July 2020

ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia come this October 21 to 23 will be held in a virtual platform, while the live event, has been postponed to 2021 in Singapore

It will be hosted on a newly developed platform known as the ITB Community. The ITB Community is set to launch on August 12. In addition to hosting this year’s edition of ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and the inaugural Travel Tech Asia, ITB Community will also facilitate a year-long virtual engagement programme for key stakeholders.

“We undertake a huge responsibility as Asia’s leading travel trade show to adapt and serve the travel trade community in recovery. Taking into consideration the need for businesses to connect, it is imperative for us to unite the community to enable business meetings to take place for a seamless knowledge exchange. ITB Community will be the latest permanent addition to a wide variety of offerings we have for our customers to tap into for their business success,” said Katrina Leung, managing director of Messe Berlin (Singapore).

The three-day virtual event for ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia will incorporate key features such as: business matching between buyers and sellers; top notch conference sessions; and virtual exhibition.

For more information please visit www.itb-asia.com

The hybrid event welcomed less than 250 industry partners from Kuching and, business events partners in the region virtually, including Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

At the event, the first launch was on BESarawak’s latest marketing campaign known as ‘Tribe Legacy Sarawak’. It immediately gained international recognition due to its creative elements in showcasing why Sarawak is a business events destination.

There are five components to the campaign which was created, as part of recognition by the Sarawak Government, to focus on tourism beyond leisure with non-economic values of business events that has an impact on Sarawak’s legacy, will be in the spotlight to improve professional, government and social communities.

Another crucial element that falls under the new campaign is the Business Events Planners Incentivised Package to support BE planners and industry partners. The package is divided into three sub-packages namely: Tribe Acceleration; Tribe Elevation; and Tribe Generation. A focal point for the package is, that BE planners, can benefit from two of the bureau’s reward programmes that is BESLegacy Reward Programmes and BESTribe Reward Programmes.

While, the second launch was the Reactivation Guideline for Organising Business Events in Sarawak which was developed, in collaboration with the Sarawak Government and fellow industry partners, to release a set of guidelines that would form the basis of organising business events in today’s situation.

The guidelines will be paired with standard operating procedures (SOP) approved by the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee to ensure hotels’ and convention venues’ readiness to receive delegates once again.

The final launch was ‘Tribe Digital Campus’ which is a virtual space for capacity building of skills training and business lead generation. Tribe Digital Innovation is one of the two prongs within the campus that actively promotes and subsidises quality skills training and international certifications; while Tribe Digital XChange is the virtual road show and B2B platform for industry partners to present their latest products and services to BE planners.

For more information on: Tribe Legacy Sarawak campaign, contact Rose Bruce at rose@sarawakcb.com; Business Events Planners Incentivised Package, contact Anedia Kahar at anedia@sarawakcb.com; and Tribe Digital Campus, log onto www.tribedigitalcampus.com or contact Olga Dazona at olga@sarawakcb.com

The AIME team has developed a show model that combines virtual with live event components for the industry to be able to meet, exchange knowledge and do business with delegates wherever they are in the world. It is scheduled to take place from March 15 to 17 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, incorporating a virtual format that is a hybrid which, will be the first for AIME

A poll conducted during the APAC webinar on the Joint Meeting Industry Council Manifesto for Economic Recovery using Business Events, revealed that 89 per cent of attendees expected to see hybrid events in 2021, further validating the move to the new show model.

“We understand that we all have a role to play in driving business events to help rebuild global economies and the new hybrid AIME is being designed to quickly help kick start our industry in 2021. By moving the show to March, we are giving the industry some extra time to adjust to post-COVID conditions as well as providing them with a road to new business opportunity,” said Matt Pearce, chief executive officer of Talk2 Media & Events.

The AIME hybrid model will see, exhibitors, hosted buyers and visitors attend either in person in Melbourne or virtually via the AIME online event portal.

While the virtual component means that meetings will no longer be restricted to the physical show dates. International virtual exhibitors and visitors will have the freedom to fix meetings best suited to individual time zone schedules. In addition to this, the Knowledge program content will be accessible at any time.

As for exhibitors who are able travel, they can still take part in the vibrant live show floor in Melbourne. At the same time, benefit from an increased number of buyers with those who are unable to attend, can do business from the comfort of their own office.

Penny Lion, executive general manager events of Tourism Australia said, “The recovery of Australia’s business events industry will depend on careful planning, unity and the industry coming together.”

She added engaging with businesses across Australia on the importance and value of events will also play, a role, in ensuring they are ready and willing to meet and do business when the time is right. If all things go as planned, AIME 2021 will be an early opportunity to renew business relationships and start planning events which will put the industry back on its feet.

For more details and to submit interest in exhibiting or attending AIME in 2021, please go to aime.com.au.  To follow AIME’s journey on social media visit Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.