the Asia-Pacific Magazine for Association Executives Supported by UIA, Union of International Associations, Brussels
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HAP12 December
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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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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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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: [email protected] 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
www.southafrica.net
+ ICC Durban
www.icc.co.za
+ Durban KwaZulu-Natal
Convention Bureau
James Seymour, CEO
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
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 [email protected] 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
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
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
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