January 2020

The Thailand Chapter of Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) won the Rising Star Award for 2019 at SITE’s 2020 Global Conference held in Vancouver, Canada. The annual awards honour individual members and chapter organisations that have contributed to the association and the world’s incentive travel industry.

SITE Thailand was established last year during the SITE Global Conference 2019 in Bangkok with 22 members. Its membership has since grown to 30 – comprising destination management companies, hotels, event planners and trade associations.

The Rising Star Award recognises SITE Thailand’s steady membership growth, varied activities and strong support for SITE’s Young Leaders Program and defined leadership structure. Also for its timely submission of reports during the qualifying period overall resilience and performance.

Thailand’s other winner at the conference is Max Boontawee Jantasuwan, founder and chief executive officer of Events Travel Asia in Bangkok, and SITE Thailand Chapter president. He won the Kevin Forde Spirit Award 2019, which is given each year to individuals who best exemplify the generosity of time and energy that Kevin Forde had for fellow incentive travel professionals and volunteerism.

Membership is open to all stakeholders in association meetings throughout the world. According to ICCA, by joining the community, associations have access to education, connections, tools and resources to organise more effective meetings.

Also through the ICCA Association Community, associations can make their voice heard in ICCA’s global community for the international meetings industry on: how their association and their meetings will make a difference in the future.

Associations will have access to ICCA’s Association Meetings Intelligence as well as to ICCA’s events and enjoy peer-to-peer networking, expertise and education.

“The launch of the ICCA Association Community will integrate associations with our membership, helping to shape ICCA’s future and provide opportunities for ever-closer collaboration,” remarked ICCA president James Rees.

While, Thomas Reiser, executive director of the International Society on Thrombosis and Homeostasis (ISTH) said: “Networking with international associations among each other is critical for the success of our activities as the peer-to-peer sharing and learning is one of the most powerful aspects.”

He added by doing this on a well-established platform like ICCA and, combining it with the community of destination partners is even more beneficial for ISTH particularly, in their joint efforts to professionalise the way to collaborate in planning and executing successful events.

This is why ISTH said the executive director, is happy to be part of the ICCA Association Community and look forward to the benefits such as access to data, sharing new ideas, thought-provoking education and peer to peer networking.

Associations can sign up through a form on the ICCA website.

Citing the business events industry’s vast potential for taking care of people and communities, PCMA president and CEO Sherrif Karamat announced a pan-industry initiative to raise USD 250,000 to help those affected by the bushfires in Australia and the earthquakes in Puerto Rico.

“Doing good for people and communities in crisis is doing good for all of us,” Karamat said. “The business events industry has a rich legacy of stepping up and coming together to do good when disasters strike. This is another way of demonstrating how business events can be a catalyst for economic and social transformation.”

Three years ago, the PCMA Foundation created the Industry Relief Fund to unify the business events community to aid of members of the industry who were suffering from disasters wherever they may be.

In addition to direct financial support through the Industry Relief Fund, PCMA will also collaborate with leaders in the affected communities to provide messaging support through PCMA’s global networks and channels.

Donate and find out more at:foundation.pcma.org/industry-relief-fund.

The Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) is now in its 40^th year.   Since its inception in 1979, SACEOS has established itself as an active voice of the meetings and events industry in Singapore, providing a platform for innovation and has become a key player within the region’s events industry.

“I believe this sector will advance faster in the next 10 years than it ever has before. New technologies are enabling greater efficiency and more collaborative operating models. They are also re-shaping the marketplace. New entrants such as start-ups or the industry’s own customers and suppliers, are also shaking up the sector to allow new applications, create new interactions, and empower people even more,” said Alousius Arlando, president of SACEOS.

Now home to more than 5,000 Asia Pacific headquarters of SME and global MNC companies, SACEOS has aided in boosting the expansion of the regional market over the past four decades. It has facilitated and solidified regional and global partnerships, advanced knowledge and industry best practices while advocating for advancement and a better business economy for Singapore.

At Singapore’s EXPO & MAX Atria where a dinner celebration was held to mark the 40^th anniversary, a new logo of SACEOS was unveiled of a brand new visual identity that represents the growth and transformation of SACEOS.

“Its smarter visual identity is a hallmark for the next phase of our growth. The improved logo has evolved by enhancing the colour and font while still retaining a distinct reference to our former branding and origins,” the association’s president commented.

This year, Singapore will be hosting some of the biggest business events in the region from the Singapore FinTech Festival, Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology, Singapore Media Festival, Food and Hotel Asia to the Singapore Air Show

Attracting trade visitors from more than 50 countries, the show is set to be held from August 4 to 6 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China.

