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COLOPHONHEADQUARTERS ASIA-PACIFIC OR HAP IS A NICHE PUBLICATION FOR LOCAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BASED IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION DEALING WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF WORLDWIDE CONGRESSES. PUBLISHED 4 TIMES A YEAR. CIRCULATION: 2,500 COPIES IN 14 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

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Cécile Caiati-Koch

Rémi Dévé

HQ> C O N T E N T S

» READ MORE ON WWW.HEADQUARTERSMAGAZINE.COM OR MARCELSBLOG.TYPEPAD.COM

MARCEL A.M. VISSERSEditor in Chief

At every Asia-Pacifi c trade fair you

hear the same thing: ‘Asia-Pacifi c is

growing’. No questions are asked about

how long this growth will continue

because in this region of the world

the question is redundant -‘Growth

will continue as long as we continue

to invest.’ This is not the case in the

U.S. and Europe where stagnation and

saving are the keywords.

Investments in the expansion of

infrastructure are booming in the

Asia-Pacifi c, it is bursting with new

venues. Responding to a great need

for exhibition and convention centres,

South Korea’s EXCO, Malaysia’s KLCC,

Australia’s BCEC and Hong Kong’s

HKCEC have invested in the expansion

of their capacities. And that’s without

even mentioning Singex, the operator

of Singapore Expo that embarked on

the construction of a new convention

wing earlier this year. Called MAX Atria,

the building will feature 23 new

meeting rooms and spacious

pre-function areas. It is scheduled for

completion in 2012!

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld

Expo (AWE) was refurbished with hybrid

events in mind (events requiring a

combination of fl exible confi guration

under one roof). In Bali, the BDNCC,

opened last June, will develop a new

venue for cultural performances. And

things are moving in Bangkok too,

with the people of IMPACT leading

the race. Destinations are joining the

competition as well. For example,

I always thought Vietnam was a bit of

a blank area on the meetings industry

map. This view changed at the last

edition of IT&CMA in Bangkok, where

I was confronted with a fantastic stand:

the Vietnam MICE Club (I will tell you all

about it later). And the story doesn’t

fi nish here. The biggest development

comes from Macau. A whole new

congress destination is being built

there, with a massive injection

of new rooms and event spaces.

The famous Venetian alone will

increase its meeting space in

its partner hotels with no less than

9,290 m2. Read all about it in the

special feature Wow Macau in this very

edition of Headquarters Asia-Pacifi c.

MARCEL’S COMMENT

ASIA-PACIFIC EQUALS GROWING

GENERALNEWS 5

ASSOCIATIONS IN CHINA 14

VIENNA SURVEY 16

MEETINGS THROUGH A TECH-MINDED LENS 18

COVER INTERVIEWPENNY LION, 4

BUSINESS EVENTS AUSTRALIA

CONTENTS

SPECIAL FEATUREMACAU 25

UIAFUNDRAISING FOR ASSOCIATIONS 12

DESTINATIONSSOUTH AFRICA 21

MALAYSIA 22

HEADQUARTERS 3

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FA_KLCC_Likable_HQEMEA_1011.ai 7/10/11 11:33:13 G52

HEADQUARTERS 5

HQ> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S

NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE JOINT MEETINGS INDUSTRY COUNCIL

The Joint Meetings Industry Council

(JMIC) announced that Philippe Fournier,

President of the International Association

of PCO’s (IAPCO) and Managing Director

for France, MCI Group, has assumed the

Presidency of the Joint Meetings Industry

Council. Fournier replaces Leigh Harry, Past

President of ICCA, who led the Council for

the past three years and recently moved

to a senior government post in Australia.

Fournier has over 25 years of experience

in the meetings industry and has held

numerous positions in prominent industry

organizations.

www.themeetingsindustry.org

BESTCITIES WELCOMES TWO NEW PARTNERSThe international portfolio of Best

Cities partners continues to grow with the

cities of Berlin and Houston. Making the

announcement at IMEX America, Jerad

Bachar, Incoming Board Chair for 2012, said:

‘The BestCities Global Alliance consists of

convention bureaux that deliver the world’s

best service experience for international

meeting planners. These premier meeting

destinations already include Cape Town,

Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Melbourne,

San Juan, Singapore and Vancouver and now

welcomes the cities of Berlin and Houston.

Both cities ably demonstrate the attributes

to meet the strict BestCities criteria for

membership which includes state-of-the-art

convention facilities, a minimum 10,000 hotel

rooms, safe, public transportation and

excellent air access.’

www.bestcities.net

KOREA PREPARES FOR 2012 KOREA CONVENTION YEAR Since the turn of the century, Korea has

achieved an enormous growth in meetings

and convention industry. In recognition

of this, the Korean government has been

nurturing and fostering this sector as one

of strategic and new-growth industries.

In order to boost the country as one of the

top fi ve convention destinations in the world,

the Korean government has declared the

upcoming year as the 2012 Korea Convention

Year. Various programs by the Ministry of

Culture and Tourism and the Korea Tourism

Organization in cooperation with seven MICE

Alliances in regional convention destinations

have been planned with the goal to provide

better services and support to MICE

participants and organizers.

k-mice.visitkorea.or.kr

DARWIN, WHERE INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA CONNECTS Looking out to Darwin’s harbour, an ancient

meeting site for the Larrakia people, Darwin

Convention Centre is the natural hub for

sharing Indigenous ideas, innovation and

continuing knowledge. Within the past

several weeks alone, the Convention Centre

hosted four key conferences on topics that

ranged from chronic diseases, environmental

health, Indigenous business enterprises,

and education. The venue hummed as

scientists, business leaders and experts

brought insight, academic rigour and

wealth of experience to advance Indigenous

matters. With the Northern Territory home

to Australia’s largest Indigenous population

per capita, the Top End and Darwin City

remain the cultural and spiritual heart of

Aboriginal culture.

www.darwinconvention.com.auInside Darwin Convention Centre

Hyangwonjong Pavilion, South Korea

HEADQUARTERS 6

GHOTW LAUNCHES 2012 DIRECTORY

Great Hotels of the World (GHOTW) has

launched a brand new trade directory

combining their Meetings, Incentive and

Corporate Travel collections for 2012. The

2012 edition includes over 130 of the world’s

best MICE and corporate properties, all

offering exceptional facilities and services for

groups and corporate travellers. Its entries

showcase what each property has to offer,

including their location, room facilities,

hotel facilities, unique selling points and top

incentive attractions, as well as details on

the capacity of each meeting room in each

meeting style.

www.ghotw.com

HKCEC LAUNCHES NEW IPHONE APPHong Kong Convention and Exhibition

Centre (HKCEC) launched its new HKCEC

iPhone app, downloadable free of charge, in

celebration of its 23rd Anniversary on

25 November 2011. The app is a handy and

user-friendly tool that offers comprehensive

news and information about the HKCEC in

three languages: English, Traditional Chinese

and Simplifi ed Chinese. An important feature

of the HKCEC app is its ‘Event Calendar’,

which lists major upcoming exhibitions,

conferences and special events at the

HKCEC. Overseas visitors coming to the

HKCEC can use the ‘Transportation’ function

to get directions to the HKCEC from Hong

Kong International Airport and other key

locations. Also available in the HKCEC app

is a ‘Where to Eat’ function, which lists the

different restaurants at the HKCEC.

www.hkcec.com

SARAWAK SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The winners of the International Associa-

tion Convention Scholarship Award now in

its third year were announced by Dato Sri

Dr Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah,

Chairman of the Sarawak Convention Bureau

(SCB). The aim of this award is to encourage

potential new bidders to actively participate

in attending international conventions

and in turn, showcase the benefi ts and

opportunities that come from networking at

these conventions. Five scholarship awards

were presented - winners are Alban @William

John Lisen (65th International Dyslexia

Association Annual Conference), Alice Jawan

Empaling (World Water Congress & Exhibi-

tion 2012), Teresa Hii Leh Choo (13th Annual

Women’s Business Enterprise National

Council 2012), Jane Chan Ai Nyet (4th Inter-

national Conference on Computer Supported

Education 2012) and John Huang Shen Han

(2011 International Design Congress).

www.sarawakcb.com

> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S

2011-2012 MEETINGS INDUSTRY FAIRS WORLDWIDE: MAKE YOUR CHOICE!

AIME // 21-22 February 2011, Melbourne // www.aime.com.au

Meetings Africa 2012 // 28 February - 1 March 2012, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg //

www.meetingsafrica.co.za

GIBTM // 26-28 March 2012, Abu Dhabi // www.gibtm.com

IT&CM China // 17-19 April 2012, Shanghai // www.itcmchina.com

IMEX // 22-24 May 2012, Frankfurt // www.imex-frankfurt.com

AIBTM // 19-21 June 2012, Baltimore // www.aibtm.vcom

21 – 22 February, 2012

AIME ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVES FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY YEARTaking place on 21-22 February 2012 at

the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition

Centre (MCEC), the Asia-Pacifi c Incentives

& Meetings Expo (AIME) will celebrate its

20th year in 2012 and the show organisers

have acknowledged the milestone by

implementing new initiatives.

