Enterprise Nation, said:
“Enabling startup businesses to go global is vital to the future of the UK economy. Start-ups do not have vast expense accounts, but rely on low cost fares to reach new markets. Since
the breakup of BAA, Gatwick has excelled in providing more
choice, lower fares, better service levels and efficient service –
why wouldn’t UK entrepreneurs want more of the same?”
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick’s CEO, said:
“Indecision has dogged this debate for decades but more
than anything, entrepreneurs and businesses up and down
the country need certainty. Expansion at Heathrow is politically and environmentally toxic, but a new runway at Gatwick
could be delivered by 2025 at a fraction of the environmental
impact of Heathrow. “
The signatories of today’s letter join a growing list of supporters backing an expanded Gatwick from the business world including nine Chambers of Commerce, three Business Improvement Districts and two Local Enterprise Partnerships.
A recent UK-wide survey also showed that 42% of small
business owners would back Gatwick’s expansion over that
of Heathrow (37%).
33 • Destination MICE • February 2015
technology updates
Kaba, the Leading Provider of Access
Control Solutions for the Hotel Industry
Kaba’s Keyless Mobile Access Technology Fitted at The Cromwell. Mobile Phone
Used as Hotel Room key for Secure and
Convenient Assignment of Access Authorizations
Kaba, the leading provider of access
control solutions for the hotel industry,
has installed a mobile access system at
The Cromwell in Las Vegas. Cloud-based
Kaba keys operate in all hotel rooms, allowing guests to open their room doors
with their own mobile phone or device as
an alternative to a classic RFID card. The
use of Bluetooth Low Energy means that
Apple iOS smartphones are supported.
“Kaba’s mobile access system is based
on the cloud service set up by security
firm Legic Identsystems, a subsidiary of
Kaba. With this ground-breaking Kaba
hotel locking system, which opens hotel
locks in less than a second, guests can enjoy a completely new and intuitive experience that very much suits The Cromwell’s
unique ‘modern meets vintage’ style,”
says Alastair Cush, Head of Kaba Lodging’s Global Business Development.
Kaba securely integrates with a property’s online system between the front
desk and lock Kaba’s mobile access solutions integrate seamlessly with the hotel’s
online system via secure communication
between the front desk and the guest door
lock. Kaba can utilize a choice of technologies, including Bluetooth Low Energy
(BLE) and Near Field Communications
(NFC), so hotel operators can securely issue and manage access authorizations in
the way that suits their requirements.
Secure mobile access solutions enable
greater convenience The flexibility of Kaba’s
mobile access solutions with mobile phones
ensures a guest experience that meets the
latest demands. Guests can check in online
with their mobile, and then use it during
their stay as their very own mobile room
key. Kaba’s mobile access authorizations
are encrypted in the Kaba system using
the Legic ID Connect cloud solution, transferred to the hotel guest, and only decrypted
within the hotel lock of the hotel room. This
guarantees secure and convenient access to
hotel rooms and other secure areas, including elevator floor control
With 188 rooms and suites, The Cromwell is the only standalone boutique hotel
located on the Las Vegas Strip. With its
prime location on one of the busiest inter-
sections of the Las Vegas Strip - one that
welcomes more than 20 million passersby
each year - the luxury lifestyle hotel also
features a 40,000 square foot casino, hotel
lobby bar, lounge, restaurant by Giada De
Laurentiis and beach and nightlife venues
by Victor Drai.
With its innovative products, systems
and services, globally active technology
group Kaba is a leading provider of high
quality access management solutions,
keys, cylinders, physical access systems,
enterprise data and time recording, and
hotel access systems. The group is also
a global market leader for high security
locks, key blanks, transponder keys and
key manufacturing machines. The stock
exchange-listed group has sales of around
one billion Swiss francs and employs
around 9,000 people in more than 60
countries. For more than 150 years Kaba
has set trends in security and beyond - in
terms of functionality, convenience and
design, and always with a focus on optimum value to customers.
Huis Ten Bosch theme park
to get hotel staffed by robots
A hotel with robot staff and face recognition
instead of room keys will open this summer in
Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki Prefecture, the operator of the theme park said Tuesday.
The two-story Henn na Hotel is scheduled to
open July 17. It will be promoted with the slogan
“A Commitment for Evolution,” Huis Ten Bosch
Co. said.
The name reflects how the hotel will “change
with cutting-edge technology,” a company official said. This is a play on words: “Henn” is also
part of the Japanese word for change.
Robots will provide porter service, room
cleaning, front desk and other services to reduce costs and to ensure comfort.
There will be facial recognition technology so
guests can enter their rooms without a key.
“We will make the most efficient hotel in the
world,” company President Hideo Sawada told
a news conference. “In the future, we’d like to
have more than 90 percent of hotel services operated by robots.”
A single room will be normally priced at ¥7,000
per night, while a twin room will run ¥9,000.
If the hotel looks like it will be filled during the
peak season, potential visitors will have to bid
for the price they are willing to pay. The highest
one wins, although there will be an upper limit of
¥14,000 for a single room.
