Press Room

The two events were held at Manado’s brand new Golden Kawanua Exhibition Hall. Close to 1,000 exhibitors occupied more than 450 exhibiting booths, representing a diverse range of ASEAN destination, travel products and services suppliers.

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. The ATF TRAVEX is considered to be the longest-running annual ASEAN leisure travel trade event which showcases the largest contingent of ASEAN sellers. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 ASEAN member nations: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Each year the hosting of ATF rotates among the member countries and Vientiane, the capital of Laos will have the opportunity to host the next event in 2013.

One-to-one interview with Ibu Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Republic of Indonesia.

Left, Nia Niscaya, Director of International Tourism, Indonesia and other officials .

Right at the press conference by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy.

TRAVEX 2012 at the Golden Kwanua Exhibition Hall.

The Minister of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Ng Yen Yen, meeting the media at the Novotel Convention Centre in Manado

Ending the luncheon hosted by country Malaysia at the ATF with a dance routine headed by the Tourism Minister.

Tourism Malaysia officials with the Manado Brass Band.

This April from 17 to 19, the IT&CM China 2012 will be held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. Exhibitors and buyers can once again expect to conduct business and network with industry players in China.

IT&CM China has since 2007 established itself, as China’s leading professional meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions business and networking event. It brings together not only Chinese, but International MICE exhibitors and buyers – all in one dynamic marketplace. It’s for people in the MICE industry to explore new and exciting business opportunities, as well as strengthen existing partnerships.

The 3-day event will be organised along structured business appointments, exhibition showcase, seminar sessions, official networking functions and tours.

This is a new and exciting tourist hub for art, fashion and authentic Malaysian food. It was officially opened on Dec 23 last year by the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail. Earmarked under the Kuala Lumpur beautification project, the task was awarded to Trend Matrix Enterprises to develop the abandoned space into what is now a popular one-stop destination for tourists and KLites.

The 416m-walk is located along a small strip of land that links Jalan P Ramlee to the connecting road between Jalan Pinang and Jalan Perak surrounded by high-rise commercial offices, residential buildings and hotels. Conveniently located in Kuala Lumpur’s golden triangle it is close to, and within an easy walking distance of around 10 minutes from the iconic KL Petronas twin towers and the KLCC Convention centre.

The KL CityWalk is definitely the place to be with its food and beverage outlets, art gallery and boutiques – tourist friendly with an information booth and airline ticketing offce. It’s also located close to several hotels in the city.

The brand new Golden Kawanua Exhibition Hall is the venue for the ATF 2012 TRAVEX which will welcome close to 1,000 exhibitors who occupying more than 450 exhibiting booths, representing a diverse range of
ASEAN destination, travel products and service suppliers.

Host country Indonesia will showcase the largest delegation of suppliers among the ASEAN countries with representation from over 100 companies and properties.
Buyer registrations and interest to attend the event have hit the 900 mark. Only 400 of all registered buyers will be hosted to attend ATF 2012. In addition, 50 non-hosted buyers are expected to participate. Buyer profiles will include trade representatives from over 55 countries including Australia, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China PR, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam.

While over 100 international and local media will be present to deliver live coverage and destination stories and reports to travel trade and tourism audiences worldwide.

To supplement business days there will be plenty of social networking activities. Indonesia will host both the opening and closing ceremony on January 12 and 15. “Both platforms are perfect opportunities for the destination to showcase its cultural performances and authentic Indonesian dishes,” said Nia Niscaya, director of international tourism promotion of the ministry of culture and tourism of the Republic of Indonesia.
The opening ceremony features a Batik fashion show and will have the honour of being presided by the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

On January 13 and 14, delegates can also look forward to hosted dinners by Laos who will be the host country of ATF 2013, and the Philippines. Dazzling the event further is a late night function by the city of Pattaya on January 13 which is jointly hosted with TTG Asia.

For more information and programme updates on ATF 2012, please visit www.atfindonesia.com

Several returning exhibitors were seen at the trade show, while new ones such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Poland and Hyderabad Convention Bureau make their debut this year. Individual designs of exhibition booths too are getting bigger, and more creative and modern, taking the opportunity of the event to showcase their latest products, facilities and services in a big way. All these keeping the international MICE and corporate buyers attending the trade show excited about new developments in the MICE and travel industry.

The educational sessions of the show continued to add value to the IT&CMA & CTW 2011, offering delegates latest information on travel and MICE products and business activities. This year the Seoul Convention Bureau hosted the Korea night with the theme of the evening, ‘Take 5’. Once again the event was held at the Bangkok International Convention Centre and from October 4 to 6.

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council invited Julia Douglas, managing editor of MICE in Asia for a four-day trip to Taipei, to find out more about the convention and exhibition facilities and services available in the capital of Taiwan. Arrangements were also made to meet exhibition and event industry players in the city and, a one-to-one interview with Walter Yeh, the executive vice president of TAITRA. She also had the opportunity to experience first hand, the spa services offered by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital – Taiwan is now looking at expanding medical tourism into the country.

As a small country, Taiwan is fast becoming a business tourism destination. The country, hosts several major international exhibitions such as on bicycles, electronic, manufacturing and green environment.

TAITRA a non-profit foundation works with business and trade associations in Taiwan and the government, to promote the country’s industry abroad, as well as international trade. The exhibition industry has become Taiwan’s platform in promoting products and services of the country.

Currently, Taipei is ranked as number two best destination in Asia and eleven in the world according to the 2010 ranking by ICCA. In terms of organising congresses, Taiwan is number four in Asia and 23rd in the world.

The sixth edition of International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) which is the largest travel event in Vietnam, was successful held at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The 3-day event which began from September 14 offered exhibitors, buyers and visitors the opportunity to explore Asia’s most authentic and exciting tourism potential from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, under the unique ‘Three Countries One Destination’ concept.

This year’s ITE HCMC will be held from September 14 to 17. Once again the event will bring buyers and sellers together under one roof to discover a wide range of tourism products in the ASEAN region. Buyers will also be able to meet over 20 Vietnamese provincial departments of tourism featuring their tourism products and services.

It is estimated that 160 to 180 international buyers and corporate travel managers will attend the travel expo. The event will feature a seminar for buyers and sellers (by invitation), an official reception of international buyers by the people’s committee of Ho Chi Minh City and department of tourism. There will also be a grand opening ceremony with cultural performance organised by participants of the expo and other participating tourism bureaus, as well as networking cocktail for all participants and destination product presentations

This coming event will also see the efforts of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to promote the four countries as one destination. For four days, tour operators, travel agents, tourism management organisations and other tourism related stakeholders get together to share information, build partnership and explore opportunities in the tourism business.

For more information on the travel expo, log onto: www.itehcmc.com

MICE in Asia is a media partner of ITE HCMC 2011.

The panel of judges of the different catergories of the Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism awards with the Mayor, Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail (fifth from right) at the Thank You dinner.

The first Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards was a resounding success. The mayor thanked all judges, committee members and everyone involved in the awards with a dinner at the Songket Restaurant.

Panel of judges of the different category of the awards, were presented with a framed letter of appreciation from the Mayor, Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail for their time and effort in contributing to the judging of the category of awards they are assigned to.

Managing editor of MICE in Asia was a judge in the accommodation category for five and four-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur.