Volume I 2018
ASSOCIATIONS
Ecosystems in emerging destinations; Convergence in Asia; Creating a lasting legacy
M&I TOOLKIT
Neuroscience at events; Experiential meeting design; Gender equality
TRUST ME The power of meetings in the post-truth era
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E d ito r’s Letter
Welcome to the new Biz Events Asia
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Biz Events Asia is the official media partner and member of:
s the media landscape continues to evolve, we’ve taken time to reflect on our role and purpose within the business events industry. Amid the onslaught of digital and social media, traditional print platforms are making a comeback with authoritative, insightful content and thoughtprovoking editorial from qualified professionals and industry leaders. As such, we’ve decided to relaunch Biz Events Asia as a knowledge-sharing platform dedicated to the needs of corporate event organisers and association meeting planners. Our new content strategy aims to educate and inspire business leaders with event case studies and in-depth reports that not only reflect our changing industry, but also examine and analyse professional standards across the APAC region to ensure the industry continues to thrive and gains the respect it deserves. It seems fitting then, that our Cover Story explores the changing role of meetings amid the ‘post-truth’ era, where fake news runs riot and factual arguments are often overshadowed by status and popularity on social media platforms. We speak to a industry thought-leaders about the future of truth and how brands can position themselves as ‘trustworthy’ (p.18). You’ll also find new sections on the impact of association meetings (p.26), diversity and inclusion (p.12), and new trends and ideas for event and incentive planners (p.32). Finally, I am thrilled to announce that Lauren Arena (seated with me here) will be joining BEA as managing editor and will lead our editorial direction from the next issue onwards. Lauren is a highly qualified journalist who truly understands the business events industry and I am confident that she will embody and elevate our new brand, which is now published by Untangled Pte Ltd. To all our readers and partners, thank you for your continued support and for embarking on this journey with us. We strive to continuously gain your trust and respect. El Kwang, Chief Editorial Officer
Chief Editorial Officer El Kwang el@untangledgroup.com Creative Director Chua Yi Kiat kiat@untangledgroup.com Senior Reporter Natalie Young natalie@untangledgroup.com Contributors Sanjay Surana Kim Benjamin Lauren Arena Jenny Salsbury Jack Carter
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Sales & Operations Michelle Lim michellelim@untangledgroup.com
International Media Representatives
Kimberly Aw kimberly@untangledgroup.com
China: Mary Yao mary@mhichina.com +86 10 6551 5663 ext 8008
Design & Production PIXO fanix@pixosolutions.com
Dubai: Rahul Sequeira rahul.sequeira@themediavantage.com +971 56 693 1213
Biz Events Asia is published by Untangled Pte Ltd 15 Queen Street, Tan Chong Tower, #03-03, Singapore 188537 Email: hello@bizeventsasia.com | Website: www.bizeventsasia.com Tel: +65 9833 1583 Visit us online for regular updates throughout the month: www.bizeventsasia.com
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Privacy Policy: Untangled is committed to managing your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act. For a copy of our Privacy Policy, please go to www.bizeventsasia.com/privacy Printed in Singapore by Sunrise Printing & Supplies Pte Ltd. Reg no. L002/11/2017 PPS 1785/04/2013 (022963) MCI (P) 150/03/2018
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CHINA
ITB China Shanghai | 16-18 May 2018
HONG KONG
ITE Hong Kong Hong Kong | 14-17 June 2018
THAILAND
Thailand Incentive & Meeting Exchange Bangkok | 19 June 2018
MALAYSIA
Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2018 Kuala Lumpur | 11-14 July 2018
SINGAPORE
Singapore MICE Forum 2018 Singapore | 24-25 July 2018
AUSTRALIA
Get Global Sydney | 20 July 2018
Contents Volume I 2018
Selina Chavry Global Managing Director Pacific World
Editorial Advisory board members
Andrew Chan Founder | CEO ACI HR Solutions
Sumate Sudasna President | Thailand Incentive & Convention Association (TICA) MD | CDM Thailand
Max Jantasuwan Founding CEO Events Travel Asia Janet Tan-Collis President | SACEOS CEO | East West Planners Deanna Varga Director Mayvin Global
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Neeta Lachmandas Executive Director The Institute of Service Excellence, Singapore Management University
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Co ntents
Upfront Leaders GenNext Diversity & Inclusion Case Study: Marriott Summit in Bangkok Association Impact
18 Cover Story How can face-to-face meetings rebuild trust in a world of alternative facts and social media melt-down?
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M&I Toolkit
Tap into neuroscience to better understand delegate needs and execute more engaging events.
Focus Group
We gather industry leaders in Malaysia to discuss education and how to attract young talent.
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Up Close
with TEDxSingapore founding curator Dave Lim.
Australia
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games leaves a lasting legacy.
Malaysia
Will the appeal of Langkawii’s new luxury resorts overcome accessibility issues?
Hong Kong
How to maximise your event budget in one of Asia’s most expensive cities.
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Upfron t
Event agency landscape evolves
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Former Barclays event marketing director APAC, Damion Breust, departs the corporate world to lead Sydney-based events agency.
fter almost 10 years heading up regional event marketing for Barclays investment bank in Singapore, event maestro, Damion Breust, has returned to his native Australia to head-up Directions CIM, an event agency he launched back in 1996. While he notes radical change in the agency landscape, he describes the move as a ‘home coming’. “Moving from corporate to agency life really underlined how different they are. The pace of managing multiple accounts, forging partnerships, building relationships, being responsive at all times of the day (and night) is really a constant adrenalin rush which I thrive on,” he says. For Breust, the return to agency life also means working in a marketplace that’s become increasingly crowded. “The event landscape in Australia has evolved and the development of the MICE sector is very apparent. The most obvious difference are the number of smaller agencies vying for business, and the large agencies which are acquiring smaller operations so that they expand their global reach.” He adds: “Given the significant change in the global economy, it’s essential to have more governance and controls in place, much like our clients do. Clients are more focused on employee/customer engagement through events in order to build and deepen relationships with their brand.” After recently launching a new brand identity for Directions, Breust says operations have expanded and now include offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore, with close to 40 staff. “We have a very hard working, dynamic and creative team and this year we are organising many exciting incentive events in destinations like Cuba, Chicago, Marrakech and Lisbon.”
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U p f ro nt
Japan
Yokohama is set to host the 22nd World Meeting of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (WMSM) in 2020 following a successful bid by the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau and local partners. More than 1,200 delegates are expected to attend the four-day conference at PACIFICO Yokohama in September (16-19) with a goal of advancing research in the field of sexual dysfunction. This is the first time the conference will be held in Japan. WMSM 2020 chair, professor Koichi Nagao, director of the Reproduction Center at the Toho University Omori Medical Center, hopes the conference will address Japan’s low fertility rates. “As many of you know, the population of Japan has been steadily decreasing, and we hope that further development and application of sexual medicine will help address this problem.”
Melbourne
Marriott International APAC president and MD Craig Smith and chief sales and marketing officer Peggy Fang Roe
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The world’s largest hotel company, Marriott International, will introduce one set of unified benefits across Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) in August. Under the new programme, members will be able to combine their separate accounts into a single account spanning the entire loyalty portfolio, which includes 6,500 hotels in 127 countries and territories. The Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) will continue under the new set of unified benefits until a new programme named is introduced in 2019. A single points currency will also be introduced. All SPG, Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members will earn ten points for every dollar spent at all brands except Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Element, which will be five points per every dollar spent.
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Marriott merges loyalty rewards
Some 2,400 delegates from AIA Hong Kong descended on Melbourne in April for a four-day incentive programme. The group, part of the largest publicly listed panAsian life insurance company, visited the iconic Queen Victoria Market, Tramcar Restaurant, and Brighton Beach, along with the Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Ballarat and Phillip Island. Minister for tourism and major events, John Eren said the event provided a welcome boost to local and regional economies across the state of Victoria. “The AIA Hong Kong group is a great opportunity to showcase the best of Melbourne and regional Victoria, generating $11 million to our state’s economy.”
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Upf r ont Upfront
Malaysia is set to host the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress (APAO) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 4–7 March 2021. Held annually, the APAO Congress is the largest and most prestigious ophthalmology conference in the Asia Pacific region. More than 4,500 delegates are expected to attend the congress, following a successful bid by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and the Malaysian Society of Ophthalmologist.
Mövenpick Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel Dubai
AccorHotels acquire Mövenpick AccorHotels recently announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, for a cash amount of USD562 million. Founded in 1973 in Switzerland, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts operates in 27 countries with 84 hotels and a particularly strong presence in Europe and the Middle East. The group also plans to open 42 additional hotels by 2021, representing almost 11,000 rooms, with significant expansion in Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The transaction will be completed by the second half of 2018.
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Malaysia
Singapore Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s meeting and events division, CWT Meetings & Events, has appointed Sam Lay as senior director for Asia Pacific. He will report to Cindy Fisher, senior vice president and global head, CWT Meetings & Events. Based in Singapore, Lay will lead a team of meetings and events specialists across key markets and will be responsible for expanding business in this high-growth region. Professionally accredited as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Lay brings more than 17 years of experience in the M&E industry, having worked at the Singapore Tourism Board, MSD and Suntec International. Prior to joining CWT Meetings & Events, he served as the senior director for Greater China at BCD Meetings & Events.
www.bizeventsasia.com ETA Ad.indd 9
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Events Travel Asia Group 5th Anniversary US$5,000 Residential meeting package*
Contact max@eventstravelasia.com for more details today! *Terms & Conditions apply
Venue Partner:
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O pi ni on L e ade r s
How to work better together TCEB senior VP, Nichapa Yoswee, examines the challenges of working in the private and public sectors, and identifies areas for growth and collaboration.
he government and private sectors are two sides of the same coin – but the speed at which each side operates (and responds to change) is vastly different. The nature of work for each sector, and the hierarchies in which they operate, is also different. The private sector is profit and opportunity driven, while the government is largely focused on processes.
Current challenges
The government sector will gain greater respect by using its resources to lead change.
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The government sector has to be sensitive when facilitating the industry’s success because we (TCEB) are using public funding. We may not be in a position to take as many risks as the private sector because our investment needs justification. Unfortunately, this limits the ability to create streamlined policies and incentives to support the private sector. The bureaucratic system, while lengthy and complex, is not the only limitation to further industry growth. Often a lack of understanding about the unique needs of the business events industry leads to budget inconsistency and policy changes, which disrupts the industry’s growth potential. In order to be successful, it is important for us to continue to be ‘part of’ the industry as an effective facilitator, instead of managing from afar and acting ‘above’ the industry. Meanwhile, amid rising global and regional competition, the private sector is also having a tough time. The success of the private sector (event agencies, PCOs and DMCs) is not as sustainable as it once was, and many companies struggle to
find balance between creative freedom and the cost of doing business. A talent crunch and lack of customer loyalty, coupled with the speed of change needed to ride global trends, is limiting dynamic customer engagement and the ability to create truly innovative event experiences.
Growth opportunities
Both public and private players must start investing and establishing better communication channels that build trust and understanding. Both must respect and accept the respective ecosystems and work paradigms, with a conscious effort to speak the same language. Collaborations like public-private partnerships (PPPs) will benefit our industry. PPPs allow both sectors to build on each other’s strengths to maximise the return on objectives, not just investments. Transparency and accountability are the foundation for success and, in order to achieve a greater good, we need to work as a team and support one another’s constraints. Instead of responding to change, I believe the government sector will gain greater respect by using its resources to lead change. To do this, we need clear policies supported by consistent budgets and long-term strategies. The government sector should be the one-stopservice that facilitates incentive programmes for international event planners, easing the process of doing business in Thailand. We should remove bureaucratic red tape in order to improve service and strengthen investment. Nichapa Yoswee is senior vice president – business at the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
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O pinio n G e n e r at ion Ne xt
Don’t call us disloyal Singapore student, Marvin Chew, addresses misconceptions about millennials in the workplace.
Building a personal relationship and instilling a culture of fun is important.
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he very simple idea of meeting new people is what attracted me to the business events industry. After two years of study I’ve recently completed a Higher National Institute of Technical Education Certificate (HNITEC) in event management. From my experience thus far, I really like the fact that working in events is not a desk-bound, nine-to-five job. I’m not the type of person who can sit at a desk all day and go through every piece of work. Instead, I like to talk and connect with people. Like many of my peers, my interests tend to change very quickly, as I want to experience new things – and find out more about myself and what I really want to do in the future. This desire for new experiences is often misunderstood as disloyalty in the workplace. Millennials are spontaneous and love to try new things, but this does not mean we are disloyal employees. Project-based work (like events) and being presented with new challenges will keep us engaged. Another area of contention is career growth and that millennials have a misplaced sense of entitlement. I mention this is because not everyone wants to follow the corporate ladder from the bottom to the top, but recognition is important and many young professionals simply want to feel valued; and have their voices heard. Attaining workplace and/or industry awards is one way we can recognise ‘good work’ and promote an encouraging work environment. The corporate world is still very structured – and this doesn’t bode well with millennials. We don’t often recognise hierarchical
barriers and instead prefer to work in a more open environment, where respect is earnt and not simply given; and this works in both ways. To improve communication between managers and young people, both parties must be open-minded and receptive to new ideas, opinions and perspectives. Promoting one-to-one meetings and encouraging mentor/mentee relationships in the workplace can also help break-down barriers and promote more holistic development. A good leader is someone who can earn the respect of peers and employees. I wouldn’t want to work for someone who may come off as ‘snobbish’ and who doesn’t offer me a sense of respect as well, so it’s a give-and-take relationship. Building a personal relationship and instilling a culture of fun is important. This can include recreational play in the office, such as gaming activities, a pantry where more informal meetings can take place, or even after-hour parties for team bonding. New modes of networking can also be introduced to help engage young people, where platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp can be used for group chats that are more social and not centered on work. As more and more millennials join the workforce I envisage a breaking down of walls – both physical and social barriers – where an open-minded culture will allow everyone to interact, contribute and work together. Singapore is rather conservative, where people are mindful about what they say and do, so a change in mind-set will be a good thing. Marvin Chew, 21, recently graduated from the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore. He is currently completing a Diploma in Business Management at Nanyang Polytechnic.
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Di vers i ty & I n cl u s i on
Gender agenda: Equality and empowerment
To kick-start discussion around diversity and inclusion in the business events sector, we sit down with female leaders fighting for gender equality. By Natalie Young
Gaining momentum... The recent Women’s March worldwide protest has propelled discussion around gender equality into the limelight.
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There is still a lot of pressure (and taboo) around being a parent and working in our demanding industry. MARINE DEBATTE head of events solutions Asia-Pacific and Japan BI Worldwide
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ost organisations recognise the benefits of a gender diverse workplace in the modern economy—equal hiring practices leads to higher engagement, more creativity, and better talent recruitment. But if you look inside the offices of event agencies and convention bureaus across Asia, how many women are actually sitting in the top seat? The meetings industry is dominated by women, but when it comes to leadership positions, women are in the minority. What are the challenges women face and how can we close this this gap? Marine Debatte, head of events solutions Asia-Pacific and Japan at BI Worldwide, says the prospect of motherhood can be daunting for women looking for a career in events, where regular travel and long hours can mean less time spent with family. Debatte herself is a mother of two young children. It’s a tough juggling act, but one she thrives on. “Motherhood is a big question for many,” she says. “It is challenging and puzzling at times, but it is also a strength. I don’t think I’ve ever been so productive since becoming a mum.” She adds: “Young women are worried they won’t be able or willing to put in the hours anymore, that their families will judge them for working. Your support system is important. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that you can’t embark on this journey alone. “There is still a lot of pressure (and taboo) around being a parent and working in our demanding industry, but companies and leaders have a responsibility in being open, flexible and supportive… On the bright side, our industry makes us mobile. My clients will see me carrying my ‘office’ with me around town because, well, my work is where my laptop is. That flexibility is what helps me keep it together.” Deanna Varga, director of Sydney-based management consultancy Mayvin Global, is one of a growing number of women who choose not to have children, and says she has experienced reverse discrimination in the workplace. “As the ‘non mum’, many a time I was expected to be the one to take the famil, work the late nights, or give up
my weekend,” she says. “While this is part of the job, it should be part of everyone’s job in our sector. As a whole, it adds up and it’s very tiring, particularly in a female-dominated sector, to be the one who is expected to give up that time.” She adds: “Many times, my staff have expected me be flexible with their leave periods because they have children and assume they have first right of refusal for time off. I think unconscious bias goes both ways and it’s important everyone recognises their own bias.” Working at BI Worldwide, a global engagement agency headquartered in the United States, Debatte says she has never encountered a glass ceiling, but cautions that not all sides of the industry are as progressive. “On the agency side, women lead very often and that gives us huge opportunities,” she says. “In some markets, being a woman has a real edge, in others it’s a real challenge that is not spoken of much. On the production side, it is a very manly world, but there are some exceptions and these will only grow.” For Varga, who services a number of clients in the business events sector, hotels can do more to raise the profile of female leaders. “We don’t have many women at the top in the hotel sector apart from Rachael Argaman, who is CEO of TFE Hotels,” she says. “There is a strong argument for a meritbased system in these traditionally male dominated leader sectors, and the supportive training for those selected female leaders to create a level playing field.” Marriott International recently expanded its Women’s Leadership Development Initiative via a strategic partnership with the Asian University for Women (AUW). With the aim of empowering the next generation of female leaders from developing markets, in 2017 the company provided 50 volunteer mentors for AUW students, as well as workstudy opportunities for students in Hong Kong and across south Asia. The company has also established a Women In Leadership committee in APAC, where 26 ambassadors in 11 countries design and implement engagement initiatives. While
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Di versi ty & I n cl u s i on
in China, the East China Women Leaders Aspiration Program offers a one-year mentoring programme. AccorHotels also promotes diversity through its Women At AccorHotels Generation (WAAG) network, which has 10,000 members worldwide. Through WAAG, the group is working to combat sexist stereotypes with mentorship and training, and by fostering professional female networks in local markets.