Sally de Swart, Reed Travel Exhibitions

Director for AIME, says that the 2012

show planning is going from strength to

strength and that the team is excited to

introduce new initiatives for 2012: ‘AIME

provides the platform to conduct meetings

and network with exhibitors from all parts

of the industry in a short space of time.

We are constantly working on developing

the show’s offering to keep the event fresh

and dynamic. With this in mind and based

on customer feedback, we are rolling out

some new initiatives and changes in the

lead up and during the show.’

New initiatives for 2012 include changes

to the Pre Scheduled Appointments’

(PSA) online facility that will help make

the meetings’ process more seamless for

exhibitors and Hosted Buyers.

AIME organisers will also be releasing

details on a refreshed Social Program

that will give attendees the opportu-

nity to relax and network with new and

existing business contacts. This refreshed

Social Program will also showcase

Melbourne’s premier event products,

services and venues.

Hosted Buyers have new options in

AIME’s Pre Touring Program with the

addition of two new tours to cover the

Hume City region and a Melbourne coffee

and cafe culture tour.

www.aime.com.au

Sarawak State Assembly

MALAYSIA CONVENTION & EXHIBITION BUREAU (MyCEB) Suite 14.3, Level 14, Menara IMC, No. 8 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Tel: +603 2034 2090 Fax: +603 2034 2091 Email: info@myceb.com.my Web: www.myceb.com.my

Scan this code to visit our website

Arabs, Chinese, Indians and Europeanshave long appreciated Malaysia’s position

as a nexus for trade and meetings. So much so,they’re still here 600 years later.

Our predecessors once braved all manner of hazards to travel to Malaysia. Once here, they thrived amidstthe many trade opportunities and warm hospitality of the local Malays. The result is a truly uniquemelting pot of cultures and customs. This infusion of influences makes Malaysians cosmopolitan

and while we are forward-looking, we retain a strong sense of our traditions.

As the centre of Southeast Asia and strategically located between India and China, Malaysia knows how to connect the world with Asia. Malaysia is English-speaking yet multilingual; a vibrant emerging economic and

business centre; and a great value-for-money destination. You will see it in our ability to host any meeting, incentive trip, convention and exhibition. Malaysia has all the first-world infrastructure you want

in a destination enhanced by a fusion of Asian cultures, food and hospitality.

Malaysia - Asia’s Business Events Hub

HEADQUARTERS 8

AS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF BUSINESS

EVENTS AUSTRALIA, PENNY LION HAS COME

TO THE ROLE WITH EXTENSIVE KNOWL-

EDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE BUSINESS

EVENTS INDUSTRY. SHE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR

LEADING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

AUSTRALIA’S (TA) GLOBAL BUSINESS EVENTS

STRATEGY AND THE DELIVERY OF BUSINESS-

TO-BUSINESS PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE

AUSTRALIA AS A DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS

EVENTS.

HQ: Could you briefl y explain

your background?

Penny Lion: I joined Tourism Australia as Head

of Business Events Australia in October 2010

with 20 years experience in the corporate events

industry, most recently in London where I was

General Manager, UK and Europe, for cievents.

I joined cievents in 2000, when it was the niche

event business of Flight Centre Limited (known

as The Events Centre), as Director of Product

where I introduced a preferred product and

branding strategy. One year later I moved into

the role of General Manager of Operations and

in 2004 became the Director of Sales. In 2006,

I was given a brilliant opportunity to set up

cievents in the United Kingdom, which in three

years grew from one to 20 people with locations

in London and Birmingham.

Prior to cievents, I worked in small, boutique

agencies and larger international organisations,

A straightforward approach to events

HQ> C O V E R I N T E R V I E W

Penny Lion

PENNY LIONBUSINESS EVENTS AUSTRALIA

HEADQUARTERS 9

including Carlson Marketing Group. In these

roles I worked across sales, operations and

product areas.

I’ve really enjoyed returning home and redis-

covering what makes Australia one of the

world’s greatest business event (MICE) desti-

nations. Our country’s breathtaking scenery,

sophisticated cities and the ‘can do’ attitude

of our people gives us very strong selling

points internationally. I’m proud to market a

country, and an industry, as great as ours.

HQ: We understand you are responsible

for leading the development of

Tourism Australia’s global business events

strategy. So... what is your strategy in

this competitive market?

Penny Lion: Business Events Australia is

Tourism Australia’s dedicated team devoted

to promoting Australia as a business events

destination internationally. Our strategy

is multi-facetted and involves developing

and delivering unifi ed, strong and strategic

communication campaigns. We work closely

with Australian operators to achieve this.

These integrated campaigns work across

public relations, digital and social media,

advertising, business to business networking,

educational visits, participation in trade

shows and the creation and management of

our own events.

In the Associations sector, we join forces with

Australia’s convention bureaux and conven-

tion centres to market Australia internation-

ally. As well as our global advertising and PR

campaigns, we provide a marketing toolkit

for associations to increase delegate attend-

ance at the congresses they host in Australia.

We have also released a book of case studies,

which demonstrate the success associations

can enjoy when they choose to host their

congress in Australia.

In early 2012, Tourism Australia will

relaunch its business events website

www.businessevents.australia.com with

new case studies, venue information and

accommodation options for meeting

planners and associations considering

holding their next event in Australia. The

website will be translated into Chinese and

Korean later in 2012.

Also on the digital front, Business Events

Australia has recently launched a Twitter

account (Twitter.com/MeetInAustralia)

to communicate with international trade,

keeping them up-to-date with product news

and developments.

From a public relations perspective, we

engage with international business events

and travel trade media sharing features,

news and product updates. In 2011, we

created and managed a road show around

Asia where we facilitated business to

business meetings and networking between

Australian suppliers and Asian buyers and

sellers. Industry trade shows we participate

in include CIBTM, EIBTM, PAICE, IMEX and

the Association Congress.

HQ: Where do you think Australia stands

in the Asia Pacifi c? And in the world?

Penny Lion: Australia has a good standing in

the Asia Pacifi c region and is well placed to

become even more popular with visitors from

across North and South East Asia.

We remain a desirable place to visit for our

Northern neighbours – evidenced by the

signifi cant number of incentive programs

that have taken place from China, Korea,

Taiwan and Singapore amongst other

regions. We are excited about the forward

confi rmed business from both North and

South East Asia too.

With its proximity to Asia as a one-stop fl ight

in the same time zone, as well as direct

fl ights on the increase, Australian tourism is

well placed to benefi t from increasing

business event interest from Asia.

Globally, Australia is a popular destination;

in fact we were awarded ‘Best Country to

Visit Worldwide’ in this year’s British Travel

Awards. The award was based on nomina-

tions from travel industry professionals and

a vote by more than 700,000 members of

the British public.

We remain a safe destination for

international travellers. Our infrastructure is

advanced and constantly improving, our visa

processing system is excellent, our venues

are world class and we are governed by

stable democratic process. But most

importantly, we have landscapes and people

unlike anything in the world – and we

welcome visitors to come share it with us.

HQ: How does Australia cater to

international associations? What are

its biggest assets to host association

conferences?

Penny Lion: We are proud to have convention

facilities that lead the world in many ways.

Our convention centres are extremely well

located in the heart of our cities. This allows

delegates the opportunity to experience our

cities and our people fi rsthand as well as

providing association organisers great scope

in planning their convention.

And to ensure that we offer buyers fi rst-rate

product, our convention centres continue

to invest in upgrading and improving their

infrastructure, as do our hotels and other

event venues. In Sydney alone, more

than AUD$7 billion has been invested

> C O V E R I N T E R V I E W

Our country’s breathtaking scenery, sophisticated cities and the ‘can do’ attitude of our people gives us very strong selling points internationally

AIME IS MANAGED BY RTEAIME IS OWNED BY MCVBAIME IS PART OF THE REED TRAVEL EXHIBITIONS MEETINGS AND EVENTS PORTFOLIO

AIME. FOR A FIVE STAR EVENT.

Asia-Pacifi c Incentives & Meetings Expo

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Melbourne, Australia

21-22 February 2012 | aime.com.au

For more details and to apply today for AIME’s VIP Hosted Buyer Program visit aime.com.au/apply

As a VIP buyer in the industry, we would like to invite you to apply today.Now in its 20th year, the Asia-Pacifi c Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) is recognised as the premier event in the Asia-Pacifi c region for event organisers.

Benefi ts of being an AIME Hosted Buyer include:

Complimentary airfares, airport transfers, 3 to 5 star accommodation, pre-scheduled appointments with exhibitors you choose to meet with, pre and post touring options around Victoria and Australia, unrivalled networking opportunities and much, much more.* *Visit aime.com.au for qualifi cation details

You can attend AIME in a number of different ways:

As a Fully Hosted Buyer (with airfares included), choose to attend either one (new option for 2012) or both days. As a Semi Hosted Buyer, choose to attend one or both days.

HEADQUARTERS 11

into the industry this year including an

expansion to the Sydney Convention and

Exhibition centre.

In Queensland, an AUD$40 million expansion

of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition

Centre is close to completion. Melbourne’s six

green star-rated Melbourne Convention and

Exhibition Centre is also expanding its award

winning exhibition facilities this year and the

Adelaide Convention Centre has announced

an AU$350 million expansion project.

