The Best Bets of 2013 Fam Trips That Produce Results the 'It' Products Of
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December 2013/January 2014 PPS 1140/09/2012(022844) WINNER OF PATA GOLD AWARD 2013, 2011 & 2009 Asia-Pacific’s leading meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions resource COVER STORY COVER STORY ChambersChamb Westgarth, Brisbane, Australia At IT&CMA this year, what caught my eye A great wish... Their best bet wwas TCEB Connect. It had an incentive All the best intentions cconnected with its promotion. It gave delegates a chance to win luggage, cos- Abhimanya Chettri Be it an investment in SOCIAL MEDIA by increasing staff strength from two to Manager, Robert Bosch Engineering “Since last year, we’ve become more ac- six people as Borneo is growing for the metic bags and an iPAD. Its booth was It’s never too late to have also also bright and eye-catching. and Business Solutions, India social media, new hires, tive on social media networks. Potential European inbound market for leisure and a new resolution as the “I SHALL in 2014 move heaven and clients always look online for informa- MICE, partly due to its nature, culture and The visa application process is always a nignight-ht- earth to bring the SITE International market diversification or tion, plus we can upload photos of our heritage. Sabah and Sarawak also have Mandar Gokhale mare for Indians especially because a lotot of time new year dawns upon activities and portfolio on these sites. good five star properties to attract meeting is spent on waiting. For corporate MICEE groups, Conference 2015 to India. Get a new office expansion, Asian Group manager - Corprate Travel, In fact, an Australian company recently and incentive delegates.” – Fabio Delisi, we travel in huge numbers and if one oorr two us. Here’s a peek into the office near my home, so I can get Mumbai, India inbound MICE players contacted us via LinkedIn to organise an group CEO, Synergy Tours Malaysia do not get their visa in time it means thehe wwholehole to the office before lunch, and save event for a MICE group, even though we group has to change their destination. I wiswishh minds of mice leaders in Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel sticks out favourably. I was have not kept still. They have not met before. Our revenue grew 60 ASEAN MARKET there can be a special process created foror us myself the trauma of sitting in traffic impressed with the representative. She did her homework by the region on what they per cent from last year. We are surprised “We’ve been focusing on the European – perhaps a corporate visa programme so for three hours every day. studying our company background before our meeting. She was “I SHALL focus on tell TTGmice where they at the good performance (through this market, which is stable, but have started we do not have to apply for each indi- ‘shall’ and ‘shall not’ do aware of what I was seeking; she explained the property in great “I SHALL not in 2014, unlike Uncle niches hitherto un- put their biggest dollars strategy).” – Bobby Kim, chief marketing to grow MICE business from the ASEAN vidual. This should speed things up. officer, Jane Tour & DMC, South Korea market. We are getting more enquiries detail. When we bring future business to Kuala Lumpur, I will in 2014 Sam, allow the SITE India Chapter to tapped in the incen- definitely work with her. and whether it’s paid off from Indonesia, and from Asian MICE fall off the fiscal cliff.” tive segment.” RIGHT HIRE groups interested in half-day tours after “MICE2CHINA was a set up in early 2012 their conferences in South Korea. Previ- – Anup Nair, president, SITE India Chapter – Vipula Wanigasekera, as a new division of Century Holiday ously we were looking at only the Austral- and managing director, Incentive Destinations, General Manager, Sri International Travel Service. We started ian market.” – Mi Nong Lee, operation Delhi NCR (pic attached) Lanka Conventions Bureau hiring regional talent to cultivate a global director, Holiday Planners, South Korea image for the company and show that China is not just a producer of cheap CHASING MICE goods but a great MICE destination. We “We expanded our Guangzhou office this “I SHALL NOT stop serving The best fam trip Clockwise from top left: The visual landscape of The Penang Waterfront Convention Centre project; TCEB Connect booth; Mataking Island Sabah; Organic Farm Tour, have been successful with India, Singa- year, which was previously just a call Sampran Riverside elephant welcome the society even after my pore and Malaysia. We will soon broaden centre. Having launched in March 2012 a term ends in February 2014. our marketing efforts to Australia and new corporate travel department, we