1. travel
2. tourist destinations
3. japan

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Volume VI Issue 3 March 2015 60 pages
A DDP Publication
Publisher & Editor
SanJeet
Editor-in-Chief
Deepa Sethi
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Advertising
Gunjan Sabikhi
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Udit Pandey
Bharat Chawla
Even though 2015 will probably see more domestic MICE
events with hotels and convention centres offering venues and
services of international standards, there are some international
destinations that are becoming more popular, because of their
push and encouragement from government offices and others
that just remain popular amongst corporates for conferences and
incentive travel, namely Korea, Berlin and Paris.
eVisas will definitely help increase inbound incentive travel to
quite an extent. As a country, we need to get our act together
to improve the infrastructure at our very beautiful and inviting
archeological sites. Also, airports offering this facility need to
become better prepared to receive large groups landing together
seeking visas-on-arrival.
Big and small cities also need to get used to alien cultures with
tourists arriving from around the world. Non-acceptance and
a misconstrued understanding of new ways of greeting etc. has
to be eradicated by talking about it through television and print
media… It would also lead to a certain amount of safety for
foreigners.
With tourism taking a new importance with the BJP government
understanding the magnitude of the economic potential, 2015
should be an exciting year for the travel and hospitality industry.
MICE should be thriving this year and every segment of the
industry is preparing for it.
editorial
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MICEtalk March 2015
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c
ontents
March 2015
14 Cover Story
20
eVisas, a Boon for Indian Incentives
The winners of India Travel Awards-North tell us how
eVisa facilities being given to 44 countries has given an
inevitable facelift to the incentive tourism vertical in India.
11
08 Facts
Facts and news from the world of MICE
20 Korea
The Ultimate MICE Destination
26 City Talk: Berlin
A Whole City for Every Event
26
Regular
34
32 Technology
Darren Edwards tells
us what will influence
mobile event world
30
36
48 Expert Talk
Shabnam Mehra says
being social at work
can go a long way
30 Venue Talk
Luring Indian MICE
the French way
34 Let’s Talk
Fun Works in the
Philippines
36 Venue Talk
One venue, triple value
@ India Expo Mart
Over
600,000
Readers
50 Etiquette Talk
Shital Kakkar Mehra
explains the air kiss
culture
Please send in your suggestions and
feedback to [email protected]
You can also read MICEtalk online on
www.micetalk.com
facts
facts
70% meeting
professionals expect
business conditions to
improve, says report
n The 2015 Winter Edition of
BIT deliver a sparkling
tourism spectacle
n Italy’s premier travel industry trade show, BIT, ran this past
weekend at the new Milan Fairgrounds in the suburb of Rho.
The fairgrounds is the venue for the upcoming 2015 World’s
Fair. BIT took place in two giant glass buildings – one for Italian
destinations and the other for lands abroad.
The international building displayed kiosks from a large variety
of countries offered free champagne, tasty cheeses, and local
dishes. Several exhibitors brought costumed models, giving
the feel of an exotic adventure. A trailer that stood between the
two giant glass ‘pavilions’ promoted the upcoming World’s Fair
(Expo 2015). Several windows facilitated customers with the
option to pre-purchase their tickets to the event.
Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central
offers meeting groups 3rd Night Free
n With so much to see and do in Macau, there is now even more incentive
to stay an extra day with Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central offering a third
night free for meeting groups. Sheraton Macao Hotel is launching “3rd Night
Free or Dinner on Us” in partnership with Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao.
Combined, all of the properties on Cotai Strip offer 120,000 square meters of
meeting space, more than 9,000 hotel rooms and 600 retail stores.
8
MICEtalk March 2015
Meetings OutlookTM by Meeting
Professionals International (MPI) is
now available. The newest chapter
of the quarterly special report
highlights healthier business.
Though, the rising global seller’s
market will continue to task meeting
professionals suffering from shorter
lead times and budgets that aren’t
keeping pace with costs. The report
tracked that 70 per cent of meeting
professionals expect overall business
conditions to improve in the near
future, 49 per cent of respondents
anticipate a business decrease in the
government meetings segment and 41
per cent of respondents see a positive
future for the domestic corporate
segment. It also summarises a rise of
approximately 5 per cent each quarter
in projections for live attendance
numbers since Q2 2014. Meetings
Outlook has now developed in
partnership with VISIT DENVER,
The Convention & Visitors Bureau.
facts
Durban ICC to host wellness guru
Deepak Chopra during his tour
n The Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) will host international wellness
guru, Dr Deepak Chopra during his second South African tour in March this year. The
prestigious tour is presented by Oval International, a registered Private Institute of Higher
Education, in partnership with the Durban ICC. Dr Chopra will inspire and enlighten guests on
“The Future of Wellbeing” through his insightful seminar covering areas such as your physical,
emotional, spiritual, career, community, ecological and financial wellbeing.
Tourism industry may lose
14 million jobs by 2024: WTTC
n Cases of poor
management in the travel
and tourism industry are
prone to cost future jobs,
unless the private sector
and state governments take
a hands-on approach to the
issue. According to WTTC,
tourism industry is to lose
14 million jobs by 2024.
The research performed
by The WTTC or World
Travel and Tourism Council
points to talent management
as the main culprit. The roughly 266 million employed in travel
and tourism industry brought to the global economy in 2014 a
whooping amount of $7 trillion.
The industry is likely to contribute $610 billion less in GDP as well.
The 4 per cent decrease in jobs, compared to the initial estimates
of 347 million by 2014, was reached by quantifying the scale of
challenge in regards to human resources, a process performed for
the first time. The study considered the countries that create and
hold 80 per cent of jobs in the travel and tourism industry and thus,
contribute the most to global economy.
Deepak Chopra
Wellness Guru
New exhibitors from
South Africa to join
WTM Africa 2015
n WTM Africa 2015, which will take place
at the Cape Town International Convention
Centre from April 15-17, has added an
array of new exhibitors from host country
South Africa, ranging from marketing
representation company Axis Marketing to
Zulu Nyala, a game reserve.
Reflecting southern Africa’s diverse wildlife
attractions are new exhibitors from game
reserves and safari camps. There are also
two new exhibitors offering coach services.
WTM Africa 2014 saw almost 4,000
industry professionals negotiate deals
worth $314 million and the diversity of the
new exhibitors
indicates that
these figures
will easily be
surpassed.
MICEtalk March 2015
9
facts
facts
ETIHAD AIRWAYS
launches daily
flights to
Kolkata
Etihad Airways started daily flights
between Abu Dhabi and Kolkata
(Calcutta), the airline’s 11th
destination in India on its own, and
its 15th destination in combination
with network partner Jet Airways.
According to Peter Baumgartner,
Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial
Officer, the new service is a result
of the growing demand from air
travellers who were keen to fly
between West Bengal and the
Middle East, Europe and North
America via Abu Dhabi.
Philadelphia to host
2016 Democratic
National Convention
n Philadelphia will host the 2016 Democratic National
Convention (DNC). DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman
Schultz named Philadelphia as the location, citing the
city’s historic setting as a perfect place to hold the 2016
convention. The Democratic National Convention was last
held in Philadelphia in 1948 and the Republican National
Convention was held in Philadelphia in 2000. The 2016
Democratic National Convention will generate between $170
and $250 million in economic impact for the city.
The airline operates a two cabin
A320 aircraft between Abu Dhabi
and Kolkata which is configured
to carry 136 passengers, with 16 in
Business Class and 120 in Economy
Class.
The service to and from Kolkata
conveniently connects with a
number of Etihad Airways’ key
North American destinations,
including San Francisco, New
York, Chicago, and Toronto, often
providing the fastest journey times
in the market.
EEMA to hold its annual convention
EEMAGINE 2015 in Gurgaon
n Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) is organising its eighth annual
summit EEMAGINE 2015 in Gurgaon from April 6-8 at Hyatt Regency. As a knowledge sharing
and networking platform, it gives industry stakeholders the opportunity to converge and take
away rich experiences that aid their future growth. Over the years, this annual convention has
been hosted at various places like Goa, Agra, Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Kochi. It brings together
the country’s leading event management, MICE and wedding planners, experiential marketers,
and international counterparts on the same platform.
10
MICEtalk March 2015
facts
300 association
executives
expected at IMEX
Frankfurt
Myanmar to join Moscow International
Travel Tourism Exhibition for 1st time
n Myanmar is all set to join the exhibition floor for the first time at MITT, Russia’s
largest travel exhibition, this year. The 22nd edition of the Moscow International
Travel and Tourism Exhibition will take place on March 18-21, 2015 in Moscow. In
recent years the number of Russian tourists arriving to Myanmar has grown. Over
1,000 Russians visited Myanmar in 2008, by 2013 this figure increased to over 4,000
arrivals, and in 2014 Russian arrivals increased to 4,835 tourists.
UMTA will exhibit to promote their cultural and historical heritage, as well as nature
tourism programmes. This year, MITT expects to connect over 2,000 international
travel companies. These companies exhibit to meet and do business with the
country’s key travel agents, tour operators and travel industry professionals.
Designers showcase bridal couture
at Ajman Palace Wedding Fair
n The two-day Wedding Fair at The Ajman Palace Hotel kicked off to a glittering
start on February 12 with a bridal fashion show where designs by leading names in
local and international bridal wear were showcased. Over 20 top designers unveiled
the latest trends in wedding dresses with many embracing an unconventional
approach to their designs. The jewellery displayed was by Dhamani Jewels. Renowned
Emirati Fashion Designer Mona Al Mansouri — the 2014 United Nations Goodwill
Ambassador started the show and was followed by leading names such as Mirna
El-Hage, Ritu Kumar, Maryam Al Shaibani, Sahar Atif, Beljour, Sara Al Madini, Akif
Mahmood, Nisrine Fakih and Limeri Bridal among others. The two-day fair was
visited by more than 1,700 people with many travelling all the way from the Middle
East, Asia, Europe and Australia only to attend the exhibition.
n IMEX Association Day which
will be held on May 18 at Kap
Europe, Frankfurt is a free
event exclusively for association
executives. More than 300
association professionals from
40 countries are expected to
attend this annual event working
with millennials, managing an
association during a crisis, and
how to best use data are just some
of the key topics to be explored
this year. This year’s event will
feature a brand new programme
with interactive learning formats
and professional facilitation,
developed in conjunction with
the International Association of
Facilitators.
MICEtalk March 2015
11
facts
facts
World Food Tourism
Summit to integrate
with Chefs Congress
n The World Food Tourism Summit
programme which takes place at the
Estoril Congress Centre will be held
from April 8-11. A new feature to be
introduced this year is the integration
of the Chefs Congress, the largest
annual gathering of professionals and
kitchen and pastry lovers in Portugal,
promoted by “Edições do Gosto”,
in order to provide greater sharing
of knowledge and involvement of
Portuguese gastronomy professionals
in their international promotion.
Hyatt launches free Wi-Fi
for all guests worldwide
n All Hyatt hotels and resorts worldwide have started
providing free Wi-Fi from February 14 to guests independent
of booking method or loyalty programme participation.
This industry-leading offer will be available to guests on an
unlimited number of mobile devices or laptops in guest rooms
and social spaces at Hyatt-branded hotels.