We rose fi ve places in the ICCA rankings in

2010 to 11th position with 239 meetings and

are now the third ranked country in the Asia-

Pacifi c. We see extraordinary possibilities for

growth in the next ten years, as the associa-

tions sector in China and across South-East

Asia continues to grow.

HQ: In terms of marketing, Australia has

a young/trendy/cool image. Do you think

it’s an asset or a drawback when it comes

to attracting ‘serious’ meetings?

Penny Lion: In Australia, there is time for

both hard work and rest and relaxation. By

nature, Australians are friendly, approachable

and down-to-earth. We have a straightforward

approach to business and are refreshingly

unpretentious. We are also innovators. We

have an outstanding calibre of researchers

and scientists and are very proud of Brian

Schmidt, the Australian scientist who won the

Nobel Prize for Science in 2011.

In the heart of the country, The Ayers Rock

Resort conference and hotel facilities are

being expanded and refurbished to increase

capacity, quality and generate indigenous

career opportunities. This is a great

example of the opportunities available

in Australia to conduct serious business

while learning about the cultural aspects

at one of the ‘must see’ destinations of our

country.

Corporate social responsibility is also impor-

tant to us. A recent Business Events Australia

audit showed 75% of Australia’s convention

and exhibition centres hold Corporate Social

Responsibility accreditations; 56% of trans-

port and 47% of accommodation businesses

hold an accreditation.

Australia’s ability to deliver world-class

business events is also thanks to a stable

economy, a vibrant tourism industry and

strong investment in technology and infra-

structure. Australia has around $1.3 billion

in funds under management and one of the

most sophisticated and liquid debt and equity

markets - the largest investment fund assets

pool in Asia and the fourth largest in

the world.

HQ: Where/how do you see

Australia say 5 years from now?

Penny Lion: Tourism Australia recently

unveiled ambitious plans to help double the

value of the business events sector to as

much as $16 billion by 2020 as part of the

industry’s 2020 Tourism Industry Potential

- a rallying call to the tourism industry to

grow tourism’s contribution to the

country’s GDP.

Business events delegates generated

$7.9 billion to our economy in 2009,

$8.5 billion in 2010 and $9.2 billion in 2011.

Clearly this is a vitally important and growing

sector for the Australian economy.

As the economies around the world continue

to recover from the global fi nancial crisis

we are seeing a return to growth, with the

number of business visitors to Australia

on the rise over the past two years. The

emerging markets of Asia in particular are

delivering signifi cant growth in business

events visitors and this represents a real

long term opportunity for Australia that we

will capitalise on in the next fi ve years and

beyond.

During 2010/11 there were increases in

business events visitors from China (+28%),

Japan (+25%), Singapore (+24%), India

(+28%), Malaysia (+37%), Indonesia (+14%),

Korea (+14%), and Thailand (+11%).

In fi ve years time there will also be a

host of new in-language planning tools

available online, as well products and

infrastructure upgrades to make it easier for

the business events buyer to propose and

choose Australia for their incentives, meet-

ings and conferences.

In fi ve years time, we look forward to

welcoming more MICE groups to our country

and showcasing why there’s nothing like

Australia for a business event.

www.businessevents.australia.com

> C O V E R I N T E R V I E W

Sydney Uluru also known as Ayers Rock

U I A ı U N I O N O F I N T E R N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N S

CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLE MANThe biggest impact

of the internet for

associations is argu-

ably the disinterme-

diation information.

Or put more simply,

associations, as the

traditional middle man in the supply chain,

are being cut out as content producers and

content devourers interact directly in the

web 2.0 world. A trend that will arguably

continue in the web 3.0 world just begin-

ning to dawn, where your internet experi-

ence will be ever more personalised.

The internet is one of many catalytic

factors that have led to increasing threats

to the traditional major income sources for

associations; member dues and meetings.

Increasingly members can get informa-

tion direct and don’t need the association

as an intermediary. Exhibitors can build

rich online product experiences, interac-

tive communities with end users that offer

budget decision makers a real alternative to

attending your meeting.

The need for associations to diversify their

income streams has never been greater

and more and more associations are calling

for increased fundraising, often leaving

busy association executives and volunteers

wondering where to start… but fundraising

needn’t be a mission impossible.

The term ‘fundraising’ is misleading in many

ways. Fundraisers are actually nothing of

the sort; they don’t earn money and give it

away. They are actually conduits, facilita-

tors or middle men, sitting between those

who need the money (association members

and their benefi ciaries) and those who

have money to invest (donors, sponsors

and partners - the people who raise the

funds). The fi rst place to start in fundraising

is to see your role as a facilitator, bringing

THE INTERNET AS WE KNOW IT IS NOW TWENTY YEARS OLD AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB IN 1991, AN

INVENTION OF BRITISH SCIENTIST TIM BERNERS-LEE. IT HAS HERALDED HUGE ADVANCES IN THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE AND SHARE

INFORMATION AND ITS CONTINUING EVOLUTION IS BOTH A THREAT AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ASSOCIATIONS. ASSOCIATIONS THAT

EMBRACE THE CHANGE AND DIVERSIFY THEIR INCOME WILL SURVIVE TO CELEBRATE THE INTERNET’S 30TH BIRTHDAY.

TEXT TOM EELES, KENES ASSOCIATIONS WORLDWIDE

MISSION IMPOSSIBLEFundraising for associations

Tom Eeles

HEADQUARTERS 12

together the right people to make good

things happen.

PAINTING YOUR FRONT DOORHave you ever played the board game

Monopoly? A little tip, the oranges will

give you the best return on investment

for your real estate. What’s the reference

to fundraising? Well in Monopoly the dice

decide what real estate you can buy, but on

the internet your website is your real estate

and you can determine how much return on

investment it can generate.

Now that spring has sprung, there is no

better time for a spring clean of the front

door to your association, your website.

It might seem like a funny place to start

and you might be screaming ‘show me the

money’ but your website is just like the

front door to your house. If you are selling

your house you would always tidy up your

front garden and paint the front door,

estate agents call it kerb appeal.

ACTIVE, FOCUSED AND EFFECTIVEA potential donor will check out your

website as a reference point. They are

looking to see if your association is active,

focused and effective. So look at your

website with fresh eyes, make sure there is

fresh content, news items, demonstrations

of the impact you have. Use images, quotes

and case studies.

If you don’t have any material ask board

members why they love their profession

and what the association means to them.

Ask members what the most satisfying

accomplishment in their jobs has been.

Get photos!

Often for professional associations it is not

the fact that you’ve distributed a news-

letter, organised a meeting or established

some guidelines that will enable you to

demonstrate impact. You have to work out

what the end impact is for the man on the

street. Your members do amazing things,

you just need to fi nd out what they are and

shout about it.

If there have been years of different

editors adding information, but no-one

removing it, check to see if your mission

and passion come across clearly. If in

doubt ask a child to look at your website

and tell you what the organisation does.

At the highest level page on your website it

should be really clear that you are there to

make a difference.

SOCIAL MEDIA: THE NEXT BIG THING?Maybe. But really social media is just

another way of telling your story and your

fi rst task is to dust off your website. There

is a lot of chatter about social media

revolutionising fundraising and it has a

great impact in the best case studies.

But as your website is likely to be overly

focused on communication to one group of

people members and meeting attendees,

the fi rst task is to make it communicate to

different audiences.

At this stage you don’t need to complicate

things by trying to run Twitter and Face-

book pages too. It is better to do one thing

really well than lots of things badly. Just

as prospective donors will check out your

website, they will also check out your

presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and

Twitter. If you have dormant accounts

with sparse activity that’s worse than no

account at all.

www.uia.org

This article has been contributed on behalf of the Union of International Associations (UIA) by Tom Eeles. Tom works as a Fundraising Consultant with the medical association clients of Kenes Associations Worldwide having previously raised funds for UK medical and health charities.

YOUR WEBSITE’S CHECKLIST

+ Get a child’s feedback on your website - do they know the answers to why, what and who?

+ Treat it like holiday packing - half of the content is probably old, outdated and unnecessary, put your holiday clothes on the bed and get rid of half of your outdated content

+ Demonstrate your impact with member stories, quotes and photos

This article will urge you to spring clean your website, help you build a case for support and fi nally go after the money. Fundraising is like an iceberg and 90% of the hard work goes unseen. Roll up your sleeves!

HEADQUARTERS 13

HEADQUARTERS 14

The concept of associations as we know it in

the west does not exist in China. In Europe

and the United States, for example, a few

individuals or companies sharing common

professional interests or with a desire to

defend a certain industry, can get together

and create an association. The only restric-

tion to running and operating the association

is the need for offi cial incorporation of the

desired association within the jurisdiction of

the chosen legal system.

Not so in China. To exist in China, an associa-

tion must be ‘ordained’ by a government

agency. Adoption by a governmental body is

a prerequisite for establishing an association

in China. This dates back to the pre-liberal-

isation of China - most of the not-for-profi t

organisations that exist today were originally

established as government agencies, to

assist the government in administering or

controlling a certain industry.