(Trans)gender equality
As the #metoo movement continues to gain momentum internationally, Debatte says business leaders need to sharpen their focus on workplace equality. “For me, #metoo is not only about women, it’s about the abuse of power, which can be applied to anyone regardless of sex, gender, caste or religion,” she says. “In Asia-Pacific it remains an everlasting challenge to find balance between respecting local culture and putting an end to ancient traditions or behaviours that can be prejudicial.” When it comes to equal opportunity in Asia, Prapaphan Sungmuang, general manager of the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), says the Kingdom is leading the pack. “I feel that we are very lucky in Thailand. We are known for being progressive in Asia for embracing diversity and inclusion,” she says. “Not only do we respect men and women, we respect all other genders. Because of our gentle nature, we tend to be more tolerant. We believe in getting the job done through teamwork, regardless of gender.”
Empowered Movements like #metoo are pushing for greater respect and equality for women, LGBTIQ individuals, and other marginalised groups; Marriott supports training for women at AUW (below right).
The best support anyone can give is to treat everyone equally. Men, women, transgender – we are all humans. PRAPAPHAN SUNGMUANG general manager TICA
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Sungmuang, who has worked for TICA for 25 years, adds: “Other than women and other genders, my success has been supported by many men too, especially when becoming a mother to my two daughters. Maybe our industry can adopt the hashtag #mentoo to celebrate our support for each other.” She believes we all can do more to encourage greater gender diversity, especially for the transgender community across APAC. “The best support anyone can give is to treat everyone equally. Men, women, transgender – we are all humans,” she says. “Being focused on inclusiveness will help us attract future talent into our industry. Everyone wants a safe working environment.” Sungmuang advises: “There must be strong policies and standard operating procures for gender equality because it makes a deep impact on the culture of a company. It stamps out bullying. When that happens, companies will be become an employer of choice and, for a
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service-oriented industry like ours, having a passionate and happy pool of talent will attract business leads.” For Varga, leading by example is the key to establishing a culture of inclusivity. “When I look at the business events industry in Australia, I am inspired by the number of women who are in senior positions – both within the sector and critical adjoining sectors – like Karen Bolinger, CEO of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Bureau; Roslyn McLeod, managing director of Arinex; and Sandra Chipchase, CEO of Destination NSW and executive producer of VividSydney. “If you see it, you can aspire to it. These women are driving our sector and have made waves over a number of years. Whether they had equality or not, they broke through, and that’s the important message. We make a difference, and move forward to continue making a difference, inspiring others as we go.” So, what legacy will you leave for the future generation of female, male and transgender leaders?
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C ase S tu dy
Experiential meeting design for Marriott Leadership Summit
Jack Morton created surprises to keep interest levels high and generate conversation across the multi-day event. By Jack Carter
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esigned to bring together senior leadership from multiple operations and disciplines across its Asia Pacific portfolio, the Marriott 2018 Asia Pacific Operations Leadership Summit, held from 5-8 March, is the brand’s chance to share the company priorities and continent goals for the year-ahead, in the most creative, engaging, and shareable environment possible. Marriott International appointed brand experience agency Jack Morton Worldwide to deliver an event that would be relevant to a wide-ranging audience, while paying homage to the host city and property, the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park.
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Ca se S tud y
Ideation
Jack Morton viewed this event as the perfect opportunity for Marriott to feature not only a single property, but also its talent and brand offerings to nearly 700 of its internal customers. Natalie Ackerman, executive vice president , Greater China at Jack Morton Worldwide, says: “The audience, who are seasoned hoteliers, see events day in and day out, so it was imperative we deliver the unexpected, challenge conventions and spark a ‘what is possible’ attitude. Creating surprises allowed us to keep interest levels high across a multi-day event, pique curiosity and generate conversation among the audience.” To achieve this, the agency and client decided to utilise a variety of spaces outside of the hotel’s main ballroom, reimagining the carpark, hallways, ballrooms, and the swimming pool. For example, the welcome reception was hosted in a pool house, which was transformed into a casual ‘club night’, hinting at the Marriott brands that offer a more millennial/Gen Z-style stay, such as The W or the Moxy. Elsewhere, an afternoon tea break designed to immerse delegates in an authentic Thai dining experience took place in the car park. Once the crowd had filtered through, the space transformed in an instant into a street market, replicating the hawker-style eateries in Bangkok, with miniature food stalls being wheeled through on bikes, and street artists and drummers providing colourful entertainment. Inspired by Marriott’s internal employee initiative, ‘TakeCare’, a meeting room in the hotel was turned into an all-white, ‘zen-like’ space for a wellness-themed coffee break. As well as having food stations dotted around the room, delegates were able to explore the space, discovering a diversity of wellness experiences, such as spa sessions, massage treatments, plant therapies, and tai chi lessons. The same space was then reconfigured in less than 24 hours to look like a semi–industrial Patisserie chefs’ kitchen that showcased more than 20 different pastry chef techniques.
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Lessons learnt Create the wow-factor by ‘reimagining’ event space Produce design renders of each space to understand overarching event concept Partner with local experts to ensure event success
Execution
Bringing spaces to life that had previously never been used for a live experience meant Jack Morton had to plan and build the event from scratch. Also, because each break in the conference became its own unique experience, planners had to execute numerous and complex operations in the same day, with design and set-up, production, audio-visual, technology, and guest flow for each location requiring individual solutions. To do this, the agency produced design renders that were available to all relevant personnel. The agency also had a variety of capable resources selected from its Hong Kong and Singapore office, as well as a network of contacts on the ground in Thailand, to help deliver the event. Ackerman explains: “We were meticulous with using the right resources to bring individual events to life; producers with the right experience, choreographers who understand live outdoor spaces, and local experts were integral to the success of the event.”
Jack Morton had to liaise with numerous stakeholders from the region, so bringing the environments to life in a clear way by producing design renders of each space was vital in helping them understand the concepts behind the event. Feedback from Marriott International was exceptionally positive, heaping praise on Jack Morton for delivering a complex and experiential event. Bart Buiring, chief operations services officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International, says: “[Jack Morton] is creative and excellent at execution. It provides fantastic technology solutions and is an excellent partner for Marriott International. “We have worked with Jack Morton on a multitude of events over a number of years and it delivers, which is the most important part of the events business.”
NATALIE ACKERMAN executive vice president Greater China Jack Morton Worldwide
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C over Stor y
Meetings in the post-truth era In a world of alternative facts, with rising populism and omnipotent social networks, how can face-to-face meetings rebuild trust? Natalie Young investigates the changing role of business events amid the search for truth.
ll relationships are based on one thing – trust. Whether it’s a personal relationship or business partnership, any bond is built on trust. American journalist and scholar, H. L. Mencken, said: “It is mutual trust, even more than mutual interest, that holds human associations together.” Perhaps that’s why PR and marketing behemoth, Edelman, has been studying trust for the past 18 years. The company’s annual Trust Barometer Report is premised with this statement: “In modern society, we delegate important aspects of our wellbeing to the four institutions of business (economic wellbeing), government (national security and public policy), media (information and knowledge) and NGOs (social causes and issues). “In order to feel safe delegating important aspects of our lives and wellbeing to others, we need to trust them to act with integrity and with our best interests in mind.” After surveying more than 33,000 people in 28 countries, Edelman’s 2018 Trust Barometer points to a world of distrust,
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where 70 per cent of respondents (general population in 20 countries) does not trust the four key institutions. Trust in the U.S. hit an all-time low, where average trust in institutions amid the ‘informed public’ (people aged 25-64 with a college education who are highly engaged in business news) crashed 23 points from sixth place in 2017, to the bottom of the barrel in 2018. China, on the other hand, saw extreme trust gains, with trust in all four institutions rising (four points) amid the informed public as well as (seven points) the general population.
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Co v er S to ry
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C over Stor y
Poles apart Donald Trump at this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos (left); Xi Jinping at last year’s event (right).
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The issue of data privacy was thrust into the limelight following the recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, where intense data profiling was used by the Trump campaign to influence voters in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. We all know the outcome. As well as accruing data on billions of people, social networking platforms have caused a devolution of power, where pretty much anyone can be a public figure. Here much of the ‘public debate’ is determined by the social dynamics of popularity and status, rather than evidence-based arguments. And this has spurred the proliferation of fake news. According to the Trust Barometer, nearly 7 in 10 people worry about false
information or fake news being used as a weapon, and 59 per cent believe it is becoming harder to tell if a piece of news is produced by respected media. The report also revealed that most people define ‘media’ as both content and platforms. For MCI Group’s chief operating officer in Asia, Oscar Cerezales, this battle for truth is nothing new. “Some will say we face a VUCA (volatile, uncertain complex and ambiguous) world. Others will argue, there is nothing new under the sun. To me, we live in a transparent world where there are (almost) no limits when it comes to information transparency. The key outcome? Polarisation. Distrust coexists with trust, on steroids. Nothing Photo credit: World Economic Forum
So, in a climate of distrust, how should we position ourselves in order to build relationships? Edelman Singapore CEO, Amanda Goh, says brand CEOs need to take the lead as authentic storytellers. “One of the trust-building attributes that has emerged quite strongly this year is the notion of a CEO with a moral compass. We are seeing an increased alignment between personal values and company purpose.” Goh says the public now expects brands to take a stance on social issues, where the CEO should inform and shape debates. And she insists that business leaders must ‘walk the talk’ if they want to build trust in the marketplace. “If you are taking a stance on gender equality, then you also need to demonstrate how you are creating equal opportunities and closing the pay gap [between men and women] … making sure you truly live the company values.” She adds: “We measure expectations versus performance. CEOs need to foster a notion of prosperity in the marketplace, usually by creating jobs — this is the first really good step in terms of building your trust narrative. The other issues that are emerging as important across the APAC region is creating positive work environments for your employees and the community around, and protecting people’s privacy and personal information.”