Platinum and Diamond Hyatt Gold Passport members will
receive a free upgrade to premium Wi-Fi service in those
spaces wherever available, and guests will have the option to
purchase premium service in those locations. Nearly 90 per
cent of Hyatt hotels around the world have made investments
in their networks in the past three years. The sign-on process
to access free Wi-Fi will vary by property. While free Wi-Fi
is available in guest rooms and social spaces such as lobbies
and Hyatt-operated restaurants, it does not extend to meeting
rooms, where bandwidth demand varies by the number of
event attendees. Hotels will continue to work with organisers
individually to procure appropriate support for an optimal
experience.
TTF 2015 - India’s leading
travel show held in Delhi
n Travel & Tourism Fair – 2015 (TTF-2015), India’s leading travel show network,
got off to a brisk start at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, New Delhi on February 11.
The inaugural day of the three-day event saw a steady stream of travel trade visitors
from New Delhi and its hinterland, eager to network and do business with over
275 exhibitors representing 19 countries and an equal number of Indian states.
TTF-2015 showcased international and domestic destinations and their products
and services to travel trade visitors.
12
MICEtalk March 2015
Throughout the event, the
participation of Portuguese chefs
will be highlighted through the
enhancement of Portuguese cuisine
and wealth of domestic products. The
World Food Tourism Summit will
also be privileged with the presence
of international cuisine professionals
who will present the latest offers and
trends in culinary tourism.
Among them, author Matt Goulding,
will talk about the importance of
taking food to street in a sophisticated
and original manner.
e
cover story
a Boon for
Indian Incentives
Deepak Deva
CEO
eVisa facilities being given to 44 countries has given
an inevitable face lift to the incentive tourism vertical
in India. The winners of India Travel Awards - North
definitely feel so. Here’s what they shared with MICEtalk.
Kuoni Destination Management
In my days of being in the business, I think the greatest day for
me was when eVisa was offered to 44 nations. It’s definitely a
path breaking initiative, which we should celebrate. It is going
to change the course of business. This has been one of our major
demands and was finally considered by the government. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank the government for
considering the electronic visa. The three countries that need to
be added to the list are France, Switzerland and UK.
Crowne Plaza, Greater Noida
I think eVisa given to 44 countries is a big achievement for the
country. This is an incredible step taken by the government. I am
a member of PATA and was one of the persons to push eVisa for
almost a year and a half. Now, we all have smiling faces. It’s so
good to have something like this take shape in India.
Greesh Bindra
General Manager
Sarovar Hotels
It is a brilliant initiative. But the ground reality is that it hasn’t
really kicked off in the way it should have, but it is happening
gradually. Whenever a big step like this is taken in India, it
always faces some kind of teething problems, but eVisa will
definitely boost tourism; both in the short and long haul.
Pradeep Kalra
Senior Vice President
14
MICEtalk March 2015
cover story
BRYS Hotels Group
eVisa will really give a boost to the tourism industry. Earlier,
people used to shy away from India because of the lengthy
visa formalities that they had to go through. But now, since the
process has become simpler, I am sure this will give a boost to the
industry, in general. The Asian countries that have been left out
should be added to the list.
Navneet Kaur
Director
Forerez.com
eVisa is a big initiative, which will bring a lot of tourists to the
country. This was the biggest complaint that any tour operator
or a traveller had with India, and if it is addressed and executed
well - it will triple our incoming tourism.
Parikshit Sawhney
Managing Director
Hyatt Place, Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon
It is such a fantastic opportunity for a lot of people who want
to come and explore India. We have always wanted to have
something like this, and I think what it will do for the entire
industry is unbelievable. This will give a huge boost to tourism in
the country.
Sumit Kumar
General Manager
Pankaj Nagpal
Managing Director
Travstarz Holidays & Destinations
I think the government has proved how keen it is to focus on
tourism. This will help all of us in the travel industry. But I think
that only eVisa is not sufficient, other ground work needs to be
done. The travel industry, associations and the Ministry need
to work more closely to make things better and take India to the
top.
MICEtalk March 2015
15
cover story
VascoTravel
It gives a good signal to the industry that the government is
thinking about tourism. The fact that the government has
implemented it within six months of coming in power is really
incredible. This is definitely going to boost tourism. UK and
Canada should be added to the list.
Vikas Abbott
Managing Director
Abacus Distribution Systems India
It will give a big boost to tourism in India and we expect the
numbers to grow as far as inbound travellers are concerned. It
is good for the economy of the country. This initiative will help
invite people from different countries for exchange of ideas,
knowledge and culture. I think this is a very positive move.
Ankur Chatterjee
Director of Sales
Top 10 source markets
for VoA in Dec’ 2014
Percentage share of
VoA’s in different ports
Country
Country
USA
Russian Federation
Republic of Korea
Ukraine
Australia
New Zealand
Japan
Singapore
Germany
The Philippines
%age
24.26
15.06
11.01
8.16
7.98
5.08
4.30
4.27
4.05
3.10
%age
New Delhi
35.78
Mumbai
21.05
Goa
18.24
Chennai
7.17
Bengaluru
5.76
Kochi
4.54
Hyderabad
3.13
Kolkata
2.35
Thiruvananthapuram
1.98
Source:MOT, December 2014
16
MICEtalk March 2015
sample this
Meetings market
makes the most in GCC
According to a study by management consultancy, Strategy &,
formerly Booz & Company, GCC countries are in an outstanding
position to become a global meetings hub. The contributing factors
are growing trade activity, central geographical location and increasing
status as prospecting spots for business travellers.
T
he ‘Strategy &’ study identifies the meetings sector as one of the most lucrative
niches within the tourism industry. Since
business people who travel to a country to attend a trade show or conference tend to spend
far more than other travellers, a country that
positions itself as a good place for large-scale
meetings, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE)
can attract a high volume of foreign business
visitors.
The study reveals that presently, only about
5 per cent of travellers in any given year, fall
into the MICE category, also known as meetings tourism market. MICE tourists account
for about US$11 of every US$100 that tourists
spend an excessively high figure compared to the
5 per cent of tourist arrivals they represent. The
study highlights the steady progress that GCC
has made as a destination for business travel. Total business-tourist arrivals reached around 10
million in 2012, representing 5 per cent annual
growth from 2009. The proportion of business
tourists as a whole is higher, probably closer to
one-third of all tourist arrivals. This validates the
fact that business travellers in the GCC represent a unusually high percentage of total tourist
arrivals compared to the rest of the world.
Richard Shediac, Senior Partner with Strategy
&, informed, “Despite the potential of the
meetings market, most emerging economies
have not developed a good understanding of
this part of the tourism industry, nor do they
have a well-considered strategy for getting a
larger share of the pie. These gaps have contrib-
Only about 2% of all the exhibitions in the
world take place in the ME and only about 4%
take place in South America. By contrast, Europe
and North America, combined, are home to more
than 80% of the world’s exhibitions, according to
the most recent data.
Richard Shediac
Senior Partner with Strategy &
MICEtalk March 2015
17
sample this
uted to a situation in which emerging markets
like GCC lag far behind the west in terms of
MICE market share. Only about 2 per cent of
all the exhibitions in the world take place in
the Middle East and only about 4 per cent take
place in South America. By contrast, Europe and
North America, combined, are home to more
than 80 per cent of the world’s exhibitions, according to the most recent data.” “However, this
imbalance presents an opportunity for emerging
markets including the GCC to attract a large
share of MICE business, if they improve their
tactics in the meetings market,” added Shediac.
Understanding the MICE
Tourism ecosystem
According to the study, for GCC countries to tap
into opportunities in the meetings market, it is
important for government and policy makers to
have a clear understanding of the MICE tourism
ecosystem, which comprises four parts.
The first is the basic set of MICE products and a
clear economic strength that is likely to attract
MICE tourists to a country. MICE tourism tends
to be often correlated with the level of trade in
a country and built around a country’s trade
and economic activities. The second consists of
MICE services, both core and ancillary. Core
services consist mainly of intermediaries such as
professional congress organisers (PCOs) - firms
that arrange meetings for international associations and destination management companies
(DMCs) that bid for meetings, plan events and
handle on-site logistics. The third is composed
of the MICE sector-enablers, which refer to a
variety of different factors involving planning,
marketing, sales and research.
The ecosystem’s fourth element is system
enablers which refer to a nation’s handling of security, health and safety, environmental sustainability and infrastructure.
INFO
Roadblocks to GCC’s emergence
as a meeting hub
18
The study
reveals that
presently,
only about 5
per cent of
travellers in
any given year,
fall into the
MICE category,
also known
as meetings
tourism market.
MICEtalk March 2015
The study outlines a few challenges that are hindering the GCC’s ability to emerge as a meetings
destination. These include - a higher concentration of MICE tourists from other GCC countries
which limit the possibility of longer stays, a
limited market for congresses (the exchanges of
ideas organised by international associations)
due to inadequate local participation in such
associations, lack of unconventional venues, lack
of internationally active intermediaries like the
PCOs and DMCs and poor public transportation systems which impacts accessibility to the
venues. Most GCC countries do not provide
ancillary leisure products with the exception of
UAE and Oman.
Capturing MICE market share
Many of the challenges are amenable to policy
changes and may disappear in the face of better
practices. Hence, it is important to use a structured approach to allow the GCC to develop the
great potential of its meetings tourism business
and win a greater share of the meetings market.
The study suggests the use of a three-step approach - assessing the MICE tourism ecosystem,
forging a strategy to win more MICE business
and developing a governance model for MICE
tourism efforts.
Among the GCC countries,
the UAE is seen to have the
most robust MICE business. The
country has transformed itself
into the region’s most important
travel hub; this is evident with
the Dubai International Airport
recently surpassing Heathrow as
the world’s busiest airport.
GCC’s MICE strengths
Antoine Nasr, Principal at Strategy &,
said: “Among the GCC countries, the UAE is
seen to have the most robust MICE business.
The country has transformed itself into the
region’s most important travel hub and this is
evident with the Dubai international airport
recently surpassing Heathrow as the world’s
busiest airport. The UAE also provides an increasing range and quality of leisure offerings
which has enhanced the country’s popularity
as a place for meetings.” GCC countries have
five major competitive advantages as MICE
destinations like - central
geographic location, considerable trade activity and
expanding economic and
corporate bases, stable
political systems, a host of
emerging ancillary services (such as restored
ancient sites and
rapidly improving museums)
and new and
technologically advanced
meeting
facilities
that can
host sizable
gatherings.
country talk
Korea
the ultimate
MICE
destination
Rapid development of infrastructure facilities
has turned Korea into a favourite destination
for conventions and events. Smooth
connectivity and a range of tourist activities
also make this country particularly suitable for
Indian MICE travellers.
connectivity
Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island have their
own international airports and direct flight
connectivity from all major hubs globally.