NO RULEThere is currently no rule, regulation of

procedure for registering an international

not-for-profi t in China. A non-Chinese

association can do business in China by

setting up a representative offi ce, regis-

tering a wholly-owned foreign enterprise

(WOFE) under the Bureau of Industry and

Commerce or partnering with a local asso-

ciation management company with a legal

entity. Similarly it is not possible to legally

incorporate a chapter or affi liate of an

international association. This concept does

not exist within the structure of national

Chinese associations; most provincial or city

branches are autonomous with no need to

abide by a charter.

Although there are close to 60,0000 regis-

tered associations in China, the association

industry, as defi ned by western standards,

is still in its infancy in China and has some

unique characteristics. Since most of the

associations were transformed from govern-

ment agencies in the 80s, the majority are

still run by government offi cials and benefi t

from government funding. The emphasis is

on not making profi t with limited business

activities; programmes and products are

often delivered free of charge to members

and there is little attention given to

marketing and promotion.

The increasing infl uence of international

associations is driving change and the

association world is rapidly evolving in China.

The proactive marketing of the values and

benefi ts of membership and involvement in

international associations is changing the

perceptions of Chinese professionals and

companies towards associations. Volun-

teerism as a concept is emerging as indi-

viduals discover the core values of western

associations - such as being member-driven,

independent and neutral- and realise that

they can actively become involved and help

HQ> R E S E A R C H

CHINA REPRESENTS THE LARGEST SINGLE

CONSUMER MARKET IN TODAY’S WORLD

AND AS SUCH A TARGET EXPANSION

AUDIENCE FOR ASSOCIATIONS AND

COMPANIES ALIKE. WHAT ARE SOME

OF THE KEY OPPORTUNITIES OR

CHALLENGES THAT ASSOCIATIONS

SHOULD CONSIDER IF WANTING TO

DO BUSINESS IN CHINA?

TEXT NIKKI WALKER VICE PRESIDENT OF

GLOBAL ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT &

CONSULTING, MCI GROUP

THE ASSOCIATION WORLD IN CHINA

HEADQUARTERS 15

shape programmes, activities and

communities of practice.

KEYS TO SUCCESS The Chinese market offers huge expansion

opportunities to international associations

and the Chinese professionals and compa-

nies that can benefi t from the knowledge

base, education programmes, training,

credentials and standards offered by such

bodies are highly motivated and keen

to invest.

Understanding the market potential and the

relevance and signifi cance of your associa-

tion, its values, products and programmes in

China is a vital pre entry measure. Invest in

market research to understand the market

readiness; assess the maturity of the profes-

sion or industry you represent; understand

its demographics and its needs; identify

whether your products and programmes are

of interest to the Chinese or if customisation

is required to both content and pricing to

render them valuable and relevant; analyse

the local and other international competition;

and map out your community and stake-

holders – who are the potential partners,

local associations, government agencies,

universities, state owned enterprises, multi-

national companies, local companies and

individual professionals with whom you want

to build relationships.

From this intelligence develop your China

strategy, articulate your goals and objec-

tives, build your three to fi ve year business

plan and be prepared to invest in the long

term. Do not look for quick wins. You need to

demonstrate your commitment to Chinese

business and individuals and show that your

association is ‘here to stay’, so that they

will learn to recognise and trust your brand

over time, and be willing to invest in and be

associated with it.

WHAT IS IN IT FOR THEMIt is important for the Chinese to be clearly

able to understand ‘what is in it for them’;

what does your association offer them

and how will it help them, as individuals

advance their career or as companies gain

market share and global access. China is

enjoying high economic growth and the

Chinese society is evolving at a fast pace.

Individuals, particularly young professionals,

are looking for maximum professional

development, status, promotion and recog-

nition; so associations with a sophisticated

body of knowledge, strong educational

offerings, certifi cation programmes and

professional credentials are most likely to

attract Chinese professionals. Companies

will support and pay for their employees’

access to these professional tools. From

the company perspective, associations that

provide them with an internationally recog-

nised accreditation and technical standards,

the knowledge, methodology and training

to perform in line with global players and

will be seen as essential to their business

success.

Associations can also learn from the Chinese

consumers’ attitude to well-know corporate

brands. Status symbols, external evidence

of personal advancement and prestige

are important, and help to fuel the expan-

sion of the middle class in China. Big and

‘bigger’ household items, luxury cars, widely

recognised fashion articles are popular.

The notoriety of an association’s brand or

product offerings matters in China; effective

local language marketing and communica-

tions is a must and at the very minimum

a comprehensive website in Mandarin and

with a Chinese URL must be created and

maintained. Mobile telephones offer a quick,

effi cient and widely accessible form of

communication across China.

Telemarketing, as a tactic to stimulate

participation in a conference, is a common

and fruitful practice. Social media is also

highly relevant in China but not with the

popular brands accessible in Europe or the

United States. Facebook and YouTube, for

example, are blocked in China but China

has its own brands -such as Kaixin and

RenRen (Facebook equivalents) and Youku

and Tudou (same functionality as YouTube)-

equally as prolifi c as their western

counter parts.

Social media is growing in importance

in China; research indicates that 92% of

Chinese internet users are likely to use social

media and that Chinese internet users are

twice as likely to use chat, and three times

more likely to micro blog, than American

users. As in other parts of the world, social

media tools provide an excellent platform

for association communities to share ideas

and comments and are helping organisations

to increase their brand awareness, listen to

customers and benefi t from the power of

viral marketing. Word of mouth and peer

referral are fundamental to helping your

association’s growth in China.

www.mci-group.com/associations

> R E S E A R C H

The increasing infl uence of international associations is driving change and the association world is rapidly evolving in China

Great Wall of China

HEADQUARTERS 16

HQ> V I E N N A S U R V E Y

EVERY FIVE YEARS, THE VIENNA TOURIST BOARD COMMISSIONS MARTINA STOFF-HOCHREINER, MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND

LECTURER AT VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, TO ANALYZE VIENNA’S NATIONAL AND INTERNA-

TIONAL CONGRESSES TO HIGHLIGHT DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS SECTOR, ALLOWING TRENDS FOR THE FUTURE TO BE PREDICTED AND

CORRESPONDING STRATEGIES TO BE DRAWN UP FOR MARKETING THE CONGRESS DESTINATION. BETWEEN 1991 AND 2011, A LOT HAS

CHANGED. WITTY OBSERVANTS WILL SAY THAT WHAT HAPPENS IN VIENNA MAY WELL BE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE REST OF THE WORLD.

Between October 2009 and October 2010,

the fi rm of Triconsult Ges.m.b.H. carried

out personal interviews with a total of 4,114

individuals (3,715 congress delegates and 399

exhibitors) at 35 congresses (26 international,

9 national) at 16 conference venues for the

survey which Stoff-Hochreiner recently

presented at a press conference.

‘The most remarkable results include those

with a direct impact on bednights,’ she

explained. ‘This related primarily to the

number of accompanying persons, which has

fallen sharply. Whereas in 1991 just over every

second congress delegate came in company,

by 2010 this applied to only one in six dele-

gates. Over the period 1991 to 2010 there was

also a marked decrease in the average length

of stay, from 7.3 to 4.6 days. In 2010 for the

fi rst time, this indicator was even identical

with average congress duration. It is now the

exception for a delegate to extend his or her

stay, a situation aggravated by delegates who

do not even stay for the entire congress. Time

has become a rare commodity, as indicated

by the question as to what might prevent an

individual from attending a congress at all:

68% of respondents mentioned lack of time,

whereas only 49% stated a shortage of funds.

All these trends are clearly manifested in

Vienna’s results for 2010: they are prevalent

world-wide and will continue.’

‘This is also clearly apparent from other

details of this survey,’ confi rms Christian

Mutschlechner, director of Vienna Convention

Bureau. ‘Everything points to the fact that -

from the delegate’s point of view - congresses

have largely lost any tourist value, and are

perceived almost entirely as professional

engagements. The effect of this attitude is

refl ected not only in the decline in the num-

ber of accompanying persons and extended

stays, but also in the activities of delegates

during the congress. We have seen a

signifi cant drop in participation in the offi cial

supporting programs arranged by congress

organizers. Whereas in 2004 some 75% of

congress delegates took advantage of them,

in 2010 this fi gure was just 53%. Delegates

prefer to use their time for professional activi-

ties. 17% stated that they spend signifi cantly

more time on meetings and further education

programs than they used to: this fi gure is

further relativized by 28% who have not yet

been attending congresses for long enough

to be able to make a comparison. The same

trend is revealed by the indicators of what is

important in a congress. 52% of delegates

CONGRESSES IN VIENNA The epitomes of events in the meetings industry?

“Everything points to the fact that - from the delegate’s point of view - congresses have largely lost any tourist value”

CAN NOT ANSWER

28%

YES

17%

NO

55%

COMPARATIVE EXPENDITURE OF TIME, MORE TIME FOR MEETINGS AND EDUCATION THAN BEFORE

17% of the participants spend more time for education, compared to previous congress stays.

HEADQUARTERS 17

3 MORE QUESTIONSTO CHRISTIAN MUTSCHLECHNER

HQ: From a delegate’s point of view, congresses seem to have lost their tourist value. All the more work for convention bureaus and less for tourist offi ces?CM: The focus of the work of

a convention bureau is changing. In the past, our role was just to inform the clients about available infrastructure; now we more and more have to consult and discuss and try to give advice on how they can make their meetings more sucessful for delegates.

HQ: Does this mean no matter where the congress will be held, as long as the academic/educational value of it is there, people will also be there?CM: The future is clear - content must be of top quality, all kinds of scientifi c communication must be of the highest standards possible and attendance for delegates must be made as convenient and easy as it can be. If all these ingredients are to be found, then, yes, where meetings are held doesn’t really matter.

HQ: In what ways what happens in Vienna refl ects what happens in the rest of the world?CM: We see change happening this very moment and European congresses are the fi rst concerned. But in the long term this will have an impact on des-tinations globally - it’s all about trying to fi gure out in which direction the market develop, so we can try to help and support clients as best as we can.

considered congresses a very important

opportunity for networking, 44% as a

discussion platform, and 43% as educa-

tional events. On the other hand, only 20%

attached much importance to the tourism

aspects.’

FAVORITE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES: SHOPPING AND VISITING MUSEUMS Some 85% of congress delegates stayed

in hotels, 7% in pensions, and 8% had

private accommodations. Accommodation

costs of 24% were the largest item of

their domestic expenditure, followed by

travel costs to and from Vienna (21%) and

congress fees (18%). Shopping accounted

for 14% of their expenditure, food for 10%,

and cultural and recreational activities

for 6%. As far as accommodations were

concerned, there was a trend towards

four-star establishments, which increased

their share to 49% (compared to 43% in

2004), whilst luxury hotels shrank to 19%

(compared to 24% in 2004). The majority

of delegates traveled by air (76%), with

only 11% travelling by car and 10% by train.

Shopping was congress delegates’ favorite

recreational activity, with 52% indulging

in it, 19% visited museums, 13% strolled

around the city, 10% went to the opera and

5% to concerts.

> V I E N N A S U R V E Y

CRITERIA FOR ATTENDING A CONGRESS

Important criteria for attending a con-gress: 95% relevance in fi eld of activity, 94% good accessibility and 90% excel-lent scientifi c content.

RELEVANCE OF CONGRESS IN MY FIELD OF ACTIVITY (in%)

GOOD ACCESSIBILITY (in%)

EXCELLENT SCIENTIFIC CONTENT (in%)

NETWORKING POSSIBILITIES (in%)

ATTRACTIVE VENUE (in%)

INTERNET ACCESS IN THE HOTEL (in%)

INTERNET ACCESS IN CONFERENCE ROOMS (in%)

POSTER SESSIONS (in%)

FAVOURABLE HOTEL COSTS (in%)

ACCOMPANYING EXHIBITION (in%)

CATERING INCLUDED IN PARTICIPATION FEE (in%)

LOCAL SHUTTLE SERVICES (in%)

OFFICIAL SOCIAL PROGRAM (in%)

SATELLITE SYMPOSIUM SPONSERED BY INDUSTRY (in%)

DINNER (in%)

(1 as most important, 4 as least - in%)

66 29 14

1 2 3 4

58 36 51

54 36 8 2

51 39 8 2

41 43 12 4

41 36 15 8

39 34 18 9

29 41 22 8

28 47 20 5

26 42 25 7

25

24

43 22 10

37 27 12

23 46 24 7

19 33 31 17

11 29 38 22

CURRENT AND FUTURE RELEVANCE OF CONGRESSES

‘Networking’ ranks currently (52%) and in the future (58%) amongst the most important aspects.

NETWORKINGfuture (in%)

currently (in%)

PLATFORM DISCUSSIONfuture (in%)

currently (in%)

CONTINUING EDUCATIONfuture (in%)

currently (in%)

TOURISTICAL EVENTSfuture (in%)

currently (in%)

1 2 3 4

(1 as most important, 4 as least - in%)

58

50 35 11 4

50 35 9 6

6

24 36 23 17

52 37 9 2

44 39 12 5

43 40 11

20 37 26 17

32 8 2

Christian Mutschlechner

HEADQUARTERS 18

‘One of the conclu-

sions that we’ve

come to is that

events is one of

those horizontals

that crosses all

the different silos

of business. Events

touch on every part of what’s going on in

the globe, just like the Internet.’ Meetings are

nothing if not a means to share information,

and there is an ongoing conversation on

new ways of doing just that. From behemoth

congresses, like the 3,500-delegate ESOT

(European Society of Organ Transplantation)

Congress, to the tech savvy Eventcamp in

Glasgow, both held in September, Ruud’s

international TNOC collective helps planners

fi nd angles through which to explore new

ways to organise and promote their events.

LEAVING FOOTPRINTS, CHANGING BEHAVIOURS Ruud emphasises the importance of examin-

ing how things were done in the past. He then

fi lters client expectations through a new,

more tech-minded lens: ‘We look at their

previous event. Then it’s a process of defi n-

ing their new objectives and fi nding partners

that have similar objectives so they can col-

laborate. Primarily, we work with the clients

on the format, the look and feel and how

the participant would consume the content

on-site and off-site.’ Though Ruud has a

background in events, he doesn’t involve

himself in the day to day organisation, but

rather how technology can be applied to

more effi ciently allow users to consume

content: ‘We help

organisations craft

their events and to leave a footprint.’

This means introducing and incorporating

new media for conferences and events, fi nd-

ing ways they can be used to make connec-

tions before the event, and then extending

the shelf life of the event afterwards: ‘This

is something that is relatively new, but I take

examples from organising other types of

events like Eventcamp or TEDx, other spaces

that use this technology already. Those com-

munities are more connected. Now we are

transposing it onto more traditional events,

like the ESOT congress.’

‘I think one of the major shifts over the last

two or three years has been the affordability

and the quality of the technologies you can

buy off the shelf. It offers a real alternative

to the traditional live meeting formats.’

But it’s important, he says, to gauge who

HQ> T E C H N O L O G Y

Ruud Janssen

FILTERING MEETINGS THROUGH A TECH-MINDED LENSInterview with Ruud Janssen

RUUD JANSSEN IS THE FOUNDER OF A NEW KIND OF COLLABORATIVE CONSULTANCY,

TNOC (THE NEW OBJECTIVE COLLECTIVE) AND PRIME MOVER OF EVENTCAMP EUROPE,

A BRAND NEW FORUM THAT STARTED OFF AS A TALKING POINT FOR THE TECHIES OF

THE EVENTS WORLD. THROUGH A NETWORK OF TECH SAVVY PARTNERS,

A BACKGROUND IN EVENTS AND A FEEL FOR THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE

OF MEETINGS, HE HELPS PLANNERS APPLY NEW IDEAS TO

AN OLD FORMULA. TEXT ROSE KELLEHER

HEADQUARTERS 19

you’re dealing with, too. ‘The key thing about

functionality’ says Ruud ‘is to really know the

audience and how they behave. It’s important

to know what kind of devices they are using.

In the case of the ESOT, because we didn’t

know what types of devices they were using,

our online tools were accessible by any type

of device. There were no limitations, whether

it be Blackberry or Android or Nokia, or an

iPhone. That’s an important thing to be aware

of before you start selecting the type of app

or the functionality you want built in.’

As the demographics and training of any

gathering varies, Ruud reckons onsite assis-

tance is also an important factor: ‘A big effort

was made at the opening session (of ESOT)

to explain to people how they can use these

innovations. We created an onsite help desk

to help people get connected, this way they

really learn how to use new media compo-

nents. We had volunteers from the associa-

tion to connect with the more senior individu-

als in their industry. Technology seems to

be the thing that helps them to connect to

their peers - to explain to them how to send a

tweet or take a photo and to put that on the

photo stream of the conference.’ There is an

added value for the organisation in this: ‘By

helping people solve those problems quickly

and easily instead of doing it for them, you’re

creating room for a conversation that turns

into a value: behaviour change.’

ROLES BEYOND DESCRIPTION Ruud admits it’s not always easy to ‘pin

down’ what it is exactly that he does: ‘I think

the complexity of events is dramatically

increasing, which is good in one way, as

I’m sure it will create a lot of new roles and

functions in the future in the industry.’ But,

these new roles are not easy for people in

a traditional sense to understand: ‘People

always try to pigeon hole you and say so

you’re a consultant, or a media agency. It’s

hard to say what the role is of our team

members have onsite because the services

are so complimentary to what the traditional

professional conference organisers do.’

With a recent study announcing that 65% of

jobs that today’s school children will be doing

as adults do not exist yet - what will the

future job descriptions in this industry look

like? In terms of education, new technologies

are only just starting to garner attention.

‘I see people recognising that this is a need

that people have; the service of enabling

people to use technology.’ He adds ‘I teach

at a couple of hospitality schools. I think

that’s probably the best learning school for

identifying which roles will be relevant in the

future, and how can we deal with them and

start innovating events today. I talk about

dealing with the turbulence of hybrids com-

ing online, about new media technologies and

how that can be applied to events.’

