August 2020

Travel is still, to be, one of the preferred leisure activities among Chinese consumers with the gradual mitigation of the pandemic outbreak. Chinese willing to travel according to report by ITB China, is rising every day

In the survey conducted by the report, over 90 percent of the respondents believe travel to be still one of the preferred leisure activities among Chinese consumers. Over 40 percent of those surveyed, have recently received inquiries from consumers on outbound travel products. From May to June 2020, nearly 60 percent stated that their clients are interested in travel products as well as, actively buying pre-sale travel products.

Asked about the average annual spending of Chinese households in the next year: 60 percent of those surveyed estimate the spending between USD700 to 2,800; 24 percent expect it to be between USD2,800 to 7,060; while 10.5 percent think, it might be less then USD700; and 5.5 percent believe will be more than USD7,060.

While the latest statistics on China’s travel market during holiday season shows strong consumer demand and restored confidence in travel.

Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism show, that during the public holidays from May 1 to 5 this year, all nationwide destinations welcomed a total of 115 million visits and generated domestic travel-related revenue of USD6.79 billion.

The report is based on a survey among 200 Chinese outbound travel agencies and travel companies, including interviews with several industry experts. The report is a yearly publication, updating global travel suppliers and Chinese buyers with the latest needs of the Chinese travel market in order, to get best prepared to restart travel business in China.

The complete version of the 2020 ITB China Travel Trends Report is published on www.itb-china.com

Comprises of four key pillars of: ‘We Care’ by providing a safe and secure environment for business event that is controlled and regulated; ‘We are Flexible’ approach which is the willingness to work with clients to achieve an outcome that is of mutual success; ‘We Listen’ is to customise solutions to suit specific needs of its client; and ‘We are Supportive’ focuses on the venue’s commitment to professional development of the industry’s supply chain.

Mainly, the ‘We are here for you’ Engagement Programme is design by the Centre, to support the recovery and continuity of business.

“We have recognised that the environment for business events has been totally transformed by Covid-19 and this provided the motivation and inspiration to put our client’s needs at the forefront of our initiatives and to demonstrate our support, passion and commitment to our industry and its sustainability. We wanted our clients to know we are behind them and ready to support them and provide more choice which will help build confidence and give assurance as they navigate business events both at the Centre and in the new normal,” said Alan Pryor, the general of manager of Kuala Lumpur

At the same time, through this initiative, the venue has introduced new digital solutions under the banner of ‘STAY CONNECTED’ in its recently launched brand new website which now has several innovative features.

The website for example, is the first in Malaysia, to have a concierge AI chatbot which integrates directly with the contents of the website.  This together with interactive floor plans that incorporates ‘Visual Story Telling’ techniques. All of which are created for visitors and planners to have a more immersive experience in using the site.

To experience the new website of the Centre, please visit www.klccconventioncentre.com

Renowned global leaders from the industry will be joining speakers in deliberating on various developments and happening in the MICE industry for over two days of virtual summit beginning from September 11. It will also feature live chats where attendees are able to connect with other attendees over 40 languages.

The summit is a platform to connect with over 1,500 professional conference organisers, event venues, event management organisations, exhibition organisers, destination management companies, travel and tour operators, MICE stakeholders, MICE focused associations, trade and professional association heads and various chambers of commerce from around the world.

Main objective of the summit is to highlight on the significance of the MICE sector and reflect on the industry’s preparedness to open up effectively.

In terms of business opportunities, there is the virtual exhibition arena of participating exhibitors to connect with directly as well as, the opportunity to network with leaders of the Indian and International exhibition and convention industry.

Attendance is free and you can register at: https://forms.gle/3i5EQjNSsMWApnT2A

Some of the topics of the conference sessions that will run during the summit are on the global industry’s response to Covid-19, upcoming trends in the MICE industry, focus on sustainability in the industry, scope and relevance of virtual events, the industry post crisis and how far is the industry going to change.  Also will be discussed is the role of technology and innovation to revive the MICE industry, emergence of new models and change in  consumer expectation and leveraging on it to create demand.

For any queries, please feel free to write to raghav@exhibitionshowcase.com.

The study is the largest multi-country business event research conducted since the onset of COVID-19 which included 531 event industry professional participants consisting of 342 planners and 189 suppliers.