To date entertainment industry professionals from United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, Korea, Dubai, Turkey, India, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia among other countries are participating in the AAA 2020.

This year’s show will also have support from exhibitors worldwide with Chinese exhibitors like UNIS, Wahlap, Golden Dragon, G-Look, Golden Horse, Letian, Wangming, Prodigy, and brands like Sacoa (Argentina), Semnox (India), Embed (Australia), Wibit Sports (Germany), Zone Laser Tag & Hologate (Germany), Dragonautics (Singapore), Delta Strike (New Zealand) and F2 Systems Inc (Korea).

Live Activities during AAA 2020 show includes 2020 Asia Theme Park Development Forum, Advanced Workshop on Indoor Parks Operation and 2020 Asia Culture & Tourism Development Conference

In terms of exhibition scope delegates and visitors can expect: Games and Devices ranging from arcade and video, midway and skill, redemption prizes, participatory play equipment and displays; Theme Parks and Attractions of rides, architecture and design, photographic solution, people-moving equipment, security equipment, theatrical equipment and supplies and admission equipment; Water technology: with water-related equipment and supplies, water park design and consultancy; Children Amusement from playgrounds, trampoline, inflatables and kiddie rides; and Hi-Tech Equipment such as VR&AR, simulation, animatronics, snow and ice systems, laser tag and special effects.

Last year which was the 15^th AAA show broke the record reaching 90,679 visits with 1,100 exhibitors showcasing their latest products and services – covering 120,000 square metres of exhibiting area.

For more information email: grand.je@grahw.com

www.aaaexpos.com

Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) by Sarawak Convention Bureau has undertaken a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PCMA, to develop a partnership that provides education, business development opportunities and increases awareness of the transformative power of business events.

The MOU is effective through December 31, 2022 which was signed last year at the Convening Leaders, PCMA’s signature annual event, in San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA president and chief executive officer said: “This agreement with Business Events Sarawak is completely aligned with PCMA’s vision and growth, as both organizations share the same goal — to demonstrate how business events transform societies, businesses and communities.”

The MOU calls for business events training and education to help showcase Sarawak’s unique value proposition to international associations and corporate markets in addition to developing the local meetings industry.

“Sarawak has already begun its quest to position business events as economic and community game-changers in the region through the Legacy Impact Programme” said The Honorable Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Sarawak and Minister of Youth and Sports, Sarawak. “The program is focused on four pillars of legacies which are Advancing the Field, Community Benefits, Economic Outcome and Public Policy; driven by 27 drivers.”

BESarawak, Malaysia’s pioneer business events bureau, hosted a distinct gathering of business events strategists, industry leaders and government officials from Asia Pacific at the Convening Leaders last year to network with some of the world’s most prominent figures in the industry and discuss current growth strategies and disruptors.

The agreement, which starts on January 1, 2020, calls for collaboration and cross promotion through educational initiatives to help increase brand presence and membership. Financial terms however have not been disclosed.

“PCMA has a commitment to bringing its members access to leading edge education and content that helps them deliver economic and social transformation through business events,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA’s president and chief executive officer.

He added, “This strategic alliance with CEMA allows us to deliver more resources to our members while expanding our audience so we can continue to demonstrate how business events transform global economies and societies.”

The strategic agreement calls for CEMA to co-develop education at each of PCMA’s four signature events: Convening Leaders, EduCon, European Influencers Summit and Asia Pacific Annual Conference.

While PCMA, will deliver education at the annual CEMA Summit and during CEMA Study Tours. In addition, both organisations will collaborate on webinars and other services to deliver greater value to each other’s membership.

“CEMA and PCMA share a vision for the advancement of event marketing as a vital element in the marketing stack, and each brand offers unique and complementary qualities and services to help event professionals learn and grow,” said CEMA president and chief executive officer, Kimberley Gishler.

PCMA has also strategic agreements with AIME (Asia Pacific Incentives Meetings Events), Abu Dhabi and Sarawak, Malaysia, IAPCO, COCAL and a joint venture with Destinations International for the annual Destination Showcase event.

The prefecture has over 1000-years of history and is the birthplace of Japanese culture Nara, offers a unique convention environment within the vicinity of three World Heritage sites, close enough for visitors to explore. Now, major developments of meeting facilities are underway for visitors to do business in the city.

Come spring of 2020, the highly-anticipated Nara Prefectural Convention Center is set to open its door to the world and expected to increase the range of conferences to be held in the city.

Located 90 minutes away from Kansai International Airport, the opening of this new center will allow industry players to host larger conferences and events, seating 2,000 delegates.