20
MICEtalk March 2015
country talk
in Busan
Among the best MICE cities in Korea are Seoul,
Busan and Jeju Island. They have excellent
infrastructure as well as unique attractions and
entertainment options besides easy connectivity.
in Seoul
• Visit Gyeongbukgung Palace to witness the
Guard Changing Ceremony
• Iconic N Seoul Tower that gives a bird’s eye view
of the city
• World’s largest indoor amusement park – Lotte
World
Seoul
Located in the heart of Korea is Seoul enriched
with more than 600 years of history. The city
is best known for its unique blend of historical
palaces, modern infrastructure and futuristic
technology. Seoul is popular for its UNESCO
world heritage sites, vibrant nightlife and theme
parks, with Meyongdong and Itaewon the most
popular spots for nightlife and shopping. As the
capital it is the perfect amalgamation of a cosmopolitan city and a vibrant city rich in culture
and tradition.
Busan
The second largest metropolitan city of Korea,
Busan is also a beach destination. It enjoys the
reputation of being one of the most attractive
convention destinations in Korea and has the
privilege of hosting some of the biggest world
summits including the APEC Summit in 2005
which was attended by Heads of State of 21
countries. The city is also famous for Busan
International Film Festival which attracts thousands of international visitors every year.
Jeju Island
Jeju Island is an exotic destination located south
of mainland Korea. It is a visa free destination
and has been regarded as one of the seven New
There has been
a steady growth
of Indian MICE
travellers to
Korea where
there is a larger
ratio of small
groups of 25-50
guests than
groups of 100200 visitors.
INFO
W
ith unmatched state-of-the art
convention centres, convenient and
efficient transport system, luxury hotels and boutiques and delectable cuisines, Korea
has become one of the most favoured convention destinations in the world. This has resulted
in Korea boasting of a significant growth in
the MICE segment of the outbound tourism
industry with every passing year. The facilities
offered have also attracted a large number of Indian MICE travellers to Korea. Last year, Korea
received almost 1.5 lakh (150,000) Indian visitors
showing a 20 per cent growth as compared to
the year 2013. Out of the total number of visitors
approximately 25 per cent travelled for MICE
and related activities. There has been a steady
growth of Indian MICE travellers to Korea
where there is a larger ratio of small groups of
25-50 guests than groups of 100-200 visitors.
• Visit the most famous beach of
Korea, the Haeundae Beach
• Take a tour of the biggest shopping mall
in the world, the Shinsegae Departmental
Store. Also taste Busan’s famous seafood
and visit the local markets.
MICEtalk March 2015
21
country talk
in Jeju Island
• The Manjanggul Lava Tube and SeongsanIlchulbong (Sunrise Peak) are
the most famous natural sites
Natural Wonders of the World. The Manjanggul Lava Tube and SeongsanIlchulbong (Sunrise
Peak) are enlisted among the UNESCO world
heritage sites and draw millions of tourists every
year. Apart from natural beauty, the island is
fully equipped with tourist attractions such as
theme parks, aquarium, adventure sports etc.
Jeju Island offers various entertainment options
for MICE travellers clubbed with casino and
nightlife. Abundance of hotels and convention
facilities make it an ideal gateway MICE destination for companies worldwide.
Convention facilities
South Korea is at the leading front of technology
where the convention complexes can provide
outstanding services to large scale conventions and exhibitions. Korea houses more than
10 world class convention centres which can
accommodate from a minimum of 3000 people
to 10000 people under one roof. Among these,
the largest exhibition and convention space in
Korea is KINTEX convention centre located in
Gyeonggi which is just one hour away from both
Incheon International Airport – the gateway
to Korea and Seoul city. Other names include
COEX in Seoul with largest convention hall
capacity of 4500 guests, BEXCO in Busan with
the largest convention hall in Korea accommodating 10000 people under one roof and ICC in
Jeju Island which can also accommodate more
than 4000 people in one hall. Other noteworthy convention centres in Korea are EXCO in
Daegu, SongdoConvensiA in Incheon and HICO
in Gyeongju. To complement the convention
centres, Korea has many international brand
hotels with their convention spaces in various
parts of the country.
INFO
Entertainment facilities
22
Kintex
convention
centre: It has a
total exhibition
space of more
than 100,000 sq
meter and can
accommodate
almost 7000
people under
one roof for a
convention.
MICEtalk March 2015
The list of facilities that Korea provides does not
end here. The plethora of entertainment options
is what makes Korea one of the most sought
after MICE destinations for the global audience.
Depending upon the preference, one has many
options to choose from. Among some of the
most popular preferences for MICE groups is
the Seoul City Night Tour. The tour starts near
the Gyeongbokgung Palace and goes though N
Seoul Tower, Namdaemun Market, Han River
and Cheonggye Plaza, right in the heart of Seoul.
Dinner can be enjoyed while watching the famous tourist spots of Seoul city like 63 building,
N Seoul Tower, Jeoldusan Park, etc. There are
country talk
Byungsun Lee, Director,
Korea Tourism Organisation
Participating in all major MICE events in
India is a way to reach out to our potential
customers. Hosting annual incentive
roadshows in major Indian cities, where all
the top travel agencies as well as corporates
are invited and showcasing our MICE
products also gives us a chance to know our
potential clients.
activities
• Paintball is a very famous team building program worldwide. However
experiencing the same with the backdrop of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
near Seoul takes it to a whole new level.
• The Gyeonggi Yacht School conducts two-hour-long classes that cover
the basics of a yacht, basic sailing techniques, racing rules, and how to
race.
• One Night Two Days in the Wild programme for teams includes building
a log house, self-hosting an outdoor barbeque party, staging on-site
dramas, eating breakfast through “wake-up missions,” dismantling the log
house, and a Mission Impossible game
• The Teu Racing Program conducted in Jeju Folk Village, requires team
members to work together to make a traditional Jeju-style teu and use it
to race against other teams. The program enhances cooperation and ties
of solidarity between team members.
MICEtalk March 2015
23
country talk
INFO
many casinos in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island
exclusively for international tourists. All casinos
are of international standard and have all the
equipment and machinery of the casino world.
Korean food has been gaining momentum in the
culinary world for its scrumptious cuisines. A
unique way to enjoy the evening like a local is to
try out Korean barbeque with Soju – the local
drink in Korea. Over the weekends restaurants
serving Korean barbeque are open till late in
the night where people can just relax and have a
good time. For theatre and art enthusiast Korea
is famous for its Non-Verbal performances like
Nanta, Bibap, Jump and Miso. These unique
performances display high level of musical and
dancing expertise and their performances have
won accolades from all over the world.
Korea has
more than
100 Indian
restaurants in
Seoul, Busan
and Jeju Island
combined
where fully
vegetarian
restaurants are
also available.
Outdoor activities
Another exciting part of MICE trips are outdoor
retreats. Korea is famous for its excellent products and offerings for outdoor team building
programmes. One of the noteworthy mentions
is Survival Game (Paintball) at DMZ. Another
preferred programme is yachting. The Gyeonggi
Yacht School, the best certified yacht training
organization in the Seoul area, conducts dinghy
yacht and cruiser yacht training from March
until October. For nature lovers, One Night
Two Days in the Wild is your calling, because
things to do
Seoul City Night Tour
After your busy day of an event, open top bus rides through all the famous
sightseeing locations of Seoul within a few hours.
Dinner Cruise on Han River
After your event hop on a river cruise on the Han River which goes through
the middle of the city.
24
MICEtalk March 2015
only a strong organisation is one with a positive
atmosphere. To help foster such an atmosphere
in which members can trust and communicate
with one another, this program offers a onenight stay in the wild. Teu Racing is also enjoyed
by large number of teams. A “teu” is a log raft
made by tying together several large logs. It is
usually used to sail waters close to land to fish
or collect sea plants. The Teu Racing Program
enhances cooperation and ties of solidarity
between team members. Other experiences
include Kimchi making, Treasure Hunt in Jeju
Island, Taekwondo Learning, etc which the
groups can do depending upon their requirement and objective.
Such unique and entertaining experiences have
rocketed Korea’s position as the 3rd best MICE
country in the world with its cities Seoul &
Busan being ranked 4th& 9th best MICE cities
globally in the Union of International Associations (UIA) annual report 2014. The majority of
MICE business that Korea currently receives is
from Asian countries like China, Thailand and
Indonesia with support from Japan, Singapore
and Malaysia. MICE traffic from European
countries, the Indian subcontinent and the Gulf
countries has been developing steadily.
The New Year has brought new hopes with itself.
The year 2015 is anticipated to also remain
strong as far as growth of MICE traffic is con-
country talk
after work
Nightlife
Enjoy the thriving nightlife of Seoul with some late-night shopping
at Dongdaemun Market and visit the Hongik University (Hongdae)
neighbourhood which has a hub of nightclubs.
cerned. Byungsun Lee, Director, Korea Tourism
Organisation said, “The developing markets
including India are expected to play an important role in the overall MICE traffic. We have
been working very closely with travel agents and
are also in touch with Indian corporates and
have very positive indications to growing MICE
business from India.”
Wooing Indian MICE
groups
Korea has four distinct seasons – summer,
winter, spring and autumn which is one of its
key highlights in attracting tourists all year
round. This is complemented by global air
connectivity and superior internal transport
system including flight, bullet train (KTX) and
high speed highways making any part of the
country reachable within a few hours. The MICE
USP is being promoted through global and
regional promotional campaigns. “Participating
in all major MICE events in India is a way to
reach out to our potential customers. Hosting
annual incentive roadshows in major Indian
cities where all the top travel agencies as well
as corporates are invited and showcasing our
MICE products also gives us a chance know our
potential clients,” Byungsun Lee said. Annually,
multiple FAM trips are organised for the trade
as well as corporates with attractive support
programme for groups who would like to go
to Korea. We regularly feature across various
platforms of the media to educate the Indian
audience about Korea’s products and offerings.
For Indian MICE groups, food is a very important factor while deciding on a destination. Besides the numerous Indian restaurants top hotels
such as the intercontinental hotels group also
serve Indian cuisine in their buffet. For Muslim
travellers, especially from the Gulf countries a
guidebook is provided on how to travel in Korea
and availability of Halal food. Apart from food,
English language is no longer a hurdle in Korea
as all our guides and tour escorts speak English
fluently. English, Chinese, and other language
translators can be easily arranged on request.
MICEtalk March 2015
25
city talk
Berlinfor–Every
A Whole
City
Event
one stop, many ends
Berlin sets new standards in the field
of conventions and meetings on the
international level. Regardless of whether
events with 50, 500 or 5,000 participants
are staged: for each event Berlin has a
fitting location, whether the focus is on
environmentally-friendly offerings, an
exclusive atmosphere or state-of-the-art
presentation technology.
Sometimes the selection of the right location
for an event is very simple. Because anyone
who opts for Berlin does not need to make any
compromises. Besides special locations like the
368-metre-high television tower, the German
capital convinces with one of the most modern
hotel landscapes in Europe and excellent services
at favourable rates.
26
MICEtalk March 2015
Congress destinations in Berlin
In 2013, Berlin continued to strengthen its
position as a leading meeting and convention
destination. These figures arise from the latest
conference statistics for 2013. In the past year,
126,200 events (+2 per cent compared to the
previous year) with 10.6 million participants
(+1 per cent) took place in the German capital.