“We are seeing an increased alignment between personal values and company purpose.” AMANDA GOH CEO, Edelman Singapore
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Co v er S to ry
“When you don’t own the content you can’t control if it’s worth spreading.” OSCAR CEREZALES COO, MCI Group
is black or white. While we may have a distrust level with media, some brands, communities and individuals have earnt our trust.”
Expert opinion
Photo credit: World Economic Forum
All is not lost. Amid the endless shades of grey that exist between fact and fake news, Goh says we’re now seeing the return of the ‘voice of authority’ as a trusted source of information. “Over the years we’ve seen peers, ‘a person like me’, and young influencers emerge as more credible than governments and business,” she explains. “But because of growing distrust in the media and because it’s so hard to differentiate between alternative truth and what is a credible source of information, we’re now seeing the return of authorities as a trusted source.” According to the Trust Barometer, the ‘Technical Expert’ is now considered the most credible source of information (63 per cent of respondents rated technical experts as very/extremely credible), closely followed by the ‘Academic Expert’ (61 per cent). This begs the question: Should the meetings industry, which brings together
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industry leaders and technical experts to exchange knowledge, have a trust-building mandate? “I don’t think the events industry is ‘vested’ in having a trust-building mandate because all industries, organisations and industries are,” Cerezales says. “What this industry needs to build is the right platform where ideas exchange, business, face-to-face interaction, and learning and development are fostered… But [event planners] can’t control the content [of an event or meeting] because, in most cases, they don’t own it.” He adds: “In 99 per cent of cases an event/meeting planner executes a strategy that has been already defined. At best the client might ask for creative ideas but it doesn’t go further. Execution is tactical. And when things go tactical it’s difficult to create a ‘brand’. And if there is no brand, then you are a commodity. And in the commodity game, price is the only value.” This might be true of corporate meetings, where the brand message is predetermined, and an event agency is employed to create platforms of dissemination, but what about association meetings? “Associations are seen as credible and authoritative,” asserts John Peacock, general manager of Associations Forum, a member-based network of 500 associations, charities, clubs, and non-profit societies across Australia, New Zealand, and
Southeast Asia. “They should reinforce their reputation as experts in their particular field and not engage in extraneous topical and controversial matters unrelated to their specialisation. “If associations run events that are relevant, credible and targeted to member needs, they will gain trust and be considered honest sources of information and analysis.” He adds: “The vast majority of associations are primarily involved in the advancement of their members’ education and setting standards. By sticking to their purpose and cause, associations are well positioned to lobby for any necessary changes to laws or regulations that they consider inappropriate. However, most associations are not primarily established for advocacy – it is a by-product of their status as credible representative experts.”
Dissatisfactory dialogue
Interestingly, Peacock and Cerezales have opposing views on whether the meetings industry should ‘open up’ to engage a wider community and help build a more informed public. For Peacock, associations should focus on serving member needs. “The association membership model should not change to help educate and engage with the wider community,” he says. “Associations are established to help their specific members and they should focus on this role.”
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C over Stor y
Pope criticizes spread of fake news
Canadian Conservative leader’s campaign manager roots out enemies using fake news
World Worried About Fake News as a Weapon
Germany passes a law that fines social media companies for failling to delete fake news
Fake news disrupts elections in South Africa
Nearly
7 in 10 worry about false information or fake news being used as a weapon
Source: 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer
“Of course, associations have the right to state their position on important issues but this is done through advocacy and campaigning rather than changing membership models and opening up events, which are usually technical and informative in nature, to the public who will not be interested in technical intricacies, nor wish to pay appropriate registration fees.” He argues: “It is unwise for association events to seek to be ‘all things to all people’ as it will not work. Unless an event is targeted to an advocacy outcome beyond membership knowledge, mixing the message and purpose of the event will mean that no one is satisfied — neither the paying member delegate nor the few interested laymen.” Cerezales, on the other hand, call for a more dynamic approach to meetings and events, with greater input from related industry sectors. “Some [membership] models just need
“Associations are established to help their specific members and they should focus on this role.” JOHN PEACOCK general manager, Associations Forum
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Singapore announces plans to introduce laws designed to fight fake news
a fine tune, while others need an adjustment or a radical change,” he says. “If you want to reach non-members or general public you need to offer something, apart from having a repeatable and scalable model. I think the big mistake is offering ‘information’ as a value proposition. Because today, this is free.” However, according to Cerezales, close-minded industry stakeholders are preventing greater public engagement. He says the meetings industry will be able to extend its knowledge exchange with the public “when minds become open to other industries, themes, ideas, and disciplines… and when all stakeholders realise that this is a closed ecosystem, where the same topics are discussed, half of the speakers are always the same, and almost all players go to the same events and tradeshows.” Cerezales suggests corporate event planners reposition themselves as part of the marketing industry in order to attract more attention (and support?) from governments and business. “Others need to elevate [the status of] event planners — like our customers, users, and government,” he insists. “Otherwise it’s not credible.”
The future of truth
When it comes to positioning a ‘credible’ brand amid a world of disruption and distrust, leaders can no longer focus solely on individual company profits, but make
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Co v er S to ry
a conscious effort to contribute to the greater good of the community. And at its core, isn’t that what the meetings industry is about? To ensure our voices are heard, perhaps we need to seriously consider a shift in our operating model so we can better integrate ourselves in today’s fluid markets — and do away with the functional silos of a ‘MICE’ industry. Because aren’t meeting planners (whether corporate or association based) plugged into several different industries, often simultaneously? Working towards a collective intelligence is the way forward. Technologies like the Internet of Things, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are all spurring superfluidity in the marketplace and fostering new connections across different industries. We need to get on board. And while the digital revolution is driving change today, Uschi Schreiber, global vice chair – markets and chair of the global accounts committee at Ernest & Young (EY), insists the future is all about people. Speaking at a preview event of C2 Melbourne in late 2017, Schreiber asserted: “It’s people who have to challenge assumptions, who have the courage and determination to make potentially radical changes. It’s people who have to lead honest, transparent conversations in business and in government, even when the news is complex and the solutions might not be that easy. Its people that have to rebuild trust in business and in
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Face-to-face Cerezales (left) and industry leaders at the Singapore MICE Forum in 2017.
government, and assume that, with the right information, people will come up with good decisions and innovative solutions.” To make the future society function better, even when faced with the scale and speed of change that we are currently experiencing, Schreiber says, will require different behaviours from politicians and business leaders… and maybe even meeting planners. Meeting planners bring communities together, which fosters knowledge and builds trust – and, as stated in the Edelman report, without trust, the fabric of society can unravel to the detriment of all.
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Associ ati on I m pact sec t i o n sp o nso r
E W C Community engagement ICC Sydney’s Legacy Program connects visitors with local Aboriginal cultural experiences
Creating a Lasting Legacy ICC Sydney’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Communication, Samantha Glass, on the power of community engagement.
A We are developing bespoke programs to deliver worldclass experiences; the effects of which are felt long after convention, exhibition and networking events take place.
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s Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and entertainment venue, ICC Sydney is a hub for collaboration, inspiration and innovation. It also plays a crucial role in supporting the local economy - both facilitating knowledge exchange and driving a raft of economic benefits across the state. As consumers of land, capital and social resources however, ICC Sydney has a responsibility to give back and operate in a way that is sensitive to our community and environment. To support this, we have developed a robust community engagement strategy, and have committed to working handin-hand with clients to cultivate a lasting legacy for the events we host. A key component of our approach – alongside supporting charity events, heroing the local arts and culture community, and driving a Reconciliation Action Plan – is our new multistreamed client Legacy Program. While the concept of legacy through business events is not new, this industry-leading initiative provides event organisers with a systematic approach to partnering with local organisations in a meaningful way through four diverse streams – Innovators & Entrepreneurs,
Generation Next, First Australians and Sustainable Events, while monitoring and reporting on CSR and legacy outcomes. From direct exposure to Sydney’s network of entrepreneurs, and fostering the next generation via student engagement, to partnering with the University of Technology Sydney to track the impact of event food and beverage consumption, and working with local First Nations businesses, we are developing bespoke programs to deliver world-class experiences; the effects of which are felt long after convention, exhibition and networking events take place. It is widely acknowledged that business events are incredibly important for building the intellectual capital and reputation of a city but at ICC Sydney, we believe there is a significant opportunity for the industry to quantify the impact of these events and create a ripple effect of positive outcomes – for clients, visitors and our community. This promises a deeper, third wave of impact for all, driving positive social, economic and environmental outcomes well beyond traditional beneficiaries. Samantha Glass is Director of Corporate Affairs and Communication at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney).
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EXPERIENCE WORLD CLASS
ICC Sydney is the go-to destination for world class events in Australia. Its striking design, city centre location and commitment to customer service excellence ensured the success of more than 750 events in 2017. The team would be delighted to welcome your next event, from a full scale conference or exhibition to a gala dinner or awards night.