The first building in the complex will open in
July with 72 rooms, followed by another 72room building next year, the company said.
The theme park in Sasebo uses actual-sized
copies of old Dutch buildings to bring the experience of the Netherlands to Japan.
34 • Destination MICE • February 2015
35 • Destination MICE • February 2015
appointment updates
New Management Appointments
at InterContinental Hong Kong
Visit Vancouver USA
Announces 2015
Board of Directors
Visit Vancouver USA is pleased to announce its board of directors and officers
for 2015. The board of directors is comprised of hospitality and business professionals, community leaders, and City and
County representatives who are responsible
for building community-wide support for the
tourism industry in Clark County.
For the 2015 term, Brian McClary, director of operations of the Heathman Lodge,
assumes the position of board chair. Melinda
Wulf, general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton, will fulfill the role of vice chair. Carla Rise,
general manager of Residence Inn by Marriott,
has been elected secretary/treasurer. New
directors include Mike Bomar, president of
the Columbia River Economic Development
Council; Taylor Nintzel, general manager of
Hampton Inn & Suites; and Jeanne Stewart,
Clark County Council.
The Returning Directors for 2015 are as
follows:
• Jan Bader - City of Vancouver, program &
policy development manager
American Airlines recnetly promoted
Vasu Raja to vice president - International
Revenue Management. In this new role,
Raja will lead a high-performing team
responsible for overseeing all revenue
generated from the company’s international business. His responsibilities will
include overseeing the Atlantic joint business alliance with British Airways, Iberia
and Finnair, as well as the airline’s Pacific
joint venture with Japan Airlines. He will
report to senior vice president - Revenue
Management.
“Vasu has played a key role in leading the
integration of American and US Airways’
international revenue functions and under
his leadership, international revenue saw
the two best years of performance in the
company’s history,” said Scott Kirby, president - American Airlines.
Raja previously served as managing
director - International Revenue Management. He joined American in 2004 and has
held a variety of roles in Sales, Corporate
Planning and Revenue Management. In
his role as managing director - Corporate
Reed Exhibitions Appoints Nick Pilbeam
as New Travel Divisional Director
• Kimberly Bennett - Visit Vancouver USA,
President & CEO
• Jordan Boldt - Vancouver Farmers Market,
Executive Director
• Alison Hite - SpringHill Suites by Marriott,
General Manager
• Kari Jonassen - Homewood Suites by
Hilton, General Manager
• John Morrison - Clark County Event Center
and Fairgrounds, Executive Director and CEO
• Eric Walters - Hilton Vancouver Washington,
General Manager
Visit Vancouver USA is the official destination marketing organization for Vancouver
USA and the surrounding areas. The organization also markets the region as a venue
for sports events through the Vancouver
USA Sports brand. Visit Vancouver USA’s
mission is to increase visitor spending in
Vancouver and Clark County through competitively marketing the area as a destination for meetings, conventions, and group
and leisure travelers.
Planning, Raja designed and executed the
largest aircraft purchase in aviation history.
He also led the development of a detailed
fleet and network plan that was used as the
basis for American’s restructuring plan and
merger analysis.
Before joining American, Raja was a
teacher with Teach for America in Baltimore.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from The University of Texas - Austin,
a master’s degree in teaching from Johns
Hopkins University and master’s degree in
business administration from Georgetown
University.
American Airlines and US Airways
merged in December 2013 to become the
world’s largest airline. They are combining
operations at nine hubs, and have already
merged significant parts of their cargo operations as well as corporate support functions. In 2015, the company expects to combine the American Airlines AAdvantage
and US Airways Dividend Miles programs
into a single frequent flyer program and to
achieve a single operating certificate from
the Federal Aviation Administration.
Reed Exhibitions has appointed Nick Pilbeam
to the position of Divisional Director – Travel.
Newly appointed Pilbeam, who brings
with him an enormous amount of growth
strategy knowledge and industry insight,
will head up the travel division of the world’s
leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions.
The renowned industry events that fall under
Reed Travel Exhibitions include the International
Luxury Travel Market portfolio, World Travel Market portfolio and the newly branded ibtm events
portfolio of global and regional events providing
business solutions on 5 continents. They include
ibtm world, ibtm arabia, ibtm africa, ibtm america,
ibtm china, ibtm india, AIME and ICOMEX.
Pilbeam who has spent the majority of
his career at the British Airways group (now
International Airlines Group) moved to Avios, the air miles loyalty program in 2008,
and was most recently accountable for the
entry and global growth strategies into new
markets and new partners. Pilbeam also led
the launch of the Avios currency worldwide
with British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus programmes including transforming
the Airmiles programme in the UK.
More recently, Pilbeam spearheaded Avios’
expansion into South Africa with the launch of
the Avios Travel Rewards Programme in that
market, securing high profile strategic partners
across the finance and retail sectors.
Pilbeam replaces Richard Mortimore,
who was promoted to Chief Executive of
Reed Exhibitions UK in 2014. Pilbeam will
report to Mortimore.