The number of overnight stays generated by
the meeting and convention market rose by 1.5
per cent to 6.7 million, which equals about a
quarter of all hotel stays in Berlin. The revenues
generated by Berlin’s meeting and convention
industry exceeded €2 billion for the first time in
2013. Associations are also increasingly opting to
hold their gatherings in Berlin: 20 per cent of the
events were held by associations.
city talk
Berlin is ranked among the top five destinations for
meetings of international associations. According
to the latest statistics from the International
Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), the
German capital was the site for 178 conventions
and meetings of international associations last
year. This represents six more gatherings than
in 2012. Just ahead of Berlin are Barcelona (179
events), Vienna (182) and Madrid (186). With 204
meetings in the past year, Paris ranks first.
Convention & trade fair halls
With the new CityCube Berlin, the German
capital provides a modern venue for fairs,
conventions and meetings and strengthens
its global competitiveness. The cube-shaped
building offers space for up to 11,000
participants over three storeys. A glass-covered
walkway connects the multi-function hall with
Hall 7 on the exhibition grounds, creating
enough space for up to 18,000 participants.
Berlin Convention Office
Established in 2001, the visitBerlinBerlin
Convention Office (BCO) offers competent
support at the organisation of conventions,
meetings and incentives. Customers benefit
from the experienced team, a broad network
of contacts and the free-of-charge agency and
reservation services for hotel allotments.
Berlin sets trends
Whether museums or galleries, gastronomy
or entertainment, music or fashion, in the
German capital there is always something
new to experience. The legendary nightlife,
the attractive and exceptional shopping
possibilities, but the unique history also pulls
more and more tourists from all over the
world into the German capital.
The BCO website provides thorough information
about Berlin as a meeting and convention
destination. Whether users are planning a
conference or looking for the perfect incentive,
they can find a wealth of resources with just a
few clicks. Under “Service,” all BCO offerings for
associations, companies and agencies are listed.
For the selection of the right Berlin location,
visitors to the BCO website simply use the Venue
Finder.
Further details can be found at convention.visitBerlin.com.
Congresses and Events 2015
The convention destination Berlin attracts many
international guests. Those who have not yet had
an opportunity to visit Berlin, get to know the
German capital during events throughout the
world:
IMEX
More than 3,500 exhibitors from around 150
countries will present themselves at IMEX from
19 to 21 May 2015: it is the most important
trade fair for meetings and incentive travel in
Germany and takes place in Frankfurt am Main.
imex-frankfurt.com
Meeting Place 2015
From 2 to 6 July 2015, Berlin will present itself
to international convention planners. Within the
multi-day event, they will have the opportunity
to experience the great variety of locations
and hotels the city has to offer. Further details
about the Meeting Place 2015 can be found at
meeting-place-berlin.com.
The German
metropolis
on the River
Spree boasts
Europe’s most
modern hotel
landscape.
In the year
2013, events
on the River
Spree attracted
nearly 10.6
million
participants.
INFO
Estrel Berlin – Germany’s biggest hotel – expands
its premises by a second convention centre. The
new exhibition space will be approximately 10,000
sqm. It is expected to be open in September
2015. With the new convention hall the capital
will further strengthen its attractiveness for the
international market.
MICEtalk March 2015
27
city talk
IMEX America
The organisers of the Frankfurt IMEX trade
show have exported their successful concept to
the USA. IMEX America will take place in Las
Vegas for three days from 13 October 2015. Some
2,600 international buyers from associations,
companies and agencies will be hosted.
IBTM World (formerly EIBTM)
The well-known international trade fair for
meetings and incentives, IBTM World, will be
staged from 17 to 19 November 2015. Hotel
buyers from all over the world are expected
during the event in Barcelona.
incentive ideas
INFO
• Contrasts between historical buildings and
modern architecture, between the traditional
and the modern are what set the city apart
from the rest.
28
For excursions
visit Castle
Sanssouci:
The Palaces
and Parks of
Potsdam and
Berlin have
been designated
a UNESCO
world heritage
site and are a
must visit.
MICEtalk March 2015
• Dinner on Berlin‘s waterways: Enjoy a
delicious dinner on Berlin’s serene River
Spree: Berlin welcomes you to its water
restaurant.
• Drive a World War tank just outside of
Berlin, or go skydiving and jump off a world
war plane.
• Dare to take the plunge? Try the Don 2 base
jump from the roof of the Park Inn BerlinAlexanderPlatz, 125 metres off the ground.
• On the largest theater stage in the world,
the hottest and biggest show in the capital
is celebrated: More than 100 of the best
soloists, dancers, musicians and artists make a
trip to Friedrichstadt-Palast an absolute mustsee for every visitor.
Some of the interesting
locations on offer:
Location
ADAGIO Berlin
Auditorium
Friedrichstrasse
axicaKongress- und
Tagungszentrum
bcc Berliner Congress
Center
Berliner Fernsehturm/
TV Turm Alexanderplatz
Chamäleon Theater
Classic Remise Berlin
E4 Berlin
Betriebsgesellschaft
Event Island
EventlocationWasserwerk
FilmparkBabelsberg
Jüdisches Museum Berlin
Kino International
Konzerthaus Berlin
Mauermuseum-Museum
Haus am Checkpoint
Charlie
Messe Berlin / Event Area
South
Capacity
200
350
500
2783
25
300
559
250
2050
220
4000
420
551
1612
250
1700
venue talk
Luring Indian
MICE the French way
With a new show in spring 2015,
Lido is betting big on the Indian MICE
segment. The famed Parisian cabaret
theatre has adapted itself to the rising
Indian tide and has received a lot of
Indian corporate groups in the past.
Megha Paul
30
MICEtalk March 2015
P
aris is now moving beyond the iconic
Eiffel Tower. Along with its well-honed
reputation as a capital for fashion, art
and culture, it is now luring more business
event groups from India. The country is
showing great MICE outbound promise,
inspiring Paris to turn on its charms. One
of the offerings of Paris that features regularly
on the itinerary of Indians visiting Paris is Lido
de Paris.
The Lido, a mythical, world-famous cabaret, is
the incarnation of Parisian chic and glamour.
Founded in 1946 on the Champs-Elysées,
the venue is marked by the essence of ‘Miss
venue talk
The famed parisian cabaret theatre has always adapted
itself to the rising indian tide. We have received a lot of indian
corporate groups. We can personalise the venue.
Bluebell’ who founded the Bluebell Girls chorus
line. A combination of tradition and innovation,
Le Lido is the unequalled symbol of Parisian
nightlife.
Though it is well known to the trade now, Lido
keeps on innovating to attract more Indian
MICE groups. According to Marie-Christine de
Ornelas, International Tourism Sales Manager,
Lido de Paris, the legendary Parisian cabaret
gave its last performance of the current show
on December 2, 2014. “After running for 10
years, the show Bonheur will make way for a
brand new creation whose name will be revealed
within the next few months. The designer and
director of the new show is none other than
Franco Dragone, the visionary virtuoso known
for his remarkable shows all over the world.”
The curtains were closed last December for the
preparatory works before the launch of the new
chapter in the establishment’s rich history. The
creation process began almost two years ago.
It was the fruit of a meeting between the world
of Franco Dragone, the spirit of the Lido, and
the sophisticated, romantic beauty of Paris,
Marie-Christine de Ornelas
International Tourism Sales
Manager, Lido de Paris
the legend of Lido
The dazzling legend of the Lido started on June 20, 1946 with the
variety show Sans Rimes ni Raisons, which presented 12 dancers, 8
women and 4 men. The very first performances were already greatly
acclaimed and marked a promising start to the careers of the tap
dancer Jimmy Gaillard and the young Belgian actress and singer,
Josette Daydé.
guest column
In 2011, we made a major breakthrough in a
key segment of the Indian market, the MICE
segment. We had the pleasure of welcoming
our first Indian group in the MICE category
when we had 380 customers in the month of
December.” 2014 was a successful year with
a continuous progress of Indian visitors. The
current performance only reinforces the way
in which the Indian market has been growing
over the last few years. In the year 2014, Lido
witnessed an increase of over 20 per cent
compared to 2013, she added.
the founders
In 1946, the two brothers of Italian origin,
who were construction entrepreneurs,
decided it was time for a career change and
bought the Lido from Léon Volterra, on 78
Avenue des Champs Élysées.
which has served as a veritable muse for the new
show. “We want to put up a show that will be a
landmark in Lido’s history. Artistic and technical
innovation will contribute to the creation
of a unique, surprising, decidedly modern
experience,” she added.
Lido is betting big on the new show to draw
more MICE groups. Elaborating on how the new
show will also be customised, she pointed out,
“The famed Parisian cabaret theatre has always
adapted itself to the rising Indian tide. We have
received a lot of Indian corporate groups. We
can personalise the venue. In the last few years,
we have been customising events by putting
company name (on the screens) or offering
cocktails two hours before our shows.”
INFO
Talking about the evolution of the Indian MICE
groups, she revealed, “Over time, we have been
opening new channels of business with India.
32
The very first
Lido dates
back to 1928.
An artificial
beach was
created in
the basement
of Monsieur
Dufayel’s
former
townhouse.
MICEtalk March 2015
They became devoted to their adventure...
In order to provide the Lido with the means
to become even more magical, they called
upon the services of the impresario PierreLouis Guérin. This showman, well known
for his rich imagination, was given free
rein to transform the Lido. From that point
onwards, the Lido was turned into a haven
of luxury which attracted people from all
over the city with its new concept: the
dinner show, which proved to be a huge
success and which, very quickly, was copied
around the world.
MISS BLUEBELL
The beautiful Irish woman, Margaret Kelly,
who was better known as Miss Bluebell
because of her hyacinth blue eyes, was born
on the 24th of June 1910 and became the
creator of the Bluebell Girls.
In the 1930’s, she lived in Germany before
moving to France, where she started as a
dancer at the Folies Bergère. At the age of
just 22 years, she created her own company,
with which she joined the Lido in 1948. It
was here that the talent of these creatures
with the impossibly long legs and legendary
elegance dazzled the Parisian stage.
technology
Movers
& shakers
of mobile event world
With technology claiming an ever-increasing part of our lives
Darren Edwards tells us what trends, Apps and experiences
will influence the mobile event world in the coming years.
Let’s take a look at obvious technology trends which
continue to influence the mobile event world.
3 main platforms
In a short period of time most organisations
will require a specialist set of development
tools in order to support three primary
platforms – iOS, Android, Windows and three
application architectures – native, hybrid and
mobile Web. Tool selection won’t be that easy,
raising technical issue and nontechnical ones
such as productivity versus vendor stability.
HTML5
HTML5 for web development has been
described as the cure for device fragmentation,
and is liked by developers for its use of familiar
programming languages such as HTML,
JavaScript and CSS. HTML5 however is not
all that it seems to be. To be clear, HTML5 has
certain limits and shortcomings. It varies from
browser to browser and from mobile platform
to mobile platform. Despite the challenges
HTML5 faces, long-term we could expect
it will be rather essential for organisations
delivering applications across multiple platforms.
Mobile user experience design
A vast majority of new techniques such as
motivational design, quiet design and playful
interfaces contribute to exceptional user
experiences. Leading consumer apps are setting
high standards for user interface design, and all
event app developers must master new skills and
work with new partners to meet growing end
user expectations.