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BOOK NOW Dana Fish Business Development Executive sales@iccsydney.com +61 2 9215 7100 ICCSYDNEY.COM MANAGED BY AEG OGDEN
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Ass oci ati on I mpa ct
Ecosystems
win the day in emerging destinations When there’s an emotional steer to consider unexplored locales, work with local committees to evaluate longer-term benefits. By Jenny Salsbury
ierce competition can arise when bidding to host an association event. Local Organising Committees (LOCs) set up to handle the bid should prepare to be quizzed to demonstrate how potential challenges will be overcome. Spending time to learn your strengths and weaknesses as a meeting destination sounds obvious, but when you’re suddenly in a position of “selling your hometown” it can be daunting. Surprisingly, this is a challenge many LOCs face — they don’t recognise the everyday features that they take for granted but may be very special to international visitors. Too often they’re also unaware of the dedicated meeting venues that are available, and the services of a convention bureau. This is where the ‘sales pitch’ can often fall short. Understanding these issues and addressing perceived challenges, hopefully with the help of an established convention bureau, will go a long way in countering the competition. Octavio “Bobby” Peralta, founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE), says there are three key developments that are helping to elevate Asia’s business events and association meetings industry. “Convergence. Governance. Professionalisation — all these complementing developments will contribute to more and better business events and association meetings. This is a coming-ofage of sorts for the association community here in Asia.” (see key trends on p.27) Not all smaller cities will have an effective convention bureau so it is important for bidding societies, LOCs and destinations to understand the real cost risks an international association faces (in terms of reduced revenue from fewer
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Second-tier triumph... Hangzhou successfully hosted the G20 Summit in 2016.
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A sso c ia tio n I m p a c t
Key trends impacting associations in Asia
Association activity on the rise... IAPCO Edge Seminar 2018 took place in Taipei.
registrations and less sponsorship from regular industry supporters) in an emerging destination. Time and again openness and honesty about the situation, and what steps can be taken, is the best way to approach to this issue. Considerations fall into four areas, which form the basis of many bid questionnaires seeking destination specifications that a locallybased association should complete to host their counterpart event (see infrastructure concerns on p.29). Today, event and meeting organisers compete for the time-poor delegate, who often has a reduced travel budget and who carefully selects the event that gives the most return to them personally as well as to their organisation. Reaching a smaller destination can mean a transfer flight through an international hub, and language barriers on domestic flights can also prove challenging. Travel time and physical flight access are not the only issues. Associations covering the Asia Pacific region are keen to ensure their event is truly accessible — in terms of affordability both in airfare cost as well as time investment and access to the full content. Finding that unmissable ‘reason to be there’ is a key LOC role and the increasing desire for experiential meetings is a perfect opportunity for smaller locations to bring out their little known local specialities. According to Chris Trimmer, executive director of the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), an important objective is “balancing what people can afford to spend on travel within the region to ensure cost accessibility for delegates from low to mid-income countries”. ISID is currently reviewing the Asia Pacific region for its 2020 international congress, ICID. For medical/scientific conferences, and the sponsoring pharmaceutical industry, destination choice is often dependant on compliance with local pharma codes of practice. While, for sponsors, smooth access through customs for exhibit goods is a requirement. While accessibility is improving across Asia, president of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), Mathias Posch, says the transportation of goods and services remains a sore point for many international organisations. “Air access itself is easy in most parts of Asia with some of the world’s best airports and airlines,” he said. “In countries with stricter visa policies, there seems to be a great
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Convergence: The formation of “associations of associations” in the Philippines, South Korea and Malaysia as well as those in Australia is evidence of this convergence trend. The PCAAE was launched in November 2013, the Korean Society of Association Executives (KSAE) a year later and the Malaysian Society of Association Executives in mid-2017. Together with the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) and the Associations Forum (AF), PCAAE and KSAE formed the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations (APFAO) in 2015, inspired and supported by the venerable 98-year old American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). This means opportunities for knowledgesharing, programming collaboration, homogenisation of standards and dialogue will be constant, simple and faster than ever. Governance: With convergence comes a realisation that adherence to good association governance principles and practices will enable communities to grow and be sustainable into the future. Transparency, fairness and accountability are hallmarks of good governance and ethical behaviour that will provide efficiency and ease of engagement among association stakeholders. Professionalisation: Improved association management training and capacity-building programmes are now gaining ground. The PCAAE developed its Certified Professional Association Executive (CPAE) programme in 2015, which now has 42 graduates. Continuous education via seminars and conferences will be undertaken with more vigour and consistency.
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Ass oci ati on I mpa ct
Tribal gathering Sarawak hosted the 55th ICCA Congress in Kuching in 2016, with support from the local community.
willingness to improve and I see it getting easier to travel across Asia every year. Even in ‘difficult’ places like China or India, the visa process has become easier and more exceptions have been added. However, freight and money in and out is still an issue and will be for a while. This will require a proper financial set up with expertise and experience from people who have done it before.” Access to the scientific content of the meeting is also essential. English is the international language of scientific research and, with so many local languages and dialects across APAC, is frequently the ‘go-to’ language, so simultaneous interpretation is fairly pain free. Where it is an issue, however, is in some of the provincial capitals in China, where organisations have partnered with a local or national organisation to run two programmes alongside each other — one in the local language and the other in English. For non-Asia based executives understanding the “politics” and professional dynamics around the region seems much more sensitive than in other regions. Communication may appear to be more formal, but in fact is much more ‘personal’ and highly dependent on relationships. The local champion or conference ambassador, when given the confidence to be an enthusiastic host, can successfully emphasise the honour and benefits of hosting with local players, and can ease the communication process. “Befriending some of the younger local doctors helps to point organisers in the right direction and identify key players,” says Posch. He adds that common misconceptions around second and third-tier cities in Asia (mainly pertaining to a limited service offering and failure to meet international standards) often bear no relation to reality. Local players across Asia are learning to communicate with the international market and IAPCO has for many years been a proponent of training within the
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It is very important to know the context, values and ecosystem in which the city operates… not just the sector, but also the whole ecosystem of the destination. AMELIA ROZIMAN COO Sarawak Convention Bureau
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As so ci ation I m pa c t
Infrastructure concerns Accessibility: Air access, airport services, transport, freight forwarding, visas, government support Somewhere to meet: Professional trade and venue infrastructure including exhibition space, proven track record, PCOs/DMCs, convention bureau that “goes the extra mile” Somewhere to stay: Number of hotel rooms and negotiability/flexibility for room blocks Somewhere “I want to go to”: Desirability, safety (security and health risks), welcoming counterparts, quality, legacy, the ‘charismatic’ local ambassador
region for mutual understanding. Summing up this approach, Posch, states: “Asia is an exciting market with many opportunities for international associations. To be successful, we must embrace the culture and ways of doing business.” A well organised LOC will investigate these issues, perceptions and processes to identify steps that might have to be taken. It is at this stage where a strong partnership between the local government, the industry and the association will really come to the fore. Government support is crucial — it provides assurance to event organisers that their event is important to the host city and can increase registration via delegate boosting grants and scholarships. Of course, seeing is believing and a high-profile track record, plus hosted site inspection visits, are a sure way of converting sceptics (event if they are part of the ‘home team’ in the national association and prefer to showcase a modern, international capital or first-tier city). With the experience of hosting the G20 Summit and a changing association world in China, Business Events Hangzhou (part of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission) has enlisted international assistance to establish bidding and hosting services and have recognised the need to encourage and inform Chinese national associations. Zhao Hongzhong, deputy director of the Hangzhou Tourism Commission, explains: “We will invite some Chinese association representatives to Hangzhou every year and we will design tailor-made visits for them. We communicate with them through professional exhibitions and will provide the latest Hangzhou specialist information.” Industry veteran Mike Cannon, who put Sarawak on the international association meetings map as the former MD of the convention bureau, emphasises that building momentum often depends on one or two individuals who can drive solutions through sheer energy and creativity.
Asia is an exciting market with many opportunities for international associations. To be successful, we must embrace the culture and ways of doing business.
Cannon, who now runs an eponymous consultancy firm that offers development training to organisations targeting the business events industry in Asia, says: “If the conference is good for that destination and there is well identified ‘yield beyond tourism’ then the local bureau can lobby the related state as well as the federal government for support.” LOCs and destinations starting out in this area would do well to look at examples of successful international cities and shouldn’t be afraid of adapting successful bid campaigns to their local situation. Sarawak Convention Bureau has perfected this art, and Amelia Roziman, the bureau’s chief operating officer, has this advice for smaller cities who might feel daunted by the challenge: “The beauty of a second-tier destination, aside from value and geographical freshness, is that the events tend to draw the attention of all within the destination. Unlike first-tier cities that may host major business events every week, secondtier cities can provide a customised experience for the conference and its delegates.” She adds: “As such, it is very important to know the context, values and ecosystem in which the city operates. Second-tier players value collaboration and synergy above all else. Just like Sarawak, it doesn’t just involve the sector, but the whole ecosystem of the destination.” Drawing all elements of professionalism together is the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), with its Asia Pacific headquarters based in Kuala Lumpur. A key element of membership is access to a database of associations that increasingly participate in ICCA events to share experiences. Following the 55th ICCA Congress in Kuching, Sarawak, in 2016, the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) published an in-depth case study that analysed legacy outcomes and the benefits of interorganisational collaboration. According to the case study, the ICCA congress “managed to bring together an effective network of event stakeholders to cultivate collaboration and integrate different purposes in a comprehensive strategy which will also incorporate future events. With optimal use of the host community’s integrated set of resources these new networks have the potential to further leverage and sustain the benefits of events that otherwise may have a short-lived lifespan.”