And what does the future hold for the

traditional event planner? ‘I think you need

to have a really hospitality minded team that

are really willing to solve problems onsite. I

also think there will also always be a role for

the traditional conference organiser, because

let’s be honest, putting on an event like

ESOT with 3,500 people over a 4 day period

requires signifi cant skills in logistics and

being able to deal with large amounts

of people.’

> T E C H N O L O G Y

THE AUDIENCE OUTSIDE THE ROOM

Eventcamp is the result of a twitter

community of the hashtag #eventprofs,

initiated by Blair McCullough Carter. Meet-

ings professionals found a common place

to discuss the use of technology and its

evolution at events, communicating on

weekly tweet chats on Friday afternoons.

‘And after some 14-15 months’ says Ruud

Jannsens of TNOC (see over) ‘someone

said we should meet, what a crazy idea!’

So the fi rst event camp was born in New

York. ‘It was a very informal unorganised

conference type event, to experiment with

new technologies and formats amongst

ourselves before we bring these things to

the marketplace for our clients.’

‘At fi rst everyone was involved in events

and technology, but the community has

grown very quickly and now a lot of the

corporate event planners and association

planners are getting interested. People

knew that if you don’t have a Twitter

account and you’re not tweeting out

questions then you’re not part of the con-

versation.’ Eventcamp, which took place

in Europe for the fi rst time in September,

featured 5 remote ‘pods’, alongside the

live event in London. Of 150 participants,

40 were onsite.

‘A lot of the tradi-

tional thinkers are

basically troubled

by hybrid events

and don’t exactly

know how to re-

act’ - but there are

just as many people

embracing this type of

experimentation: ‘They want

to involve audiences outside of the room.’

Ahead of the game hybrid events like

EventCamp don’t necessarily signal the

death-knell of the traditional face-to-face:

‘I think the more connected you make

people to an event, the more they have

the desire to be at the live event.

I also think he best marketing tool for

live events (if it’s done well) is this

connectivity to these people outside of

a room. If a hybrid event is done well and

connected it generates so much more

attention than it would if it were just a

live event. People have turned to me to

say can you come help us organising our

upcoming event because they want some

of this magic sauce. But I don’t consider

it magic sauce. It’s just another way of

dealing with information.’

“One of the major shifts over the last two or three years has been the affordability and the quality of the technologies you can buy off the shelf”

HEADQUARTERS 21

HQ> S O U T H - A F R I C A

Fascinating with a wealth of infl uences,

Durban caters to every taste. There you

can sample the unique vibrancy of urban

township life and traditional Zulu culture,

the fi nest curries outside India and a

calendar fi lled with thrilling events. From

Durban, it takes a mere few hours drive to

a choice of two World Heritage sites, game

reserves, coral reefs and historic battlefi elds,

all ideal destinations for pre- and post

conference tours.

DIVERSE CHOICEWhen it comes to conferences, Durban offers

a diverse choice of meeting venues totaling

more than 19,000 cinema-style seats. Its

award-winning International Convention

Centre Durban (ICC Durban) - the biggest in

Africa - is centrally located, and adjoins the

Durban Exhibition Centre, which together

can cater for up to 18,000 delegates.

A purpose-built centre, ICC Durban boasts

three convention halls that are interlinked

but separate, where moveable walls allow

for a number of different venue confi gura-

tions. No wonder the city has played host

to numerous international conventions,

such as COP17 or the International Satistical

Institute conference, especially since ICC

Durban has won the title of Africa’s Leading

Convention Centre by the World Travel

Awards for the past nine consecutive years.

There is also a range of business hotels,

boutique establishments, and guest houses

that offer meeting facilities as well as a

good selection of stand-alone conference

venues. Hotels like the Hilton Durban,

located near the ICC Durban, offer fi rst-

rate meeting venues, as do the Sibaya

Casino & Entertaiment World, the Suncoast

Conference Centre, and Makaranga Garden

Lodge & Conference Centre - just a few

of hundreds of meeting venues located

in and around the city. Another option for

large conferences is the Olive Convention

Centre located close to the beachfront, its

main auditorium has the capacity of seating

up to 1,400 delegates.

The hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was

a spectacular success, and saw the Moses

Mabhida Stadium and its surroundings devel-

oped in a majestic manner. Now the Stadium

can serve as a stylish new venue, as well as

a tourist attraction with its arch and

panoramic views of the city, with a fair

number of meeting options.

GOLDEN MILEThe Southern Sun Elangeni, located on

Durban’s ‘golden mile’, offers a variety of

meeting rooms catering for gatherings of

all types, accommodating between 10 and

500 persons. Durban has a vast selection

of accommodation of a very high standard,

ranging from luxurious 5-star establishments,

beachfront self-catering apartments with

sweeping views of the ocean to intimate guest

house and boutique hotels. With many of these

being located along, or with easy access to the

beachfront, activities and events that revolve

around the ocean are never out of reach...

Let’s also mention the Signature Life

Docklands Hotel located on Durban’s Point

Waterfront. It’s a trendy hotel with three

large conference venues able to host small

groups to large conferences and banquets

able to seat up to 600 delegates and guests.

Makaranga Garden Lodge in Kloof caters for

a range of disabilities, with its wheelchair

friendliness, and offers conference facilities

for up to 100 delegates.

DURBAN - FUSION IN YOUR MEETINGS

CONTACT

+ South African Tourism

Eric Lewanavanua

Business Tourism Manager (Asia & Australasia)

Tél: (+61)2 9264 8376

eric@southafricantourism.com.au

www.southafrica.net

+ ICC Durban

www.icc.co.za

mktg@icc.co.za

+ Durban KwaZulu-Natal

Convention Bureau

James Seymour, CEO

james@durbankzncb.co.za

www.durbankzncb.co.za

SITUATED AT THE HEART OF KWAZULU-NATAL, KNOWN FOR ITS PARTICULARLY GOOD

WEATHER ALL YEAR ROUND, DURBAN IS A SOPHISTICATED COSMOPOLITAN COASTAL

CITY, A FUSION OF EAST, WEST AND AFRICAN CULTURE, OFFERING CULTURAL DIVERSITY

AND MULTI-CULTURAL TRADITIONS, SOPHISTICATION AND STYLE.

HEADQUARTERS 22HEADQUARTERS 22

THE COMMITMENT AND FORMIDABLE EFFORTS OF THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNAL

AUDITORS (IIA) MALAYSIA IN HOSTING AND DELIVERING A GOOD SHOW IN THE RECENTLY

CONCLUDED 70TH IIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2011 HAS CERTAINLY BEEN NOTHING

SHORT OF PHENOMENAL.

The IIA is the global leader of the internal

audit profession with over 170,000 members

in 165 countries, headquartered in Florida,

USA. Setting a milestone in the IIA’s history,

the IIA 2011 conference was the fi rst in Asia

and registered a record-breaking attendance

of over 2,200 delegates for a conference

held outside the USA. It also provided

a platform to celebrate the IIA’s 70th

anniversary on a high note.

Malaysia is becoming an increasingly popular

inaugural destination for global associa-

tions’ entry into Asia which capitalises on its

strength as the gateway to the world’s largest

region, plus the fact that Malaysia often

attracts record attendance. Richard Cham-

bers, IIA Global President and Chief Executive

Offi cer, said: ‘I am extremely proud that our

global organisation had the opportunity to

gather in one of the most vibrant, dynamic

and diverse international cities anywhere.

Just as Malaysia has a history of long-held

traditions and values, it is appropriate that

this conference was held in Asia when the IIA

was celebrating its 70th anniversary.’

‘Themed ‘Standing Tall’, it is particularly

relevant as Kuala Lumpur is home to a unique

international landmark - the PETRONAS Twin

Towers, one of the tallest man-made structures

on the planet. The Twin Towers perfectly

symbolises the aspirations of Malaysians to

ascend to new heights and be leaders in their

own right,’ said Wee Hock Kee, Chairman,

Host Conference Committee, IIA Malaysia.

‘Standing Tall’ is a call to the internal

audit profession to assume even greater

leadership roles in promoting and advocating

sound governance standards and practices in

both the private and public business sectors.

‘Our partnership with the IIA Malaysia has

made this event possible and a success.

Their resources on the ground provided

a high level of professionalism. From a

meeting planner’s perspective, the local

vendors were of high quality. Hosting the

event at the Kuala Lumpur Convention

Centre was also a key to our success. Not

only it is a world-class facility, the staff

support was outstanding. Furthermore, the

support from the Malaysian government

also played a large role in the success by

helping to promote the event and to bring

stature to the programme by attending

and participating as key speakers,’ Augusto

Baeta, Director of International Conferences

for the IIA, commented.

As the fi rst business event to be held with

subvention support from the Malaysia

Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Chief

Executive Offi cer, Zulkefl i Hj Sharif said:

‘We are very pleased with IIA’s achievement

and the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ (can do) spirit shown

by our local team including IIA Malaysia,

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, Kuala

Lumpur Convention Centre plus other

CASE STUDY

THE INTERNAL AUDITORS CONFERENCE IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia Truly Asia 70th IIA International ConferenceHQ> M A L A Y S I A

HEADQUARTERS 23

> M A L A Y S I A

HEADQUARTERS 23

strategic partners in ensuring a successful

conference. This is a real testament of our

mission to be recognised as Asia’s hub for

business events, providing the leading edge in

terms of professionalism and best practices.’