High-precision location sensing
Knowing the location of a person to within a few
meters is a key factor in the delivery of highly
relevant contextual information and services. This
is true for exhibitors, sponsors and participants
alike. Precise indoor location sensing in
combination with mobile event applications will
create a new generation of highly personalised
services and information.
Apps will start thinking for you
Artificial intelligence is going to influence mobile
applications in 2015 and beyond. The ability of
apps to forecast behaviour and lessen manual
work is already astonishing. In 2015, apps will
begin to foresee where you are going (as google
already does), what thoughts you are having
and the types of information you might require.
Imagine future applications being less of a tool
and more like an associate.
Darren Edwards
Darren Edwards is the founder
of Invisage Creative Services
in Australia. With more than
22 years’ of experience in the
meetings and events industry,
Darren continues to explore
and develop creative design
and innovative technology
products to the benefit of the
global event industry.
Contact: [email protected]
The Internet of Things (IoT)
The IoT will evolve and make a significant mark
along with user-oriented computing. The IoT
will be the focus of digital business products and
processes in industrial and operational contexts.
Expect technology to be embedded everywhere
including plenary halls and exhibition spaces.
Mobile Analytics
For some time now leading mobile event app
developers have provided clients access to online
analytics to assist in the planning and management
of their events. The good news is there will be
access to more data, more mobile analytics,
more cloud analytics, more data discovery, more
visualization, etc. to assist the event organisers.
The future of
mobile event
technology is
exciting, will
evolve rapidly
in the next 12
months, and
will provide all
participants
with the tools
they need to
truly engage
INFO
B
y 2016, it’s expected that there will be more
than 10 billion mobile, Internet ready,
devices in use globally. This is astounding
given it exceeds the earth’s total population.
As you would expect mobile application
development will need to grow tremendously in
order to match the demand from consumers and
ever evolving technologies.
MICEtalk March 2015
33
let’s talk
Fun Works in the
Philippines
In an informal, exclusive interview with Ramon R Jimenez Jr,
Tourism Secretary (Tourism Minister), the Philippines MICE
Talk finds out how interspersing fun in the sun with conferences
can bring out greater productivity.
Kanchan Nath
RAMON R JIMENEZ JR
Tourism Secretary
The Philippines
Kindly tell us about Visit the
Philippines Year 2015.
Visit the Philippines Year 2015 is a self declared
year-long festivity. We have lined up to a whole
series of activities from January all the way
through December of 2015. A great many of
them will be stepped up for enhanced festivals of
which we have one for almost every day of the
year. Whenever you arrive in the Philippines,
there is always one province, some town that
34
MICEtalk March 2015
will have a fest. There is atleast one major festival
every month, it’s almost as though regions have
connived to split the year twelve ways.
For example, the Sinulog festival, which is
probably the largest in the Philippines, is being
held in province of Cebu right now. Another
major event called Madrid Fusión Manila is held
in April. Those in the culinary business know
that Madrid Fusión is the world’s most important
Tell us about your special programme
for MICE, Fun Works.
For MICE we have a special programme called
Fun Works. It is based rather loosely on scientific
evidence that shows if you go to a place that is
warmer than where you come from, if there is a
bit more laughter, if you are able to take a break,
feel the wind and swim in the ocean, that you will
actually be more productive. These are the exact
elements which constitute vacationing in the
Philippines. These are the elements absolutely
necessary for effective meetings, people did
not know that. So we have rather cheeky global
campaign that’s airing now called Fun Works. It
shows people interspersing fun in the sun with
conferences.
Remember, when you say, seven thousand one
hundred and seven (7,107 islands) islands, I think
you can go anywhere in the Philippines, and
not be more than 25 miles from the coastline.
It is almost impossible to avoid the ocean, like
I say, if you do not like one island go the next.
We also have a place called the hundred islands,
it’s almost as though somebody has dropped a
hundred beads there.
MICE business in the Philippines has grown
by almost 65 per cent in one year in 2014, we
were stunned because we had done 50 per cent
more conventions and meetings, and it is still
going strong in 2015. This year, APAAC is in the
Philippines, and APAAC (Asian Pacific American
Awareness Conference) alone is worth more
than 22 meeting of varying sizes culminating in
November with the great leader’s summit that
will involve 21 countries.
Do you have any specific teambuilding
activities tailor made for MICE groups?
The world’s fourth largest IRONMAN competition
is held in the Philippines and it involves nearly
500 people swimming at the same time.
Philippines are host to South East Asian beach
games.
People have the tendency to focus on just the islands.
One of the biggest draws in The Philippines is
music and entertainment. It has been said Asia’s
musicians are Filipinos. You will find Filipino
musicians everywhere in the world. This year,
sometime in March, the MTV Music Evolution
which will be Asia’s largest hip-hop concert will
be held in The Philippines, it has to be in Manila,
because it’s going to be very big. We cannot
disclose the names of the international hip hopstars as yet. There is a very real pop culture in
Manila.
What do the MICE groups from India
like in the Philippines?
Manila is very popular because we have some
incredible shopping and that is a very big draw.
There is Cebu; there is Boracay for the smaller
groups. There is Cebu or Mactan island that
is where all the hotels are. Mactan in Cebu
is Philippines answer to Phuket. Boracay is a
different class, Boracay is like Ibiza, it’s one of the
world most accomplished arty island. It’s where
the youngsters like to go to party. It’s incredible
from my point of view, it has the most beautiful
sand in the world, and it’s like baby powder.
MICE
business
in the
Philippines
has grown by
almost 65 per
cent in one
year in 2014.
INFO
gastronomy conference. It is a very high-end,
prized, restricted conference involving chefs
from all over the world. These are chefs who
are intthe great fusion cuisines forms. Earlier,
Madrid Fusion was held only in Madrid. Since
the Philippines had 400 years of Spanish rule, it
was not very difficult to persuade the Spaniards,
that if Madrid Fusión was to be held outside of
Europe, then it should be held in the Philippines.
In fact it’s a closed door conference. It’s very big
and very significant for Asia. It marks the official
beginning of modern gastronomy in this part of
the world.
Q&A
let’s talk
MICEtalk March 2015
35
venue talk
e
u
l
a
v
e
l
p
i
r
t
,
e
u
n
One ve
@
India Expo t
Mar
Conceptualised on the lines of central export centres in Dallas, Atlanta,
Los Angeles, Utrecht and Shanghai, the India Expo Mart brings a unique
fusion of trade mart with exhibition and convention facilities. It has
become a state-of-the-art project where international standard services
are being provided round the clock.
INFO
T
36
connectivity
It is located
in Greater
Noida and is
connected
to Delhi and
Noida through
an eight-lane
expressway
and to Agra by
the Yamuna
Expressway
MICEtalk March 2015
he multi-function India Expo Mart has
combined technology with world-class
facilities to cater to a wide variety of
events including international B2B exhibitions,
conferences, congresses, product launches and
promotional events.
The IEM, whose architectural planning was
done by M/S J V Fogel of Germany, has been
made to international standards. It is a unique
international convention centre that features a
mix of show-rooms, trade offices with first class
facilities and services and is rapidly becoming the
preferred destination in India.
Unique facilities
The mart has one-window operation support
and it is the only venue in India with permanent
marts, indoor space for convention and
exhibition facilities and a huge outdoor open
area for exhibition and parking. The indoor
facilities include banquet halls, restaurants,
convention and exhibition halls along with
registration area all under a single roof. The
convention halls can accommodate 4000 pax in
each of the eight halls for parallel sessions at a
time or house eight exhibitions at a time.
Options for conventions include banquet and
convention halls. Over 50 rooms are also available
for parallel sessions. Outdoor spaces and open
lawns too can be used for gala evenings, family
days as well as concerts. The centre has four
international cuisine restaurants with indoor
and outdoor seating facilities. The mart offers
multiple branding options like buntings and
banners inside as well as outside the building,
pole buntings, foyer buntings, central fascia at
the main building, CFB or mart terrace walls and
self-standing panels and tower hoardings.
Lobby & Reception area
Adding to the grandeur of the Mart is the
Atrium called Central Function Building (CFB)
at the entrance which can serve as a receptioncum-registration area. In addition, 10 multipurpose glass cubicles can be used for lobby
managers, office/foreign exchange counter/
travel desk/information centre. Other facilities
available around the atrium are left luggage,
information centre, VIP lounge, media lounge,
conference rooms, secretariat/back office for
organisers.
Business Centre
The business centre is well designed and
decorated for buyers or visitors to relax and
operate their offices. The lounges are enabled
with email access and telephone facilities with
STD & ISDN service. The business centre has
provisions for a lounge, mini conference room,
Internet café, work-stations with computer,
printer, photocopier and scanner, meeting room,
library, pantry and washrooms etc.
facilities
• 8 indoor exhibition halls & 6 outdoor
hall plinths
• Total area of the complex: 2,32,847 m2
• Total built-up area: 1,34,730 m2
• Eight halls covering area: 27,648 m2
• Mart area: 80,000m2 (846 marts spread
over 1800 showrooms of 24 m2 each
• Outdoor gross area: 1,44,042 m2
• Connectivity
MICEtalk March 2015
37
hotel talk
Vinesh Gupta
General Manager, Mövenpick
Hotel & Spa Bangalore
Conventions in
an unconventional setting
As the hospitality industry in Bengaluru evolves beyond its
conventional IT City, Vinesh Gupta, General Manager,
Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore spoke to MICE Talk
about how the hotel is tapping the growing corporate
clientele in defence, food processing and other emerging
segments in the region.
Megha Paul
The ‘defence’ edge
The Make in India campaign, conceptualised
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to transform
India into a global manufacturing hub, has been
a welcome move. Most of the defence companies
in India are headquartered in Bengaluru. Vinesh
Gupta, General Manager, Mövenpick Hotel &
Spa Bangalore said there is lot of demand from
international defence companies that have
tenders, projects or plants set up in India and
are looking at new opportunities. “This year has
begun on a good note for our hotel. We have
already seen an increase in occupancy due to
40
MICEtalk March 2015
this development. We expect a growth of 18 per
cent in 2015. This development is expected to
boost ADRs and occupancies for many other
hotels in Bengaluru as well,” he said.
Strategic location
Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore is extremely
close to the Bangalore International Exhibition
Centre (BIEC), Manpho Convention Center and
Yelahanka Airbase. “In fact, we are the closest
to the Yelahanka Air Base, which also hosts
the spectacular Yelahanka Aero Show,” Gupta
hotel talk
Gokula
The ballroom can easily accommodate 500
guests theatre style; with an 11-feet ceiling
height, the room lends itself to a variety of
events. The adjacent 464 sqm foyer with an
inbuilt bar is ideal for pre-dinner drinks and
canapés. The ballroom can be divided into
two separate halls of 295 sqm by means of a
removable partition.
Davos
260 sqm meeting room, named after
the Swiss city Davos is ideal for smaller
conferences, intimate social gatherings,
seminars etc. The meeting room can also be
divided into two separate rooms of 130 sqm
by a movable partition.
Lawn
The 836 sqm lawn is ideal for afternoon
lunch events, wedding receptions, etc.
said. The penetration of the hotel in all these
conference venues is commendable. “We are
partners with all these convention centres. Even
for the recently concluded Aero Show, we were
the Hospitality and Food & Beverage Partners.