MATHIAS POSCH IAPCO president
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M&I To o l k i t sec t i o n sp o nso r
Training is the best investment for our industry AccorHotels’ Kerry Healy on the importance of education and ongoing talent development.
T Armed with new knowledge, our regional and hotel teams across our brands have championed the development of the AccorHotels M&E Toolkit.
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here has never been a better time to take training and development up a few notches in the current business landscape. The meetings and events industry is worth US$250 billion for us in Asia Pacific and in 2017, more than 35 per cent of food and beverage revenue came from this segment. The Asia-Pacific region currently represents 51 per cent of our global pipeline – 33 per cent of which will be in our luxury upscale brands. As such we will continue to focus on delivering quality events at our hotels. Talent development is a core priority for us. Not just because our customers expect service consistency from our hotels, but because our team members deserve to gain further knowledge on the everchanging world of event management. We are a human-to-human business, despite technological advancement. We are starting to see fruition of our investment in training. My region started our education journey last year by sponsoring the Incentive, Conference & Events Society Asia Pacific (ICESAP), which is now owned by one of the most respected global industry associations, the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).
Having access to thousands of event strategists allowed us to understand our customers’ needs. Armed with new knowledge, our regional and hotel teams across our brands championed the development of the AccorHotels M&E Toolkit. Endorsed by Pacific World, this new toolkit is centred on the customer experience and effective partnerships. This year, we were invited by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau to be an education partner for one of their signature events, Thailand Incentive & Meeting Exchange, where buyers from long-haul markets such as Australia, North America and Europe share trends and best practices with the business events industry. The Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit will host the ICESAP conference in November 2018, another opportunity for us to help drive change and unity for our industry. I would encourage my fellow industry colleagues to further invest in education and development. It is the only way we can grow to our fullest potential and be acknowledged for our work, just as the tourism industry has done successfully for decades. Kerry Healy is vice president of sales, Asia Pacific, for AccorHotels.
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M&I To o l k i t
The science of meetings I Tap into neuroscience to better understand delegate needs and execute more engaging events. By Sanjay Surana
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Photo credit: C2 Montreal
Human-centric... Delegates are motivated by visual, auditory and olfactory cues.
f you were able to choose a superpower, any power, mind-reading would certainly be a useful one. Imagine being able to intuit and understand the intent of a person, or group of people, knowing what they were thinking, what they wanted, and being able to act on that knowledge. It’s a power that event planners could certainly benefit from, allowing them to tailor events and meetings to suit delegates’ desires, to shape the agenda to maximise the interest and engagement of the audience. Wouldn’t it be incredible if such a possibility existed? In a sense, it already does. Welcome to neuroscience, a growing field within event planning whereby planners are able to design and execute more immersive event experiences by understanding the minds of event attendees. By answering questions such as why delegates attend events, what do they want to achieve, planners now have the tools available to them to design environments that create true moments of meaning. “To be successful as an event planner you need to anticipate peoples’ interests, expectations, and needs even before they themselves know it,” says Janet Sperstad, program director, meeting and event management at Madison College, Wisconsin, in the United States. Sperstad has a deep understanding of the field of neuroscience and decision-making, conducting research on the topic and co-publishing a white paper called Mindful Event Design, The Psychology of Physical Meeting Environments. The paper examines what convention designers and exhibitors can do to “create experiences that enable and empower all participants to achieve their objectives,” exploring subjects such as brain-friendly layouts, effects of colour on mood and cognition, tips for first and last impressions, and visual, auditory, and olfactory considerations.
M&I Toolkit
Photo credit: C2 Montreal
“There is no doubt that meetings and events are much more than a tool to bring likeminded people together to debate, educate, and exchange information,” adds Robyn Johnson, CEO of Meetings & Events Australia. “There is a change across the globe in the delivery of meetings and events that challenges the status quo and promotes innovation.” Corporate meetings, Johnson adds, understandably lead this trend, as they need to be agile and flexible to meet the changing business environments, court new thinking, and often have the budget to support a new approach. There are also the entrepreneurial meetings such as C2 and South by South West that are building strong reputations for producing environments that encourage attendees to be creative, to motivate and inspire them. These are fast-moving affairs often held outside traditional convention centres and hotel conference rooms. “There is a lot of discussion, experimenting and innovation in ‘Experience Management’, which is constantly evolving,” says Marcus Ewals, director of strategic planning for MCI Group Asia-Pacific. “This is helped by the technology wave we are riding these days that will provide a lot of data, as well as innovative ways to better communicate, learn and retain. However, getting this funded is not always as easy. Often things are seen as a ‘gadget’ or ‘nonessential’ plus there is a general resistance to change, especially when it comes to the traditional events that have a long history.” According to Sperstad, behavioural sciences in the meetings industry have grown because event planners now instinctually know some of the core facts about how people relate, think, and are motivated. A key to using neuroscience effectively is to understand what drives delegates to attend
Experiential design... Events like C2 encourage creative thinking with unconvention meeting spaces.
an event. “I don’t think people come to meetings to learn, meet new people, and do business,” explains Sperstad. “Rather, I think people come to meetings and events to be inspired, create deeper meaning, and accelerate intimate connections with the right people.” “Delegates are more careful about the management of their time and will identify events that best meet their own personal or business objectives,” comments Johnson. “I’m a huge believer in the networking and information exchange opportunities that meetings provide.” For Ewals, “meeting people face-toface still provides a synergy and energy that has not and might never be replaced by a technology platform. Humans have a need to interact in person, or as MCI says, ‘when people meet, magic happens’.”
Our brain is a social organ. We are influenced more by innocuous social cues than data and facts. JANET SPERSTAD program director, meeting and event management Madison College
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Planners need to ensure that delegates inhabit the best environment to develop those connections and build that inspiration. “As event professionals we need to create experiences that foster insights and innovation, shift perspectives to solve complex business problems, and use digital and analogue moments to foster intimacy and connection with peers and vendors,” stresses Sperstad. “We must shift the focus from logistics to creating human-centric experiences. This doesn’t mean logistics are not important, they are a tool to building the structure of a solid experience. In fact, much of the competencies of the Certified Meeting Professional designation has foots in neuroscience, by taking a step back from the logistical planning and thinking about how it impacts how people feel and the ability to think and interact in that moment. Our brain is a social organ. We are influenced more by innocuous social cues than data and facts.” One way to allow attendees to achieve their goals is for planners to shift their focus from ‘at’ the event experience, to ‘from’ the event experience. “Put yourself in the situation instead of predicting what they will think, do,” says Sperstad. “Do not think logically about the situation. Don’t be an observer, be first person. By doing this you
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ITCMA
M& I T ool ki t
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Behavioural science Meeting planners instinctually know some of the core facts about how people think and relate to eachother.
actually engage different parts of the brain commonly known as the theory-of-mind network. Being able to predict what someone is going to do is the first step in why they will do it.” To Johnson, knowing your audience is key. “Plan well and communicate. Research and, where possible, attend other conferences. Delegates are always looking for the next ‘new’ thing and event planners cannot be complacent. They need to stay in touch with the trends. Technology is playing a role in tracking delegates and what they do at meetings, where they go and in seeking feedback. ‘Same same’ year-on-year does not work. Where possible take them on a journey – storytelling, case studies, more intimate specialist sessions, mix up the programme and give them options.” From the planning perspective, “planners should join and share their ideas and experiences at industry platforms such as IAPCO, ICCA, and learn from each other. Also, be open to welcoming technology developers to educate planners,” notes Ewals. “Create an inspiring environment that is adapted to today’s mindset. The days of long keynote addresses are over, two-day meetings work better than three days, TED-style 15-20 minute power talks are better than the traditional 30-40 minute presentations. There are many examples.” While the science of meetings has been the subject of a great deal of research, it “has so far not provided unequivocal answers,” says Johnson. Nonetheless, MEA ran a session on neuroscience, presented by Dr Fiona Kerr from the University of Adelaide, at its conference in early May because it recognises that a lot can be learned about using science in planning meetings, a surefire sign that this growing field is here to stay.
