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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 

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.

Business events planners can look forward to two brand new incentive packages from Sarawak that is: the Business Events Planner Incentivised Package (BEPIP); and BESlegacy Reward Programme.  Both of which are supported by the Sarawak government to help restart the business events industry in the state in East Malaysia.

The programmes also include financial support for events happening from this year until 2022 with the condition that the events attract more than 150 international delegates.

Under the business development and event support programme, event planners are  encourage to plan for home grown events whereby seed fundings are provided for organising conventions and exhibitions in Sarawak.

Further to this, is the support given to associations in Sarawak through promoting their events by making it visible on an international scale, as well as identifying the legacy the conventions organised that will bring to the world.  This is through its BESLegacy Reward Programme.

More information on the two incentive packages is available at www.businesseventssarawak.com

It’s official beginning from September 1, trade fairs, congresses and other major events may again be held in France.  This was announced by the French Defense and National Security Council (NSDC).

Viparis who manages nine main venues in the greater Paris region, will resume in autumn its business activity at Espace Champerret, Espace Grande Arche, Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, Les Salles du Carrousel, Palais des Congrès d’Issy, Palais des Congrès de Paris, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris Le Bourget and Paris Nord Villepinte.

More than 40 events are already scheduled for September alone.  The Palais des Congres de Paris is from September 1 to 3.  Paris Nord Villepinte will kick off with Premier Vision Paris on September 15 to 17.

The first event for Paris Expo Porte de Versailles which welcomes eight million visitors each year is Workspace, dedicated to commercial interior design held September 1 to 3. Leading international fashion event, Who’s Next will be at the venue from September 4 to 7.  Paris Retail Week takes place September 15 to 17.  This is followed by Pro Days, a professional trade show for the bicycle September 20 to 22.

“Business meetings are one of the linchpins of our economic recovery, and Paris will maintain its appeal as a business destination and its leading international position,” said Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti, chief executive officer of Viparis.