In adjacent to the center will be the JW Marriott Hotel Nara scheduled to open the same year, marking the first JW brand hotel in Japan.

A member of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) who joined in 2019, Nara Prefectural Government is determined to strengthen the profile of Nara as a MICE destination.

Since the UNWTO Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific (RSOAP) is now based in Nara city, Nara looks forward to enhancing the framework for cooperation with UNWTO particularly in the field of culinary.

Future planning also involves more collaboration with Nara Agriculture and Food International College (NAFIC). Nara was selected by Japan Tourism Agency in 2019 as Japan’s bidding city for UNWTO World Forum on gastronomy Tourism 2022.

Key trends take away: Technology advances to simplify travel; more conscious eco travel choices; and Kyoto tops destination wish list.

Single apps for all travel needs, passport free travel, and mobile app check-in are the top three new travel norms expected by travellers in the next decade, according to new research by Agoda, the world’s fastest growing digital travel platform.

People expect a log more from their travel experience in the next decade with continued advancement of technology, revolutionary travel apps and better connectivity. Specifically, Southeast Asians half of all respondents in Indonesia (56 percent), Singapore (54 percent), Malaysia (53 percent), Philippines (48 percent) and Thailand (48 percent) considering this the norm in the next decade. This compares to only a third of people in the United Kingdom and the United States (33 percent).

Meanwhile, Singapore (50 percent), Vietnam (47 percent), Philippines (45 percent), China (44 percent) and Australia (41 percent) are the top five origins most likely to see a future with passport-free travel.  In the United Kingdom and United States, they are less expectant of this advancement with only one in five expecting it, to be the norm within the next decade.

Technology has already made such a positive impact on how and where people travel as innovative technologies, like those developed at Agoda, give travellers instant access to millions of hotels and home properties around the world with real time pricing and availability.

“It is a technology golden age for travelers, as technology is developed to simplify the way anyone, anywhere can search, book and pay for flights, hotels or holiday accommodation. The 2000s was defined by the mouse and the computer, putting online travel booking just a click away.  The 2010s, was defined by the smart phone and app, and put a travel agent in the pocket of every phone owner, and the 2020s will be defined by the power of data and Machine Learning (AI). This will enable companies like Agoda to provide personalized, more relevant recommendations to make booking travel even easier,” explains Timothy Hughes, Vice President of Corporate Development at Agoda.

He continued: “Asian travelers, in particular, are enthused by, and expectant of, technology developments that enhance and simplify their travel experience.  Asian based companies are now leading the world in technology adoption and development to achieve this. I expect to see Asia press ahead with that lead in the 2020s – especially in areas such as video and augmented reality, improved mobile services with more chat and voice solutions, and payments to help bring the “unbanked online”.”

Globally, people want to increase travel, but also to make eco-friendlier travel choices

Universally, people want to increase the amount of travel they undertake in the 2020s.  Exploring more of their own country is cited by 40 percent of respondents globally, while international travel more often is anticipated at 35 percent.

What is also interesting according to the research, in the context of global narratives on climate sustainability is the trend that more than a quarter want to make more eco-friendly travel choices in the next decade.  Travellers from Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia are most keen to make eco- friendlier choices perhaps more aware than others with the recent closure of Maya Bay in Thailand, and the Boracay rehabilitation program in Philippines, thus travellers want to do their bit even when on holiday.

Travellers in the 35 to 44 and 55+ age groups, are most likely to want to explore their own countries and territories more (40 percent and 42 percent respectively), with those from China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia,  Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, United States and Vietnam choosing domestic destinations within their top three wish list destinations for the coming decade.

Meanwhile Korean and Japanese travellers see themselves taking more solo trips in the next decade. Taiwanese and Indonesians would prefer taking a sabbatical or gap year.

 Kyoto scoops number one spot as the world’s most desired destination to visit in the 2020s

Asia dominates the global travel wish lists destinations for the next decade, as travelers from both Asia and the West showcase a growing curiosity for Asian treasures like Kyoto (Japan) famed for its Shinto shrine.  Kyoto is an eclectic blend of culture, food and history, followed by Bangkok, (Thailand) and Bali, (Indonesia).

Travellers in Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia want to cross off their own capital cities from their travel lists. Meanwhile, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Australian travellers do not choose a domestic destination on their wish lists for travel in the next decade.

American and British travellers alike are most excited about visiting New York in the coming decade. New York is also a top three choice for travellers from Australia, Japan and South Korea. Both Malaysian and Indonesian travellers would like to visit Makkah by 2030.