De To
At A sho Cor Asia
There is a change across the globe in the delivery of meetings and events that challenges the status quo and promotes innovation. ROBYN JOHNSON CEO Meetings & Events Australia
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Focus Gr ou p Ta l ent
Talent in focus In our very first focus group, we gather industry leaders in Malaysia to discuss talent development and wider community engagement. By El Kwang
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Thought leaders... (left to right) El Kwang, Carmen Chua, Anisha Chai Mee Fong, Ho Yoke Ping, Ronald Lim
hy is good talent so hard to find? It’s a question that comes up again and again at industry conferences. How can we attract the best and brightest? How can we engage with millennials? And how can we ensure middle management is equipped to do the job amid the rise of new technologies and shifting customer needs? The answer is education. Educating young people on the ‘perks’ and career opportunities offered by events. Educating the marketplace on the value of the industry. And investing in ongoing education and training for staff. Unfortunately, the one-word answer is usually all that’s offered at industry events. After intense discussion about the challenges involved, there’s very little time to collaborate and discuss solutions. So, we brought together various industry stakeholders — representing government, venues, agencies and private education institutions to delve further into the issue. Anisha Chai Mee Fong is associate dean for the School of Hospitality at Sunway University in Selangor. With more than 15 years’ experience as an educator, she’s seen her fair share of eager young minds walk through the doors. Sunway, a private institution, offers courses in hotel management, convention and event management as well as culinary management. But there is a discrepancy between private and public schools and the quality of students they unleash into the workforce. “From the private educator’s perspective, we want to produce graduates who have the quality and skills that the industry wants because our survival depends on graduate employability,” Chai says. “If our graduates don’t find jobs there is no point in this training.”
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Sunway tracks the career paths of its graduates and Chai says 80-90 per cent of students are employed within six months and 90 per cent continue their studies to a Master’s level or higher. But are students aware of the realities of working in events? Ronald Lim, event producer and owner of Think Tank Productions has worked in the events industry for more than 10 years and says, while many young graduates are attracted to the ‘glitz and glamour’ of festivals, they aren’t prepared for the business events sector. “We receive a lot of internship applications and when students come in for an interview, we explain to them what we do. Often the response is: “You don’t do concerts? We cannot meet artistes?” So, they go to school hoping to join a concert company and to meet celebrities. That’s the mindset a lot of kids,” Lim says. Chai admits that many young people are attracted to events in the entertainment industry — or even wedding planning — when they first enquire about the course. “We want to give a real picture of the industry, as real as we can. We also tell them about business events — about conventions and congress and how the industry is generating a lot of revenue — but the difficult part is that we are dealing with 17-year-old kids. My diploma students are born the year 2000, so there’s a lot of work we have to do and because we are private, and they pay high fees, they have a consumer attitude. They often say: “Why do I pay so much and I get so few notes from you?” We are trying very hard to churn out the graduates who fulfil industry requirements, but it’s not easy.”
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Young people don’t want to be managed or mentored. They want to be inspired.
Asia World
ANISHA CHAI MEE FONG associate dean School of Hospitality Sunway University
Key challenges Lack of data to highlight the size and value of business events
Various industry segments are very siloed; lack of unified industry voice
Parents, students and wider community disengaged
At the diploma level, Chai says the curriculum is evenly divided between theoretical and practical learning. At the degree level it’s a 70-30 split, but she insists all courses are focused on experiential learning and include a four or six-month internship. She adds: “We’ve invested a lot in our teachers and facilities so that students are well trained. We have internships and we involve industry feedback when we develop our curriculum. This may not be the same when you go to a lower fee-paying school.”
Business owners hesitant to invest in talent development due for fear that fickle-minded staff will leave
Discrepancy between private and public schools
Association management misunderstood and undervalued as career path
Service attitude
For Lim, academic certificates are irrelevant when it comes to hiring staff. Instead he looks for people who are passionate about service. “I believe that you can’t get it from school, that a passion for service comes from within. My challenge is that we want to serve premium service to our clients — from the event set-up, to the programme, the flow of things, and how to dress up — so what young professionals are lacking is the opportunity to experience a great service. Hence they can’t tell the difference between a good service and a bad service.” Carmen Chua, executive director of CMY Capital Group, a property invesment firm that developed and owns The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, agrees. For a venue owner, Chua is rather hands-on, and is often found behindthe-scenes training new recruits and
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investing (both time and money) in brand immersion programmes, which is especially important in the luxury hotel segment. “You have to be very patient,” she advises. “I’ve identified some really good staff, but you have to train them. You have to guide them every step of the way.” The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur is the first luxury property in Malaysia, attracting international guests with high expectations that, Chua says, the local workforce isn’t prepared to meet.
“I’ve had certain staff that have just resigned because they say luxury is too stressful, or that they don’t get enough work/life balance… we are operating like an academy. I personally conduct lessons and even teach basic English,” she says. Lim too is investing in training his staff to ensure they meet international standards. “Last year I flew my team business class to Bangkok because I want them to experience what our clients experience — and what they expect. I want them to know what it’s like to be a business
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traveler. I find it important to invest in such experiences because it’s something you can’t learn. You need to experience it in order to understand and better serve clients.”
Investing in talent
For Ho Yoke Ping, general manager – business events at the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), business owners like Lim and Chua, who recognise the benefits of investing in talent, are a rare breed.
Millennial mindset Young people want to be inspired in the workplace (bottom left); and need to ‘experience’ good service in order to deliver it to clients (below).
I’ve identified some really good staff, but you have to train them. You have to guide them every step of the way. CARMEN CHUA executive director CMY Capital Group
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“I find a lot of Malaysians in the business events industry are not willing to invest in training. Either they feel that if they ‘over train’ staff, the staff becomes marketable, or they simply want to put them on the job,” she says. “They are focused on serving the client now, doing the business now, they don’t think about the long term and that, by continuing to upgrade their team, they will have a long-term benefit.” It’s a challenge that MyCEB recognises, and one that it’s trying to address. Ho explains: “MyCEB was set up eight years ago to pursue business for Malaysia, but along the way we realised that once we win the business, the infrastructure doesn’t support us. When the events come in (other than the three international PCOs that operate in Malaysia) who is going to run them according to international standards? We don’t have the funds to actually invest in formal training but we try to provide education platforms such as the annual Malaysia Business Events Week programme.” But being a government funded organisation, Ho admits funding is limited and implementing change can be a low process. “We can only replicate what we have seen done in other destinations internationally. We try to bring in international speakers who share their experience — this is more onthe-job learning rather than formal training. So, whether its MyCEB or another ministry institution, we need to set some kind of fund to upscale training in this area.” Loyalty in the workplace, or lack thereof, is another issue that all focus group participants highlighted as a problem — and a possible hurdle to greater investment in training and talent development. “The millennial mindset is different,” Chua stresses. “In this industry there is no loyalty. You can give them all the compassion or financial assistance, yet there is still no loyalty.” She adds: “I have been working with a range of MNCs who are also been facing this problem. For example, they send staff to New York for a week of training and the day they get back they tender in their resignation. To tackle this, business owners have started to ‘bond’ staff, so if you go for week-long training exercise abroad, you are bonded to the company for six months and if you resign within the year then you have to pay the cost. That’s a trend in Malaysia.”
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Community engagement
According to all focus group participants, the business events industry struggles to attract the brightest young minds because we don’t know how to engage with the wider community. “Students don’t find business events sexy,” Ho says. “They say it’s very boring, that operations are very tedious, so they don’t want to come into the industry, but you tell them to manage a concert and they get excited. So it’s all about communicating what we do.” For Chai, it’s all about communicating value. “We talk about value a lot. Why do we stay in our current job? Because we see the value, the meaning that it brings to our lives. For students and young adults, it’s the same thing. They want to see value in their job. If they do not see that, they will leave the industry. To me, the question is: How do we create that sort of value? Young people don’t want to be managed or mentored. They want to be inspired.” For MyCEB’s Ho, communicating the real-life impact of business events is one way we can ‘inspire’ young people. She explains: “For example, if I bring in 1,000 gynecologists to Malaysia for an event and 100 of them go to a rural village to do something more meaningful we should encourage students to participate so they can see, beyond talking in a meeting room and filling up hotels, that events actually have a real-life impact.” As well as students, Chai says many parents are unaware of the career opportunities within the business events industry. “A lot of students have their parents make decisions for them and I have encountered parents saying to me, “the MICE industry is so small! Where are the jobs?” So, in this conversation data and economic impact is important.” She adds: “We have an open day at the university… perhaps we can invite industry professionals to come and talk about the industry itself to parents and students.” Lim says an active voice can help to educate the wider community and urges all event professionals to do the same. “I started to get more active in writing articles, sharing more and talking more,” he says. “The one way I can be part of a larger change is to reach out to more people through educational platforms and share my experience.”
Collaboration and leadership
Greater collaboration is something all focus group participates agree is necessary. “This whole business industry (hotels, venues, bureaus, event agencies and exhibition organisers) has to come together as one voice if we want to be recognised as an industry,” Ho says. “When we are able to put one common story together we will be able to
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Impact Malaysia’s business events sector thrives in major business hubs like Kuala Lumpur (right); discussion flows during our focus group at The St. Regis KL (below).