According to the research conducted by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): designing digital events is the key to success for events planners; China is more optimistic in the rebound of business events than other countries in the Asia Pacific region; and most want to stay close to home for business events.

Forty-one percent of planners believe smaller and regional events will come back sooner than larger international events, while 27 percent believe small in-person events will need to go hybrid and large events, wholly digital.

The survey revealed most business event planners have no intention of travelling any time soon with almost two-thirds (60 percent) of planners saying, they would only travel within their own country for a business event in 2020, while 10 percent would travel to another country in APAC.

Suppliers reported being more willing to travel with 48 percent saying they would only travel in their own country, 17 percent would travel within APAC and, 22 percent would go anywhere, ‘if it was worth it’.

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) conducted its COVID-19 ‘Recovery Dashboard’ survey in the APAC region between July 7 to 15 across Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, China, Korea and Japan.

Planners it was discovered in the research are struggling, to budget for hybrid events, as they try to find the balance between taking an event online, and managing face-to-face attendee’s expectations with 61 percent of planners and 47 percent of suppliers are willing to travel within their country for a business event.

This survey said Karen Bolinger, managing director of PCMA APAC was important as it gives us, insights from the region, from which planners and suppliers can start devising their plans.

“Some of the results were as predicted, but the real impact COVID-19 has had on business revenue for 2020 was distressing. The suppliers have taken a bigger financial hit, with 66 percent of suppliers noting a decline greater than 75 percent in revenue, compared to 52 percent of planners. This is a massive impact and shows the vulnerability of many of the companies that deliver events.

The recovery in China is a major indicator for business events post COVID. The research reveals that the Chinese are expecting a ‘pent-up demand’ for face-to-face events, hence predicting a stronger recovery in 2021 compared to the rest of APAC.

Not surprisingly, both planners and suppliers need new skills to survive in a post-COVID economy. The survey revealed the educational and skills-based training needed right now, and these results are helping to shape the educational program PCMA is rolling out across APAC.”

PCMA will conduct further research in the APAC region over the coming months.

“Hybrid delivery of events, both large and small, will be with us for a long time,” Karen Bolinger, Managing Director of PCMA APAC.

Registration is now open for the Congress. This year, the theme is: ‘Transforming Global Events Together’ which will provide the structure for the future of global events.

The event allows ICCA’s global community to connect with each other and explore new ideas, formats, and technologies to combine the efforts in creating the “Kaohsiung Protocol” a framework that identifies major trends and key strategies, to thus enable the international meetings industry, to thrive now and on into the future.

This years’ Congress format is designed to enable ICCA’s global community of member-suppliers and associations, to experience the future of global events: Either live in Kaohsiung, at the regional hub, or virtually from November 1 to 3. The innovative virtual platform will give all attendees the opportunity to network, as well as engage in the contents of the Congress during the three days.

In response to the uncertain situation, and to give participants full control of how they wish to attend, ICCA is offering a flexible and adaptable approach to registration and the accompanying fees.  This means delegates can sign up now, but change their registration type later, allowing them to choose between a virtual attendee, a hub attendee, or an in-person attendee in Kaohsiung.

ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath concludes: “We believe in the power of meeting face-to-face but know this isn’t always possible. Still, we want to make sure our global community can take part and make their voice heard from wherever they are.”

For more information visit www.events.iccaworld.org/congress2020

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) made the difficult decision, to extend its closure until midnight of August 31, in view of the Government of Victoria’s current coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

In the meantime, MCEC has launched several safety and security measures under its VenueSafe Plan in preparation, when the venue gets back into business.

Peter King, chief executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre said. “We’ve been working hard to ensure we have the right health measures in place to give our customers, visitors and people the confidence they need when our doors reopen.”

“We’re confident that with new measures in place as part of our VenueSafe Plan, customers can continue to enjoy Melbourne’s leading destination for big ideas and inspirational events, when it is safe to return to our venue,” he added.

The MCEC VenueSafe Plan includes a range of public health, hygiene and physical distancing practices such as: additional resources and support from the venue’s safety and security team; changes made to access of the venue for, it will not be possible, to use MCEC, as a public thoroughfare to the surrounding precinct; establish health check stations as well as, increased cleaning and sanitisation and temperature checks before, entering the venue.

For more detail on MCEC’s VenueSafe Plan visit mcec.com.au/venuesafe