Thus, apart from ITC, we were the only hotel
that had about 2322 sqm restaurant inside the
Aero Show,” he added.
Also, out of their total inventory, they have 54
twin bedrooms. The twin beds are one of the
primary room requirements for most MICE
and conference events. Thus, making them
well-equipped for the purpose. “We are also
witnessing increase in business traffic from the
Manyata Tech Park and World Trade Centre,
which are also in the vicinity and act as our vital
feeder markets,” Gupta said.
Going the unconventional way
Given that the conventional Bengaluru market
is saturated Gupta said, “We are not in the
Electronic City, which gets a lot of IT-related
business. Thus, we are looking at tapping
alternate corporate clientele in a big way.” He
pointed out that with PM Modi looking at
Tumkur, all food processing units are set to
come up there. “To go to Tumkur, you need to
cross the hotel. So we see this hotel to be in a
futuristic location,” he said.
Unique spaces
The Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore has
evolved as an upscale five star hotel with
extraordinary event spaces in the last three
years. It is superbly designed as a contemporary
business destination. The property also offers
exciting leisure opportunities for relaxation,
dining and entertainment. With over 2,322 sqm
event space, Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore
can arrange functions for up to 800 guests and
meetings for 300 delegates. They also provide a
team of expert planning, dazzling entertainment,
innovative food and beverage, and services
with personal touches. “We also combine all
requirements with the hotel’s specially designed
procedures to ensure that every aspect of the
conference, meeting or event is organised down
to the smallest detail,” Gupta said.
The Mövenpick
Hotel & Spa
Bangalore has
evolved as an
upscale five
star hotel with
extraordinary
event spaces in
the last three
years.
INFO
beyond boardrooms
where planning meets enjoyment
• An event space of 2,322 sqm
Among the largest in the city
• Exclusive banquet floor with
separate entry points
• Pillar-less ballroom
• Latest audio visual technology
• Hi-speed internet
• Ample natural light
• Thematic coffee breaks
• Valet parking for up to 500 cars
MICEtalk March 2015
41
DESTINATION
guest
column TALK
Kanchan Nath
AUSTRALIA
WOOING INDIA
Carolyn Childs writes about the importance India
is gaining in Australia today as a tourism potential
for the country and gives us her very interesting and
astute understanding of the new travelling Indian.
Carolyn Child
Co-founder MyTravelResearch.com
MyTravelResearch.com
is a market research
and marketing firm
specialising in the travel,
tourism and aviation
industries. Its specialty
is providing actionable
insights.
I
’m a travel industry professional. I have
recently returned from the exciting and
exhausting Australia Business Week in
India. While in Mumbai and Delhi I wrote
about the huge potential that India’s travelling
middle class represents to Australia. Now that
I’m back in Sydney and have had time to reflect
on what transpired and turn it into practical
advice.
So for all Australian destination marketers
and tourism businesses out there, here are
the MyTravelResearch hot tips for successful
destination marketing to Indian nationals:
Work with the travel trade and connect
digitally. Indians (especially young ones) are
heavy users of digital tools, including social
media. But they will often still book their travel
via a travel agent. So cultivate your relationships
with the trade.
42
MICEtalk March 2015
The Indian market is a mosaic, not a
monolith. Each state has its own personality
traits, languages and consumption preferences.
You can find markets that are akin to you. I
noticed these differences when I was travelling
round India. Delhi has more of a government
feeling. Mumbai is more freewheeling and
entrepreneurial. The North is more a tea
drinking culture. Coffee and vegetarianism is
more prevalent in the South.
Emphasise that you welcome Indian guests.
Show you are excited that they are coming.
Leverage your connections with the trade to do
this. Use imagery with Indians in it – if you show
yourselves or Australians, consider using the
Namaste greeting. Connect them to your local
community. As well as being great marketing
approaches, these activities have a brand value.
Feeling welcomed is an important proxy for
feeling safe in consumers’ minds.
Pic Courtesy: Catherine Sutherland
guest column
In itineraries, provide useful information
and safety tips. But always couch these in
reassuring language. Incidents in Australia are
rare by international standards, but minimising
risk is important.
Indians know the value of their money.
They are also coming from a place with a far
lower ‘cost of travel’ (a five-star hotel in Delhi
costs about the same as a basic motel in regional
Australia). So it is vital to that they feel they are
spending their money well. Use language that
talks about value. Talk about the experience they
will be getting. Wine and beer are among the few
things more expensive in India. Not all Indians
drink alcohol, but those that do will appreciate a
gift or a complimentary bottle of wine.
Show your attractions and experiences
(with Indian visitors in the photo so that they
feel welcome and safe). Indians like to be active
on their holidays. Be clear about what you are
offering them.
Think about packages that reflect the
nature of Indian families – often large,
extended and multi-generational. This again
reinforces the value proposition. Also remember
that as an emerging market ‘more is more’ for
Indian consumers. They may only come for
a short time, but they will want to say they
maximised their time in Australia. So work with
other destinations. They aren’t your competitors.
They’re your business generators.
Indians like spicy food. So use vibrant
coloured food shots. They’ll enjoy local cuisine,
but offer them options to spice it up. Around
35% are vegetarian. So make sure you have
attractive options. Masterchef Australia was
the top-rating reality TV show in India – so it’s
worth linking stories to that if you can.
Take time to get to know them. Indians and
Australians share important values. Indians
like to be with people they like – aka ‘mateship’.
Humour counts.
Cricket is a religion in India. Do you have
ways you can utilise that connection e.g. by an
introduction to a local cricket club.
So is Bollywood. Were Australian locations
near you used in Bollywood film production?
If yes, leverage those connections. Where their
silver screen heroes go, Indians will follow. Visit
Scotland has produced an interactive map to
allow them to do so (and surrounded it by other
key experiences like whisky tasting!)
Use your resources. Check with your regional
tourism office what their plans are for India.
Work with your state tourism office and Tourism
Australia. They will have major campaigns in the
market (e.g. DNSW’s Jhappi Time Campaign).
Tourism Australia also has a lot of resources
to guide marketing in India and developing
products to meet Indian needs.
Besides the
size of the
opportunity,
one thing
that both
the Chinese
and Indian
markets
share, is the
need to build
relationships
over the long
term.
INFO
Include imagery that showcases natural
beauty. If you are a city or town, clean, green
and spacious areas are important. But show
a few people in the photo. Empty doesn’t
necessarily appeal to Indians, the way it does to
many Australians.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
MICEtalk March 2015
43
aviation talk
c
i
m
a
n
y
d
e
h
t
g
n
i
Chart
Rise of
FLYDUBAI
e Travel From
bl
da
or
ff
A
f
O
s
ar
Ye
5
g
in
2014 Celebrat
flydubai’s agility and flexibility as a young
airline has enhanced Dubai’s economic
development, in line with the Government of
Dubai’s vision, by creating trade and tourism
flows in previously underserved markets. It
started operating to India in 2010 with the
launch of flights to Lucknow. The carrier now
operates to seven destinations in India.
flydubai route map
February 2015
Dubai
I
n March 2008, the Government of Dubai
announced the formation of a new airline to
operate from Dubai International Airport in
one of the most vibrant regions in the world. With
an already thriving aviation industry that has
developed aggressively since 1985, the addition
of a new carrier in a highly successful business
environment was seen to provide significant
value.
It is this additional value that saw the
announcement of flydubai, a new low-cost, lowfare scheduled airline to serve high demand,
underserved destinations within five hours or
5,500km reach of Dubai. More importantly,
provide the travelling public with an alternative
choice to get to their final destination, whether it
is the dynamic tourist and business hub of Dubai,
or beyond that covers a rapidly growing diverse
network.
flydubai officially took off on 01 June 2009 with its
first commercial service from Dubai to Beirut. In
the first month of operations, three further routes
were added with passengers carried exceeding
100,000 after just three months of commercial
flights. flydubai quickly established a strong
In 2013 alone flydubai carried
6.82 million passengers.
44
MICEtalk March 2015
aviation talk
inflight services
reputation for quality in the air at affordable fares
for the travelling public.
The airline has emerged as one of the fastest
growing airlines in the Middle East, able to
capitalise on its strategic geographical hub to
connect passengers across its ever-expanding
network. In the five years since launch, flydubai,
with the dynamism of the same management
team at the helm since day one, has developed
into a business with a modern fleet of 44 new
Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft flying
to more than 94 destinations in 46 countries,
with 23 new routes launched in 2014.
flydubai now operates to
7 destinations in India:
1. Lucknow
2. Ahmedabad
3. Hyderabad
4. Delhi
6. Kochi
5. Trivandrum
7. Mumbai
8. Chennai
(commences on 31
From Moscow and Bishkek to the north,
Kathmandu and Lucknow to the east, Zanzibar
and Malé to the south and Belgrade and Zagreb
to the west, flydubai has made significant inroads
into key markets that others either operate to
with limited capacity, or not at all.
Since October 2013, all newly-delivered aircraft
have a two-class configuration offering Business
Class on many routes that did not previously
offer the service. flydubai’s Business Class has
received a positive response and offers additional
convenience and a more personal flying
experience.
March)
Number of
Destinations:
Over 94
cities in 46
countries
across the
Middle East,
GCC, Africa,
Europe,
Caucasus,
Central Asia
and the Indian
Subcontinent
(Nov 2014)
INFO
With focus on reliability, safety and on-time
performance, flydubai has kept inflight
service as a priority for passengers to have
a comfortable and memorable experience.
An all-Economy Class cabin across its fleet
since launch, the airline ventured into the
Business Class market in October 2013.
Spacious cabin interiors,
quality seating and an
interactive touch screen
seat back video and audio
entertainment system in
every seat differentiates
flydubai from many carriers.
add-on services
It is up to passengers to pay for add-on service extras, whether it is
additional baggage at fixed rates for 20kg, 30kg or 40kg, onboard hot
and cold snacks, meals, beverages or inflight entertainment.
MICEtalk March 2015
45
event talk
Lois Wilcox
Exhibition Manager, ibtm arabia
ibtm arabia
sets A New
benchmark
INFO
Introducing an exclusive closed door format, ibtm arabia created
the first all-inclusive five-star MICE event in the Middle East
for international and regional suppliers and buyers. MICETalk
finds out more in an interview with Lois Wilcox, Exhibition
Manager, ibtm arabia.
46
ibtmarabia
2015 was a
whole new
concept, a
result of the
feedback from
key industry
stakeholders
like the private,
public sectors,
as well as MICE
organisations
MICEtalk March 2015
What was unique about the recentlyconcluded ibtm arabia?
The key features of ibtm arabia 2015 included
a new exclusive, closed door event format
with a one-to-one ratio of Hosted Buyers and
exhibitors. For the first time and unique to the
region, ibtm arabia allowed both exhibitors and
Hosted Buyers to select online who they liked to
schedule a meeting with and their appointments
were mutually matched based on the preferences
of both parties. Some 30 appointments were
provided to each exhibitor and Hosted Buyer
on a one-to-one ratio over the duration of the
event.