As its contribution to greening the environ-

ment, the delegates of the IIA 2011 Inter-

national Conference have wholeheartedly

responded to MyCEB’s proactive eco-action

to green the earth as part of the Malaysia

Business Tourism Green Programme.

Delegates were given the opportunity to

contribute a minimum RM30 (7€) to the tree

planting activity and a total of RM25,000

(5,762€) was raised to plant 250 trees at the

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM).

Chambers said: ‘Our commitment to the

environment and helping to make it more

sustainable is an inherent part of our Global

IIA’s corporate philosophy. A signifi cant impact

of this tree planting initiative is the oppor-

tunity presented to our IIA 2011 conference

delegates who have participated as a collec-

tive global effort from 93 countries in this

green programme. We are confi dent as the

roots of these trees grow deeper and stronger

with time, so does the impact of the role of

internal auditors on corporate Malaysia.’

Malaysia defi nitely gave its unique touch to

the organisation of the IIA 2011 International

Conference. As lauded by Baeta: ‘We were

looking for a central destination in Asia that

could attract delegates from other continents.

Delegates from 93 different countries attended

the conference. Malaysia’s diversity and

international fl avour have made everyone

feel at home. The Malaysian hospitality is

second to none. We had high expectations

regarding our event and Malaysia was able

to meet all of them. We would certainly

recommend Malaysia to other international

associations and meeting planners.’

Concluding the interview, Yong Ngeak Choo,

Executive Director, IIA Malaysia said:

‘The success of this event will give impetus

for the Institute to take the lead and

position Malaysia as the regional hub for the

development of the internal audit profession

in Asia Pacifi c - which represents the legacy

of this event.’

CONTACT

Ms Ho Yoke Ping

General Manager, Sales & Marketing

Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau

T. +603 2034 2090

F. +603 2034 2091

pingho@myceb.com.my

www.myceb.com.my

Malaysia is becoming an increasingly popular inaugural destination for global associations’ entry into Asia which capitalises on its strength as the gateway to the world’s largest region

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre70th IIA International Conference

A cultural showcase of pewter-smithing

Malaysia Business Tourism Green Programme

HQBrisbane’s acknowledged reputation as

one of the world’ scientifi c destinations

of choice has been boosted by a series of

major international conferences recently

announced for Brisbane and the Brisbane

Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The conferences will attract some 9,000

leading medical, science and allied health

experts to Brisbane from around the world.

They include the world’s largest meeting

of water researchers and practitioners, the

International Water Association’s World

Water Congress in 2016 for 3,000 delegates.

The wins were the result of a motivated and

united effort by ‘Team Brisbane’, coordinated

by the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition

Centre with the collaboration of Events

Queensland and Brisbane Marketing.

Tom Mollenkopf, Chief Executive of the

Australian Water Association, the host body

for the World Water Congress, said it was an

extremely enthusiastic and professional bid

which received outstanding support from the

sector, resulting in an unbeatable proposition.

The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

provides the perfect venue to showcase

Brisbane’s world leading science and this

will be further enhanced with the comple-

tion later this year of BCEC on Grey Street,

the Centre’s boutique expansion, specifi cally

designed for meetings from 200 to 600.

The expanded integrated facilities and niche

nature of the new venue has generated

consistently strong interest particularly from

the smaller international scientifi c meetings

and associations who are impressed by the

quality and fl exibility of the development.

Newly confi rmed meetings for Brisbane

and the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition

Centre include:

+ World Conference on Design

and Health 2013

+ Annual Scientifi c Meeting of the

International Society for Pediatric and

Adolescence Diabetes 2015 ( ISPAD)

+ International Marine Conservation

Congress (IMCC) 2016

+ International Water Association World

Water Congress and Exhibition 2016

BRISBANEA World Scientifi c Hub

BCEC on Grey Street opening sooncreating Australia’s most flexible meetings and events venue

T +61 7 3308 3063E sales@bcec.com.auW www.bcec.com.au

H&

J113

61

more personal - more choiceThe Centre is owned by South Bank Corporation and proudly managed by AEG Ogden

CONTACT

BCEC (Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre)

Alison Gardiner, Manager International

Convention Bidding

T +61 7 3308 3034

Alisong@bcec.com.au

www.bcec.com.au

> B R I S B A N E

HEADQUARTERS 25

HQ> M A C A U

MACAU Asia’s newest premier MICE destinationUNTIL NOW, MACAU WAS A SMALL, SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF

CHINA, RELATIVELY UNKNOWN TO THE MICE WORLD. ITS IMAGE WAS MOSTLY

A TOURISTIC ONE, AND IT’S STILL ONE OF ASIA’S FAVORITE GAMBLING

DESTINATIONS. FOR EUROPEANS, IT WAS A FASCINATING PLACE TO GO DUE

TO THE COLONIAL LINK WITH PORTUGAL. BUT A TRUE MICE DESTINATION?

NO, THAT WOULD BE GOING TOO FAR. THINGS ARE CHANGING NOW.

TEXT AND REPORT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS

HEADQUARTERS 26

Macau has developed in the past industries

such as textiles, electronics and toys, while

today has built up world class tourism industry

with a wide choice of hotels, resorts, MICE

facilities, restaurants and casinos. Macau’s

economy is closely linked to that of Hong Kong

and Guangdong Province, in particular the

Pearl River Delta region, which qualifi es as one

of Asia’s ‘little tigers’. Macau provides fi nancial

and banking services, staff training, transport

and communications support.

DEFINITELY GROWINGToday Macau is a Special Administrative

Region of the People’s Republic of China,

and, like Hong Kong, benefi ts from the

principle of “one country, two systems”. It is

defi nitely growing in size - with more build-

ings on reclaimed land - and in the number

and diversity of its attractions. The greatest

of these continues to be Macau’s unique

society, with communities from the East and

West complementing each other, and the

many people who come to visit.

Since Macao fi rst strategically positioned

itself to become the ‘global centre of

tourism and leisure’, much earnest efforts

had been invested into developing a handful

of industries, which could help take Macao

a few steps closer to this ultimate goal, and

the convention and exhibition industry has

been identifi ed as one of them.

Sou Tim Peng says: ‘In the Policy Address

2011 delivered by the Chief Executive of

the Macao SAR, a unit was announced to

be established and designated with the

responsibilities of developing the convention

and exhibition industry. In August 2011, the

MACAUBecoming a premier

MICE destination

Lotus Square

© B

arb

ara

Kra

ft

> M A C A U

MARCEL A.M. VISSERS MET WITH

SOU TIM PENG, DIRECTOR OF MACAO

ECONOMIC SERVICES THAT HAS

JUST FOUNDED A CONVENTIONS AND

EXHIBITIONS AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT,

WITH CHAN WENG TAT AT ITS HEAD.

HEADQUARTERS 27

> M A C A U

WHY MACAU?

During the CIBTM Fair in Beijing this year, 23 Macau trade partners presented the latest offerings of Macau, as well as the Macau Government Tourist Offi ce stimulation programs to assist MICE event organizers who are interested in bringing their conferences and events to Macau. They all promoted the 3 Top Reasons to choose Macau as a Premier MICE Destination:

1. Macau World Heritage - Macau is home to 25 UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites with a unique blending of Portuguese and Chinese allures.

2. Asia’s largest fully integrated Convention and Exhibition facility - The Venetian: everything from accommodation, meeting and exhibition space, restaurants and entertainment all under one roof.

3. Asia’s Entertainment Capital - Macau is Asia’s newest and most exciting destination for major international conventions with billions of dollars worth of infrastructure on the way.

government offi cially incorporated such

responsibilities into the scope of duties

of the Macao Economic Services, under

which, the Conventions and Exhibitions

and Economic Activities Development

Department was established. With this

Department in charge of stimulating devel-

opment in the convention and exhibition

industry, the implementation of promo-

tional, supportive and directional policies

is thus centralized and reinforced.’

COMPETITIVE MACAUDoes that mean Macau wants to compete

with neighboring Hong Kong? It might

be, as Macau seems to want its part of

the cake. Aside from nurturing locally

originated events (such as the annual

Macao International Trade and Investment

Fair - MIF), Macao has indeed been striving

to attract foreign and mainland Chinese

shows to anchor in the city. The 2011

Import and Export Fair Macau Interna-

tional Yacht and the 2011 China (Macau)

International Automobile Exposition

recently held are two important examples

resulting from such attempts.

Sou Tim Peng comments: ‘While Macao

tries its best to display its unique appeal as

an event destination, it does fully acknowl-

edge its limitations (including its distance

to producers and buyers, and a shortage of

human resources). It was from these insuf-

fi ciencies that derived cooperating oppor-

tunities, rather than competitive threats,

with neighbouring cities, especially Hong

Kong and those in the mainland China.

Regional collaboration could allow the

capitalization of strengths from both

sides and the concerted development of

different market segments.’