also How to do a fam trip that Ayodele Oluwole Eva Klejmova Eastern Europe, especially Poland.” – Burt started the FIT and MICE departments in Oyeneyin Director, J&T Concierge, I SHALL strive to make the January 2013. We are expecting a good has buyers swooning and CEO and MD of Trade Prague, Czech Republic 61st Les Clefs D’or UICH Sim, sales director, MICE2CHINA, China “I SHALL endeavour to outlook for MICE business to China in the Global Marketing Tours, International Congress to coming year.” – Lisa Chau, assistant gen- featuring the product the Pretoria, South Africa The best fam trip I had promote tourism without MORE SYNERGY Hey, that’s interesting be held in Kuala Lumpur in “We strengthened our office in Kota eral manager, tour department, Guang- next day? International this year was to Thailand, endangering the environ- zhou Anlu Travel Service (a subsidiary It was to Laos early this year where I ex- Laos and Cambodia. I organised it myself January 2014 a memorable Kinabalu, known as Synergy Borneo, ment.” of Lotus Tours Hong Kong) buyers spill the beans on perienced first-hand the destination which in early 2013 and got the hotels to host my Corporates tell TTGmice Arpita Bhose ganic farming to local farmers. It caught event which will be the talk is so rich in culture and heritage. The stay. This was the first time I went to these Account manager, Kenes Asia, Singapore my eye as we have a group of students – Rumy Jauffer, managing direc- DIVERSIFICATION which fam trip wowed weather and terrain is so different from destinations and my intention was to see what product or service going to Thailand for two weeks next tor, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion of all delegates.” “We diversified our focus from Japanese them this year South Africa. the products first-hand so I could tailor caught their eye this year I currently have my eye on the Penang year and we might be able to work out a Authority – Ragu Kumarasamy, President, travellers to include the global market As a result of the fam trip, I was able to luxury tours for clients and design incen- Waterfront Convention Centre, which programme for the students where they Society of the Golden Keys Malay- now. Therefore this year we partici- promote Laos to travellers from my coun- tive programmes in these destinations. It and why is going to open in 2017. We often rotate can volunteer their time and get involved sia “I SHALL ensure we make pated in more MICE tradeshows, such try and the first group departure to Laos was a successful trip as I made many new our annual congresses around Asia and try with the local community. as IT&CM China and IT&CMA, to build was in November 2013. contacts and can now tell my clients of my to keep up with the different convention full use of more web-based Barry Muk Bobby Kim Burt Sim Fabio Delisi up our branding. This year’s IT&CMA own experience in these destinations. This centres so we can give everyone a new tools, like our new website and also marked the first time JTB (Macau) will make it easier to sell these destina- experience. If we look at Malaysia, it is Jane Tan Karen Leemon (left); “I SHALL NOT be judgmental of anyone who cannot book social media, to create greater Travel took a separate booth from the JTB Lisa Chau tions. Jane Tan usually Kuala Lumpur, so now it is good Director, Enterprise Promotion Centres, brand.” – Barry Muk, manager-purchas- Assistant general manager that we can look at another city. This new Singapore (Use a nice pic of Sabah, you events. awareness and reach more ing & hotel reservations, JTB (Macau) - tour department, Guang- centre looks grand and promising and we have?) “I SHALL not lie about my age when asked. clients. Travel zhou Anlu Travel Service, Gerrit Chng- are really excited about it. a subsidiary of Lotus Tours Luechau I was surprised to find out how interest- “I SHALL optimise my client contacts and make my work “I SHALL not let Taiwan lose STAYING RESILIENT Hong Kong Director of sales, Orange ing Sabah is as an incentive destination work for the nation. out to other countries in Asia James Reed João Santos Cary Chiu Marisa Nallana “2013 has certainly been a challenging Three, Singapore Karen Leemon at IT&CMA this year. Besides being near because we are one of the most year. Visitor numbers to Hong Kong are I went to Spain and participated in the Campus Administration Officer, School of Singapore, it offers plenty of natural “I SHALL strive to inject more fun in events we plan, organ- hospitable cities that can do well up, but not from our markets. More tomato festival. We painted the town red It was to Phuket to visit Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, attractions and post-trip options, plus ise and host.