All exhibitors had the same amount of floor
space and their meeting pod was exactly the
same price, size and design, with the exception
of their respective corporate branding. Each
pod came as an all- inclusive package, one price
and no extra costs.
With no exhibition stand to organise, ship,
build and other related logistics to arrange,
our exhibitors could focus 100% of their time
preparing for buyer appointments and being
ready as soon as they arrived at ibtm arabia.
The innovative one-to-one business event
included “Discovery Day” for both exhibitors
event talk
and Hosted Buyers so they got a chance to
attend experiential activities at Yas Island as
well as a tour of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and
lunch on a traditional dhow, the ibtm arabia
Knowledge Forum, as well as the one-to-one
mutually matched business meetings over two
days and of course the essential fun element
of nine networking opportunities to create
the important social down time which could
also be more business but in a more relaxed
environment.
.
What was the reason behind the new
format of the show?
ibtmarabia 2015 was a whole new concept, a
result of the commentary fed back to us from
key industry stakeholders including those from
the private and public sectors, as well as other
professional MICE organisations. Exhibitors had
told us they valued the quality of Hosted Buyer
appointments much more. We also consulted
with the industry internationally and regionally
to assess their opinion on the new format.
We adapted the event format accordingly and
transformed it into a more intimate, dynamic
and exclusive event, giving the Middle East
meetings industry its own niche event that
is focused on the business of meetings, no
distractions, and enabling both buyers and
exhibitors to be part of a community in one place
for three days.
Has IBTM Arabia been able to etch a
special place for itself in the region?
Please explain how?
Yes, the event is the only opportunity in the
region for suppliers to meet with regional and
international MICE planners and buyers from
Europe, Americas, Africa and Asia Pacific, in a
one-to-one ratio format, therefore representing
a cross-section of the most senior meeting
planners in the industry. All qualified buyers
have proven business to place in the region and
internationally.
meaningful connections. Also, the event
kicked off with Discovery Day, a new concept
which gave our Hosted Buyers and exhibitors
an experiential and inspiring start to the
ibtmarabiaprogramme, with activities such as a
ride on the world’s fastest rollercoaster, followed
by a networking lunch on a traditional Dhow.
Did the fact that the event was ‘closed’
to trade visitors work well?
Q&A
ibtmarabia delivered more than 3,000 mutually
matched and pre-selected appointments over the two
days of business meetings.
Judging by the enthusiasm of our exhibitors and
Hosted Buyers we feel very confident that this
new event format has been a huge success. Our
strategy to mutually match the quality of both
buyers and suppliers ensured their compatibility
with each other. We also wanted to create a
memorable experience and a strong community
in addition to the valuable pre-scheduled
appointments and that has been key to the
success for everyone involved.
What were the number of buyers and
sellers witnessed during the event?
Have you seen a growth over the last
one year?
There were some 100 individual exhibitors (last
year there were 52 main stand holders) from
the region and overseas. There was an equal
number of Hosted Buyers and they represented
36 countries.
With twice as many exhibitors as GIBTM
2014, 24 were participating for the first time.
There were also five new countries represented
including Scotland, Ethiopia, Japan, Mexico and
Canada.
Please tell us something about the
deliverables in terms of meetings and
networking that emerged from this
event?
ibtmarabia delivered more than 3,000 mutually
matched and pre-selected appointments over the
two days of business meetings. The combination
of the pre-scheduled appointments and nine
networking opportunities have provided
more touch points for everyone to help make
MICEtalk March 2015
47
expert talk
Socially
Professional
Meeting and connecting family members of colleagues
goes a long way to understand them. Making this extra
effort can help build trust with the families as well as create
bonhomie within teams and enable them to work better.
D
o you recall any of the advertisements on
TV where a man called his boss home for
dinner and the wife did such an excellent
job of cooking a meal or doing up the house, that
the husband was granted an instant promotion?
If only life had remained that simple. Well, a lot
of factors in the storyline have changed, starting
with formal appraisals and company policies for
awarding promotions, larger number of working
women who have no time to execute such
meals(and maybe availability of better choices in
restaurants), etc.
INFO
The one thing that probably has not changed is
that of building a rapport. Even professionally
run corporates like to engage with families of
employees. While the intention may not be
to forge long term relationships, it could be a
positive outcome in some cases. Meeting and
connecting with family members of colleagues
does allow a better understanding of their
background and drivers. This rapport building
can also create bonhomie within teams and
enable them to work better.
48
If an
organisation
really wants
to grow as a
symbiotic unit
then its actions
should depict a
genuine desire
to engage and
relate with
the families of
employees.
MICEtalk March 2015
There is a risk with some official parties becoming
an extension of the office day and families being
left aside to engage in niceties or peruse their
own musings. In such cases the entire purpose
of having a do is defeated as the event is reduced
to a social pressure.
Some organisations also view it as an incentive
by choosing exotic/unique locations that allow
families, a few luxuries at company expense.
But the true purpose should not be forgotten,
it’s a two way street and just like an organisation
wants the families to understand the office
culture they should be prepared to understand
the family’s value system and priorities. Making
that extra effort to build camaraderie can go a
long way in building trust with the families and
using the social bond to build loyalty of not just
the employee but also the family.
If an organisation really wants to grow as a
symbiotic unit then its actions should depict
a genuine desire to engage and relate with the
families of employees. Bear in mind, that this
loyalty building tool does not have a very long
shelf life. In the present era where more and more
jobs are getting outsourced and people opting for
SoHos and flexible working hours, organisations
may not get to interact much with the employee
let alone his family (which in itself is a shrinking
definition).
There will always be factors such as
competitiveness, personal equations, transitions
which can affect such synergy creating initiatives
but if the drivers, which in this case will be the
top management display genuine intent, the
organization will definitely have an extra ace in
their bag.
expert talk
Ask
A
people are sick with an infection illness and insist on
Q:When
coming to office, how do you tell them to work from home?
More importantly, how do you convince the management that
A:
it makes sense for these people to stay away from the office?
One must admire the dedication (to complete an assignment), unless it
is fear (driven by the boss’s expectation or that of a pay cut) that drives
people to work even when they are not feeling physically fit. The true
reason will aid in tackling it better. If you want to find a solution then
read up or partner with someone from admin or HR who can help with
related company policies. In addition to highlighting the risks of people
spreading infections and being less productive, draft a plan which allows
for a resource group which fills in for people on leave. You may suggest
work from home and updates via skype to ensure minimum disruption
of work. If you can create a plan with a documented solutionyou have a
better chance of getting it implemented. If there is a system in place then
hopefully people will not push themselves when unwell. Your question
inspires a thought, while you can create a plan for the physically ill, what
do you do about those people who come to work in a foul mood and
spread the negativity in the office, is it not even more harmful?
is the best way to talk about your growth in the company, especially
Q: Which
if you were told on joining that they would relook at your package in six
months? Go to the head of the department? Talk to HR? or talk to the CEO if
the opportunity arises? What would work?
A:
If you want to explore a specific case, where you were promised a possible improvement
in package, then you need to understand the reason for it. Is it a company policy? or
the end of a probation period or the six month period coincides with the company’s
annual increment policy? If it is any of these or similar administrative reasons then there
should be a system in place that will bring up your case for review and there should be no
hesitancy in following up with your supervisor or HR head or even the CEO, provided
he/she is involved in handling such issues. Else, protocol demands that you follow the
chain laid down for escalation of such matters. However, if the
commitment was ad hoc in nature then ideally the terms of
review should have been established in the very beginning. If you
haven’t done that, then please review your own performance/
contribution and see if it warrants an increment. If you feel you
have earned it or it is due to you as a matter of principle then you
should take it up with the person who made the commitment. If
you have misgivings about taking up the issue then that’s a whole
new area to explore but that’s all about you.
about the author
Shabnam Mehra
Life Coach & EFT
Practitioner
Do write in with your views and feedback. And if you have any queries or feel any limitations in your own journey,
please write in to the Q&A column care of the editor at the Micetalk and I will be happy to respond. You can also
write directly to me at [email protected] or via my website www.reflectingangles.com
MICEtalk March 2015
49
etiquette talk
Shital Kakkar Mehra
Practitioner of Corporate
Etiquette and International
Protocol in India
TheAir Kiss
an alien culture
With globalisation exposing Indian executives to their
counterparts worldwide, social kissing has crossed over
from its Page 3 precincts into our work lives. Here are some
pointers to help you get it right.
A
ir kissing is the pretence of kissing
accompanied by the “mwah” sound.
This form of greeting involves
entering another person’s personal space by
placing your lips a couple of inches north of
their ear while lightly pretending to touch
their cheek to yours.
In India, social kissing was restricted to the
Page 3 regulars. However, in the past few
years, globalisation has pushed the Indian
executive to interact with Americans,
Russians, Europeans, Mexicans and Arabs in
various socio-business settings. This has led
to confusion! Some common queries about
this alien concept are:
Should we start with the right cheek or
the left cheek?
How many times should we air kiss - once
or twice?
I am uncomfortable air-kissing - is there
a way to avoid it?
Interestingly, air kissing is cultural! Although
not a part of our culture, it’s a single kiss
on the right cheek in the United States and
varies in Continental Europe - three kisses in
Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland; two
kisses in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
In UK and Germany, it’s reserved for people
one knows socially and is not extended to
business situations. Some cultures go beyond
the air kiss - Russians may follow it up with a
light back-slap, Arabs reserve it for members
of the same gender and finish off the greeting
with a half-hug.
If you feel uncomfortable air-kissing your
business contacts, anticipate it and put your
right hand out for a firm handshake.
exhibition
World tourism industry
under one roof at
FITUR
In Madrid, FITUR concentrated on the
offerings of 9,107 companies from 165
countries and the presence of around
200,000 visitors from around the world.
It also saw a large presence from India.
MT Bureau
F
ITUR, organised by IFEMA, proved to
be a global meeting point for tourism
professionals and the leading trade fair for
developing inbound and outbound relations with
the Ibero-American markets.
The year’s first tourism meeting confirmed the
increasing strength of the sector. The number of
direct participants grew by 12 per cent and the
exhibition space was up by four per cent. In its
35th edition, the five-day extravaganza at FITUR
2015, gathered 200,000 visitors among whom
120,000 were professionals.
The show was opened by King Felipe and Queen
Letizia of Spain and the provisional figures spoke
of the best results for the fair since the financial
crisis began, with a five per cent increase in
professional visitors this year and a 12 per cent
increase in international participation.
The budget for organising the trade show
exceeded 10.5 million Euros, including 3 million
Euros allocated to international promotional
actions and invitations to buyers.
Two new sections were added as novelties,
seeking to act as a driver for the health and
shopping segments as well as for staging the
Spain Global Tourism Forum as part of the
show. Shopping and health tourism sectors were
positive additions to the fair as destinations
54
MICEtalk March 2015
exhibition
FITUR to diversify & specialise
FITUR 2015, welcomed the worldwide
tourism industry and turned itself into
one of the greatest business platforms
for the sector, we got the details from
Ana Larrañaga, Director, FITUR.