In the coming year, Macao will launch

a series of programs promoting its

convention and exhibition industry in

Asia, Europe, parts of North America and

Australia, by means of placing advertise-

ments in magazines and other professional

publications. Moreover, exchanges by local

industry professionals with their foreign

counterparts would continue through their

participation in overseas shows and exhibi-

tions, as well as offi cial visits conducted in

other cities renowned for their convention

and exhibition sector.

In the coming year, Macao will launch a series of programs promoting its convention and exhibition industry in Asia, Europe, parts of North America and Australia

Senado Square, the most popular venue in Macao for public events and celebrations. The square is surrounded by pastel-coloured neo-classical buildings, creating a consistent and harmonious Mediterranean atmosphere.

© B

arb

ara

Kra

ft

Historic Macau Macau Peninsula

HEADQUARTERS 28

> M A C A U

WHERE IS MACAU?I visited a great deal of Macau on foot (but

also by car - taxis are formidably cheap!) and

took note of every new development. Macau

is situated 70 km from Hong Kong, separated

by water and easily reachable from Hong

Kong city and its airport. It consists of three

islands interlinked by beautiful bridges and

articifi cial lakes. It was once the oldest Euro-

pean colony in China and has no less than

26 world heritage sites being enlisted by

UNESCO. The Portuguese touch is also still

very present here.

NOT JUST A GAMBLING CITY ANYMORE Before I took a good look at what Macau

had to offer, I had always thought it was a

gambling hole and nothing more, even when

Bruno Simoes, of Macau-based DOC-DMC,

had tried to convince me otherwise at

various fairs: ‘Come visit Macau, and see for

yourself, a lot is happening here.’ I thought

Macau was not suitable for European

markets, because when Europeans hear the

word ‘casino’, they don’t want to go. I decided

to go anyway and became enthralled with

what I discovered.

NEW MICE HARDWAREEveryone in Macau more or less involved in

the meetings industry says that a revolution

is happening. The focus lies more and more

on events, congresses and experiencing

Macau’s rich cultural heritage. This latter

aspect is fairly unknown. DionneYuen, Sales

Manager - ZAiA™ of Cirque du Soleil, says

it best: ‘The tourism industry in Macau has

been developing so rapidly that the tour-

ists coming here have became a lot more

diversifi ed and international. Casinos are

no longer the only focus for them. Different

types of entertainment are becoming more

important. Cirque du Soleil, being glob-

ally well-known for high-quality acrobatic

performances, brought the fi rst splendid

show ZAiA to Macau in 2008. Since then we

never stopped modifying and perfecting the

show in order to give a fresh image to the

audience every year. This year we relaunched

it again, and the new image was released

EVERYONE WHO HASN’T BEEN IN MACAU FOR A WHILE WILL BE

AMAZED BY WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING THERE. MACAU IS BUILDING

A WHOLE NEW WORLD TO EXPERIENCE. FOR ME, IT FEELS LIKE

A SMALL HONG KONG, BUT PERHAPS IN A WHOLE OTHER WAY. THIS SMALL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION ON CHINA’S SOUTH COAST

HAS BECOME AN ATTRACTIVE CONGRESS DESTINATION. WHAT USED TO BE A THE KINGDOM OF CASINOS IS NOW MAKING ROOM

FOR HISTORY, CULTURE, HERITAGE, SHOPPING, DINING AND... NATURE.

WOW MACAU

Galaxyy MaMacaucau GrGrGrandandanda ReResorsortt

HEADQUARTERS 29

> M A C A U

to the public on September 1. Therefore,

we believe that now is the perfect time

to introduce or re-introduce ZAiA to the

public.’ Cirque du Soleil plays exclusively

at the Venetian Macao. You can also notice

the big changes by looking at the number

of hotels being built.

Emigly Ng Man Sam, Offi cer of Public

Relations of the gigantic Galaxy complex,

told me something else: ‘We are currently

giving out services to Asian customers

under the motto “World Class, Asian

Hearts”. We are confi dent that we can

brighten up the Cotai Strip Macau with our

phase two, three and four developments,

which are believed to catch the eye of

tourists around the globe in the coming

years. The new Galaxy Resort, opened

last June, comprises Banyan Tree Macau,

Hotel Okura Macau and Galaxy Hotel with a

total of 2200 rooms.’ Hotel Vice-President,

Conventions and Exhibitions of The Vene-

tian Macao said another very important

thing on Macau’s growth: ‘It is fortunate

that Macau is relatively safer than many

other regions in terms of natural disasters.

This, in addition to stable politics, an open

port policy and visa-free status for most

countries, makes Macau a preferred MICE

destination.’

LIVING IN THE CITY OF DREAMSI stayed in a beautiful venue called the City

of Dreams for a few days. What can visitors

expect of it? It’s a mega-size entertainment

property on the well-known Cotai Strip. The

architecture is very remarkable, in the style

of a podium with four towers: more precisely

the Hard Rock Hotel, the Crown Towers

Hotel and the splendid Grand Hyatt Macau,

which occupies the last two towers (see the

cover of this feature - you’ll get a pretty

good idea!). A stay in one of these hotels is

an experience in its own right. There’s (of

course) a mega-casino, more than 200 shops

and more than 200 restaurants and bars

(including the largest in the city) to be found.

Two theatres make sure you’re entertained

until you drop. One is called the Bubble and

is currently showing an immersive HD media

projection presentation called Dragon’s

Treasure, which is fairly scary. The second

one was opened in September 2010 and is

named the Dancing Water Theatre. It features

an in-the-round water show, the largest of its

kind in the world. This last show for me was

the most exciting thing I saw this year.

As a preeminent convention and exhibition

venue, The Venetian Macao is also playing

a crucial role in making Macau one of Asia’s

most exciting destinations (more on this in

the next pages).

CONTACT

Tourism Product and Events Department

Macau Government Tourist Offi ce

mbtc@macautourism.gov.mo

www.macautourism.gov.mo

Everyone in Macau more or less involved in the meetings industry says that a revolution is happening

A NEW GAME CONCEPT

Bruno Simoes, of DOC-DMC, told me he is having a lot of success with a new gaming concept. It’s called ‘A Delicious Gamble’ and could be summed up as a game being played in a wine and gourmet casino, said to be the fi rst in Asia. This could be very appealing to delegates. The gambling concept can be integrated into social function programmes and is a game of luck and knowledge. Guests receive complimentary casino chips to bet at special gaming tables themed around wine, tea, cheese, jam and any food or drink item the clients desire. The highlight of the event is a fun auction of secret gifts, using chips accumulated throughout the activity (this activity available for groups of 30 to 500 persons).

Grand Hyatt Macau, City of Dreams A Delicious Gamble

Historic Macau

Ambassadors at Galaxy Macau

Climbing the Sky Tower

HEADQUARTERS 30

> M A C A U

It’s probably the same for everyone visiting

Macau for the fi rst time: you get confronted

with a lot of casinos. Or is everyone just

repeating this so often people believe it

spontaneously? I was more amazed by the

architecture of the city, its history, its ties

with Portugal, the new hotels, the relative

quiet in the streets, the nice avenues with

appealing shops, nice restaurants and a lot

of different types of people. But there was

more: The Venetian. As a preeminent conven-

tion and exhibition venue, The Venetian

Macao Resort Hotel is playing a crucial role

in making Macau one of Asia’s most exciting

destinations.

THE VENETIAN MACAO: EVERYTHING IS THERE UNDER ONE PALACE ROOFA visit to Macau isn’t complete without a stop

at The Venetian, Macau’s most spectacular

venue. For a certain category of congress

organizers, this venue is a gift from heaven.

Just because absolutely everything is there,

under one and the same roof. Its origin is

the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada. With

almost 50,000 m2 of casino space it’s fi ve

times bigger than its older American brother.

Opened in 2007, it’s also the largest hotel

in Asia and surface-wise the sixth biggest

building in the whole world. There are even

little canals you can sail inside. The ceiling is

also famous, because it makes you feel like

the heavens are moving with you.

It’s not only an immense hotel (3,000 suites),

but also a shopping and dining paradise.

There are 330 premier boutiques, over

35 restaurants and a myriad of sporting,

leisure and conference facilities. But the

most important thing is that The Venetian

features a 15,000 fi xed seat plenary hall,

25,000 m2 of meeting space and about

75,000 m2 of exhibition space.

www.venetianmacao.com

THE HARD FACTS

As Asia’s largest integrated resort, The Venetian Macao offers more than one million square feet of fl exible convention and exhibi-tion space - giving you ample room to host large-scale events.+ CotaiExpo offers more than 75,000 sq.m.

(800,000 sq.ft.) of exhibition space+ 25,000 sq.m. (269,000 sq.ft.) of

fl exible meeting and ballroom space+ 108 fl exible meeting rooms+ 6,500 sq.m. (69,000 sq.ft.) of pillarless

ballroom space - an excellent venue for gala dinners and exclusive parties

+ CotaiArena: 15,000-seat venue for special events ranging from sport, concerts and large scale conventions

Hotel Vice President, Conventions and Exhibitions, Gene Capuano:

‘We expect continued growth in Macau’s MICE performance in 2012. We will add over 10,000 m2 of meeting space at our partner hotels: Conrad Macao, and Holiday Inn Macao and an addition of 5,800 rooms!’

THE VENETIAN MACAOA power congress facility