Mortimore said: “We are delighted that Nick
has come on board and we are confident that his
broad range of expertise and excellent customer
awareness will ensure that the strong brands
within Reed Travel Exhibitions are continually developed, keeping up with the fast-pace and ever
changing nature of the industry.
36 • Destination MICE • February 2015
cinema destinations
Discover Thainess on Screen at
Thailand International Film Destination Festival 2015
The Thailand Film Office, Department
of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and
Sports, is organising the Thailand International Film Destination Festival 2015
(TIFDF2015) that is set to promote the 12
charming provinces that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recommends
tourists not-to-miss when they are in the
kingdom. The Festival will be held from
4-12 February, 2015, at Siam Paragon Cineplex, Bangkok
H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister
of Tourism and Sports said, “This year, the
Thailand International Film Destination Festival marks its 3rd anniversary and will be
showcasing the kingdom’s 12 hidden gems
as the new shooting locations for international films. This is in line with the government’s policy to promote the preservation of
Thai traditions and cultures under the “2015
Discover Thainess” campaign that emphasises the country’s unique cultural assets
and the Thai way of happiness to be passed
on to international visitors.”
Thailand has become a popular location
to shoot international films, and in recent
years, the country has seen such films as
‘Hangover 2′, ‘The Impossible’, ‘The Lady’
and ‘The Railway Man’ bring recognition to
the skills and facilities on offer in Thailand.
Department of Tourism Director-General,
Acting Sub-Lieutenant Anuparb Gaysornsuwan said, “In the past two years, the TIFDF
has successfully promoted Thailand as an
international film destination as seen in the
annual increase in the number of international film productions from Japan, India,
Korea, China, the US and Hong Kong. For
this year, the Festival will focus on the natural and cultural treasures of Thailand, especially in the TAT’s 12 hidden gems which
have yet to be used as locations by any international film companies.”
Under the ‘Scenery, Scene, Seen on
Screen’ theme, the TIFDF 2015 is set to
present Thailand as an international film
destination with three main activities:, the
Thailand on Screen, the Amazing Thailand
Film Challenge and the Awards Ceremony, as well as a selfie contest.
The Thailand on Screen, scheduled to
be held from 7- 11 February, 2015, at Siam
Paragon Cineplex will present 10 films
from eight countries that were shot in
Thailand, including the premiere in Asia
of ‘Pernicious” from the US. Other films
include ‘Last Flight’ from China, ‘Pale
Moon’ from Japan, and ‘The Prince and
Me: The Elephant Adventure’ from the
US. The Festival will also screen the Box
Office drama ‘The Railway Man’ from
Australia.
The Amazing Thailand Film Challenge
is hosting a total of 36 teams of film-makers, comprising college and university
students, from around the world to make
a short film in the TAT’s 12 hidden gems.
Each team will include one appointed
Thai filmmaking student to promote
new friendships. Apart for the Best Film
Awards, there will be prizes for Best So-
cial Media approaches in promoting the
film. The film production takes place from
4-11 February, 2015.
The Awards Ceremony to announce
the winners of the Amazing Thailand
Film Challenge, scheduled to be held on
12 February, 2015, is earmarked as a starstudded and glamorous event, with guest
appearances by some of the stars, celebrities, film-makers and crew from around
the world as well as from the Thai film
industry.
Thailand Film Office Director Ms.
Ubonwan Sujaritkul said, “In 2014, Thailand generated about 2 billion Baht in revenue from international film productions.
The top five markets for international film
productions in Thailand last year are the
UK, the US, India, China and Hong Kong,
respectively. We expect the same revenue
for 2015, and we will continue to promote
Thailand as an international film destination through regular road shows at international film festivals; such as, the Cannes
International Film Festival in France.
Films on Responsible Tourism
Captivates WTM London
Short films on Kerala Tourism’s Responsible
Tourism initiatives were screened at the world’s
biggest travel and tourism trade event - the
World Travel Market (WTM), London. The United
Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
launched the three new short films showcasing the life-changing experiences of RT in the
villages of Kerala.
“Kerala has placed Responsible Tourism at
the core of its tourism development since 2007.
The State has transferred the potential of tourism into opportunities that improve livelihood,
preserve nature and build bridges between cultures,” said Mr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General,
UNWTO after launching the short films.
“A proud moment for Kerala, the films show
the world how our model of sustainable tourism is generating more employment opportunities in our villages. It has also succeeded in
safeguarding local ethos and cultural heritage,
rejuvenation of traditional farming methods and
preservation of natural resources,” said Mr. A. P.
Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism.
The three films, which highlight the RT slogan
‘Better Together’, were shot in the picturesque villages of Kumarakom, Wayanad and Alappuzha.
“Our experience in practicing Responsible
Tourism is an eye opener for other tourism destinations across the world. These films will inspire
others to follow Responsible Tourism for growth
and development through environment-friendly
tourism,” said Mr. Suman Billa, Secretary, Kerala
Tourism.
“The films will certainly help to evoke pride
among the people of our State leading to further
awareness and increased openness towards
tourism initiatives,” said Mr. P. I. Sheik Pareeth,
Director, Kerala Tourism.
37 • Destination MICE • February 2015
38 • Destination MICE • February 2015