PedenDomaBhutia
FITUR 2015 quick facts
Gross exhibition space (in sqm) 1,30,530
Net exhibition space (in sqm) 56,354
Exhibiting Companies 9,419
Stand Holders 688
Participating Countries/ Regions 165
Total Number Of Participants 2,22,551
search for new ways to beat seasonal slump and
attract visitors all year round.
According to UNWTO, shopping tourism has
emerged as a growing component of the travel
experience, either as a prime motivation or
as one of the major activities undertaken by
tourists at their destinations.
India promoted its medical facilities at the show
and the Ministry of Tourism highlighted the
world-class medical services available in the
country at a nominal price. India’s efficiency and
a difference in the price-point was emphasised
to encourage more medical tourism to the
country.
India had a large presence at the show and India
Tourism saw 19 co-participants. Vikram Misri,
Ambassador of India to Spain, inaugurated the
India Stand at FITUR 2015.
In all, FITUR provided an opportunity to see
the growth in the sector and obtain specialised
global travel trade insights over a period of five
days and at a single venue.
Ana Larrañaga
Director, FITUR
What is the way ahead for
this show?
Diversification and specialisation
will determine the future of
tourism and will become one
of the principal tools available
to the different actors in the
industry in promoting and
developing their business. In
achieving this goal they will have
the wholehearted collaboration
of the International Tourism
Trade Show, which in its 35th
staging will become the largest
worldwide tourism business
and promotion forum, with
the presentation of numerous
projects seeking to dynamise the
way the sector is run. The Trade
Show will offer its participants
a unique space in which to
promote and market their latest
tourism products.
How important do you
think technology is for
promoting tourism?
The symbiosis between
technology and tourism is ever
increasing, and technological
developments have changed the
way we plan and make trips.
For example, according to the
air transport specialist SITA
and Air Transport World, 47
per cent of travellers use their
mobile devices to book a trip,
and 37 per cent to purchase their
flight ticket. At FITUR we will
be able to view the present and
the future of technology in the
specialised FITURTECH section.
What do you think
countries should look out
for while trying to woo
Spanish tourists?
Spaniards make more than
100 million overnight stays per
year outside our country and
holiday trips involve an average
stay of nine nights, double the
figure of overnights in domestic
trips. Furthermore, the type
of accommodation is another
differentiating characteristic of
outbound tourism given that
tourists who head for foreign
destinations use hotels as their
main accommodation to a
greater extent. For all these
reasons, the quality and service
of hotel is crucial in attracting
Spanish visitors.
MICEtalk March 2015
55
visa talk
u
Gro
þ
Passport:
Original
Passport with the validity
of minimum three months
from the date of return and
minimum two blank pages for
visa stamping.
Please note: a) If applying from
Chennai, validity of passport
should be of six months b) Attach first
& last page of passport along with all old
passports (if any) c) Passports issued beyond 10
years will not be accepted by the Embassy/ Consulate
d) Handwritten passports will not be accepted e) If applying
from Delhi: Indian Passports can only be accepted if their bio data
(name, date of birth, place of birth, sex) have not been modified by
an “observation”. However, observation regarding the validity of the
passport are permitted. f ) If applying from Kolkata/ Bangalore :
Photocopy of all printed pages of the passport and Observation page
are also required.
Schengen Visa Application Form : Online Visa Application
Form to be duly filled & signed by the applicant and printout of the
same should be submitted. The link for the form is - https://videx.
diplo.de/videx
Please note: Only High Quality printout of the Barcode should be
submitted along with the application.
Following forms should also be submitted along with the visa
application form:
a) Declaration on true and complete information
b) Declaration Form
c) Power of Attorney Form
If applying from Mumbai/ Bangalore :
a) Declaration on true and complete information
b) Declaration on genuineness of documents travel health insurance
If applying from Chennai: Applicants can either submit Online Visa
Application Form or Manual Form along with following forms:
a) Declaration on true and complete information
b) Declaration on genuineness of documents travel health insurance
c) Questioannaire on German Business Contacts
If applying from Kolkata:
a) Declaration on true and complete information
Please note: Applicant mobile number should be mentioned in visa
form as Embassy / Consulate can contact the applicant at any point
of time during the visa processing.
Photo Specification: Two recent passport size colored
photographs with matt or semi matt finish, 60%-80% face coverage,
white background and without border (Size: 35mm x 45mm).
Please note: Photograph should not be more than 06 months old,
scanned/stapled and should not be used in any of the previous visas.
If applying from Chennai, three photographs are required.
Covering Letter:
a) Covering letter from Sponsor Company with naming list &
passport details of all applicants. The letter should be duly signed by
the authorized signatory.
b) Covering letter from applicants individually on company’s letter
head.
ent
s
Germany
c) Covering letter from Tour
operator with naming list &
passport details of all applicants
mentioning travel dates.
Please Note: The letter should be
addressed to The Visa Officer, Embassy
of the Federal Republic of Germany,
New Delhi or Consulate General of Federal
Republic of Germany, Mumbai/Chennai/
Bengaluru/Kolkata.
Invitation Letter: In case of a business trip, an
Invitation Letter from German host / inviting Company on
its letter head stating the purpose of travel and duration of stay along
with naming list. The letter should be duly signed with signatory’s
name and designation.
Financials
a) Personal Bank Statement for last six months
b) Personal ITR for last 3 years.
Please note: In case applicant is self employed or company is
sponsoring the trip, company’s financials should also be submitted
along with the sponsor company’s registration certificate.
Proof of Occupation
Self –Employed
a) Company Registration Certificate / Certificate of Incorporation
b) Brief Company Profile
c) Articles of Memorandum (Incase the applicant is MD/Director)
d) Proof of Proprietorship / Partnership (In case applicant is
Proprietor / Partner in a firm)
e) Import / Export Licence (if applicable)
Employed
a) Salary Slip for last three months
b) NOC letter from company
If applying from Delhi/ Chennai : Proof of Civil Status:
Marriage certificate,birth certificate of children, death certificate of
spouse, ration card(If applicable)
Proof of Accommodation: Hotel confirmation for the entire
period of stay with naming list & Day to Day itinerary.
Airline Reservation : Ticket Itinerary
If applying from Bengaluru : Copy of Confirmed Return Air ticket
has to be submitted.
Medical: Overseas Medical Insurance for the stay duration
amounting to 30,000 Euros to be submitted in original along with
the photocopy.
Power of Attorney: If applying from Chennai, applicant will
have to submit a Power of Attorney form .
Authorization Letter: Applicant will have to submit an
authorization letter authorizing Udaan India Private Limited to
submit and collect documents.
Visa Fees : Rs 4,300
VFS Fees : Rs 1,072
Please Note : The visa fee is payable by demand draft favoring “ VFS
GLOBAL SERVICES PRIVATE LIMITED “, payable at “Respective
VFS Location”
Processing Time : 5-6 working days
pV
m
e
isa Requir
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
þ
For more information, contact Udaan India at [email protected]
56
MICEtalk March 2015
Hotels high on MICE
Vikram Mago has been appointed
as the new Vice President as well
as the General Manager at Radisson
Blu Hotel Greater Noida. With more
than 27 years experience as General
Manager, he has worked with
prominent names like The Windsor
Bangalore, ITC Hotels Division,
The Blaxland Hotel (La Cordon
Blue Hotels), The Oxford Hotel
(American Heritage Hotels). His
first tenure as a General Manager
Vikram Mago was at Taj Coromandel & Taj
Vice President and Connemara (IHC) in the year 1987.
General Manager
Radisson Blu Hotel
Greater Noida
Prakash Viswanathan
Director
Business Development
Hilton Chennai
Gyan Manohar Khurana
Revenue Manager Hyderabad
Marriott Hotel & Convention
Centre and Courtyard
by Marriott Hyderabad
Prakash Viswanathan has been
appointed Director of Business Development for Hilton Chennai. With
more than a decade of experience in
the hospitality industry, Prakash has
worked with Marriott International,
Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
and Hyatt Hotels Corporation in
various departments including Food
& Beverage, Sales, Events and Revenue Management. Most recently,
Prakash led the pre-opening and
launch teams as Director of Sales
and Marketing at JW Marriott,
Bangalore.
Gyan has joined as the Revenue
Manager for Hyderabad Marriott
Hotel & Convention Centre
and Courtyard by Marriott
Hyderabad. He joined Marriott
in 2011 as Sales Executive at the
Renaissance Mumbai Convention
Centre Hotel and then shifted
to revenue management. Before
moving to Hyderabad, he worked
as Revenue Analyst in the
Revenue Strategy office handling
inventory and yield management,
revenue forecasting and
stakeholder management.
Diana Banks
Vice President
Brand Strategy
Raffles Hotels & Resorts
Vishal Gupta
General Manager
Hilton Garden Inn
Trivandrum
Diana Banks has been appointed
Vice President, Brand Strategy at
Raffles Hotels & Resorts. Banks
joined the company in 2011 as
Vice President, Sales & Marketing,
Raffles Hotels & Resorts. She has
held Sales and Marketing positions
with prominent companies in the
hospitality and travel sector over
the past 30 years. Before joining
Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Banks
held the position of Vice President
of Sales & Marketing - Europe,
Middle East & Africa, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Vishal Gupta has been appointed
General Manager for Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum. Gupta brings
with him 14 years of experience
in the lodging industry having
worked primarily with Marriott
International Inc. in India, the US
and the Federation of Saint Kitts
and Nevis. Most recently, he was
Director of National Sales – Delhi
NCR, overlooking Travel Trade,
MICE & Corporate segments for
Marriott International Inc. in India. Prior to that, he has held several positions in Sales and Food &
Beverage with known brands.
Anjali has 12 years of experience
in hotel sales and has been working with Marriott India for over
three years now. She has recently
been appointed as the Director of
Sales at the Hyderabad Marriott
Hotel & Convention Centre &
Courtyard by Marriott Hyderabad.
Before moving to Hyderabad, she
held the position of Associate
Director of Sales at the Marriott
National Sales Office based in
Anjali Naik Mumbai where she has been inDirector of Sales strumental in enriching the MICE
Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & portfolio for Marriott India hotels.
Convention Centre & Courtyard by Marriott Hyderabad
MICEtalk March 2015
57
events
May - July 2015
event calendar
May 2015
4-7
ATM
MICEtalk March 2015
IMEX
World
Travel
Fair
Dubai
UAE
Frankfurt/
Main
Germany
Shanghai
China
7-10
19-21
Rendez-vous
Canada
2015
Niagara Falls
Canada
IMEX
Frankfurt/
Main
Germany
26-29
June 2015
9-11
IBTM
America
Chicago
USA
Asian
International
Trade &
Tourism Expo
Dhaka
Bangladesh
10-14
July 2015
24-26
Travel &
Tourism
Fair
(TTF)
Hyderabad
58
19-21
Travel &
Tourism Fair
Kolkata
31-Aug 2
11-14
International
Travel Expo
Hong Kong
SAR China
Korea World
Travel Fair
Seoul
South Korea
11-14
Postal Reg. No. :DL(ND)-11/6150/2014-15-16
WPP No.:U(C)-305/2014-2016, Posting on 29th-30th of Advance Month
PSO, Market Road PO, New Delhi-110001, Date of Publication:22/02/2015
RNI No.:DELENG/2010/34144