When we are able to put one common story together we will be able to prove our value to government... and then hopefully education can be improved. HO YOKE PING general manager - business events MyCEB
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We need to amplify the role of MACEOS... and introduce programmes where all industry players can participate. RONALD LIM event producer & owner Think Tank Productions
Possible solutions Elevate the role of associations like MACEOS to present a unified industry voice to the wider community and drive communications strategy
Invite industry leaders to university open day to engage with parents
Implement contracts that ‘bond’ staff to company following professional training or investment in upskilling team
Change association model to be profit-forpurpose to attract talent
Universities like Sunway to offer association management as an elective subject
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prove our value to the government — in terms of economic impact and job creation — then hopefully education can be improved.” In order to do this, industry organisations like the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) need to step up – to deliver and promote industryrelevant programmes and become empowered to advocate for the needs of the business events sector. “We need to amplify the role of MACEOS,” Lim says. “A lot of SMEs assume that MACEOS is strictly for exhibition companies, but then I look at what SACEOS is doing in Singapore to elevate the industry… why can’t MACEOS do the same? We need to get more people involved and introduce programmes where all industry players can participate.” For this to happen, the industry needs a strong leader – and one who can unite the many fractured associations, which often operate in industry siloes. Lim adds: “Many associations in Malaysia do not understand the importance of a unified communications strategy – we must all sing the same song, tell the same story and when we want to amplify something there must be a proper channel.” And when it comes to elevating the career of an association meeting planner, there’s a lot more education and advocacy that needs to be done. Due to the voluntary nature of many of these roles, Ho says the career path is often undefined and the scale of the industry largely misunderstood. “We need local associations to put their hands up and become local conference hosts, but by nature associations in Malaysia are not-for-profit and many are run on a volunteer basis,” Ho explains. “However, this often requires a very unique set of skills and if we treat associations like profitable organisation we may be able to attract more people and engage students at university level.” Event professionals in Malaysia need to start talking about associations as profit-for-purpose entities if they want to compete on the world stage, but, like any change, this will take time. At the conclusion of our focus group, all participants agreed that, while change is slow and often led by individuals, even a small step can make a difference. We must continue to gather together and strengthen our voice if we want to win the hearts and minds of young professionals — and the eyes and ears of the government. Our future depends on it.
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Up close with Dave Lim
TEDxSingapore founding curator zeroes in on the importance of building communities. By El Kwang
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hen Dave Lim launched TEDxSingapore in 2009 he wanted to build an ‘ideas community’ in Singapore. After a stint as a central bank economist he travelled to Silicon Valley in the late ‘90’s to plug into the internet revolution — something he saw as a radical social change — and this sparked his interest in TED and the power of community building. Now, almost 10 years later, Lim has helped to build a community for more than 250,000 members and facilitated more than 40 events in Singapore — but don’t call him an event organiser. Lim considers himself as a tribal leader and says all event organisers should do the same. TED engages its community not as consumers, but as contributors and cocreators. Is this the simple genius that makes TED so popular? The mode of delivery, the quality of delivery and the format (being short) led to the viral success of TED Talks. It’s not a 45-minute speech with a presenter standing behind a lectern, it’s focused on oration and is almost theatrical. This presentation style harks back to the Ancient Roman ampitheatre setting and is concentrated on a human-to-human connection because, firstly, there’s no physical barrier between the speaker and the audience, and secondly, it’s short, which coincides with the shorter attention spans of people nowadays. The internet revolution also contributed to the TED phenomenon online as it provided a whole new medium for sharing knowledge where people don’t need to
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physically be in a certain time and space to hear someone talk. Because of this, content can no longer be the focal point of an event — it’s actually one of the weakest reasons for someone to attend an event. Knowledge, I can get it for free on internet, so the purpose of coming together in a common time and space shouldn’t be a content download. When you move away from the idea that content is the purpose of your conference, then you can start thinking about everything else. For me, when I plan a gathering for TED fans in Singapore, I don’t only think about the content from the speaker, I think about the content from everybody else in the room — what other experiences, ideas can I extract from the entire room? It becomes collective sharing, a collective experience. How do you extract ideas from a live audience to create value? Event organisers need to constantly ask: “What are the needs of people when they come together?” and “What can you do when you’re together that you cannot do when you’re alone?” The answer lies in what I call the Five Cs – Collective content, Connection, Conversations, a sense of Community, and then Collaboration. Before you ask people to collaborate and co-create you really need to establish all the other 'Cs' as prerequisites. That’s the way I try to serve the TED community. This goes beyond time and space because you can connect and converse online. As a community-builder you need to dedicate time and effort to facilitating connections — that’s the added value, and it’s very hard to replicate online.
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If you really know your community, then you know what your community wants and needs, even if that is an unexpressed need. DAVE LIM TEDxSingapore founding curator
And how do you facilitate these connections? Design interactions where attendees are forced to meet new people. At TED, for example, there’s a two-hour lunch break where select attendees are given a picnic basket that serves six people. The rule is that during lunch you have to find five other people whom you do not know and share a meal with them. Meeting design can be very intentful and deliberate because, when you have access to a database, you can select the people whom you want to meet, and you can facilitate people to meet in small breakouts around a common interest. If you really know your community, then you know what your community wants and needs, even if that is an unexpressed need. It’s all about putting yourself in the shoes (and the heads and hearts) of the people you’re serving. Technology can help. Before a meeting or event, you have the opportunity to connect people based on common interest. Start conversation threads to create an active database where people can engage in a discussion – rather than simply scroll through profiles. When you go to a TED conference there are thousands of attendees. TED organisers actually use an algorithm to suggest the top 10 people you should meet at the conference based on match-making, highlighting people most similar to you.
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How do face-to-face connections compare to communities that we build online? It comes down to the human psyche. There was an airline ad a few decades ago that said: “You can’t fax a handshake and you can’t smile over the phone”. There are certain things that are simply more powerful in a face-to-face, tangible situation rather than online. Face-to-face interactions are more effective at breaking the ice to get the conversation going, but online platforms can facilitate continued engagement. Communication is a basic human need – first we used telegram, then we had voice, then fax so you could show diagrams, and then we had television and video conferencing, now there's Skype and Google Hangouts. It all complements and supplements each other because there’s a limit to what technology and digital platforms can achieve — Whether you use telemarketing, email, social media or event apps to engage your community, think about the strengthens and value-adds of each medium. Explain your role as a TEDx Ambassador and how it has evolved Essentially, we are leaders of other community leaders. It’s almost like being a tribal leader. You’re acting as a mentor or a coach to other TEDx organisers who plan events and gatherings for their local
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Singapore Community Globally more than
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locals
Facebook Fans
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Twitter Followers
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communities. Because I’m a social scientist I always think of people’s psychological, sociological and anthropological needs so I never define myself as an event organiser. I don’t ‘do’ events. Instead I think about how I can facilitate a gathering of people and ensure their needs are met. I’ve been working (voluntarily) as a TEDx ambassador from the very beginning — Ivan Wong and I applied for a TEDx licence for Singapore the day the global TEDx programme was announced in 2009. We were among the first 20 around the world to apply, alongside Paris, Taipei, Tokyo, and Sydney. We’ve hosted a series of different events that range from 1,700 delegates to small gatherings of 20. In total we’ve hosted 43 gatherings since 2009 and now have more than 250,000 TEDxSingapore members globally, however 80 per cent are from Singapore. It’s a coming together of people who are passionate about spreading ideas and pitching in. In a tribe everyone feels a sense of belonging
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80%
or connection to each other and part of your job as community builder and tribal leader is to create that atmosphere and culture – it’s not easy, that’s why it’s so powerful. TED has done that and TEDx organisers have continued that on a global scale. What is your advice for event planners who want to become community builders? Think about your community needs and how you are serving those needs. Having a convergence of time and space – aka hosting an event – is just the tip of the iceberg. Community needs don’t end when with the closing session of your event. Really think about how you can engage your community in a way that is not transactional, but so it continually evolves. For example, when we had a representative from Singapore’s National Supercomputing Centre do a TED Talk, we followed this up with an experience called ‘Walk the Talk’. If people wanted to find out more they could visit the centre and engage in deeper learning.
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Creativity in action TedxSingapore has hosted more than 40 events; Campus Party comes to Singapore in July (bottom).
You are the curator for the inaugural Campus Party Singapore. Tell us more about this event. Campus Party actually began 21 years ago in Spain. It can be described as a combination of TED, Burning Man and South By Southwest. It’s a multidisciplinary event with an immersive design. In many ways we’re building a village – there are tents onsite so people can stay overnight, and different areas set-up for fun and play, lounges for informal discussion, as well as spaces that replicate a school or workshop where you can learn and share ideas. It’s replicating the rich, diverse expression of human needs — serious learning, coupled with fun and making connections. Campus Party is not a conference. It’s about creating the future – that’s the intention and theme. It’s not about listening to an idea or sharing information. We want to get people in the creative process, so we are facilitating like-minded people to meet and actually make something. We are living in an era now where there are multiple tools and technologies – drones, AI, 3D printing – all these things are ingredients that can be used to ‘cook’ new things. So, we’re calling on different communities to learn more about these ingredients, and then explore how to combine them to cook up new dishes. How will Campus Party spur creativity in this region? Interestingly, Campus Party is held over the weekend, which is very different as you usually attend an event in the capacity of your job or institution, so it’s very industry-based.
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DAVE LIM TEDxSingapore founding curator
The moment you say ‘I’m a community builder’ it changes your perspective on what you should be doing. Campus Party is not an industry gathering or driven by institutional needs, it’s more ground-up. What attendees have in common is the desire to understand and create the future — this can be something serious or something fun. There’s a range of intentions and expressions because when people sign up to attend it’s in the context of their personal interest and passion. As well as gathering people together, we will facilitate co-creation through partnerships (sponsors) and understand how corporate companies want to interact with our community. Is there enough creativity and innovation in the events industry? There’s so much more we can do to serve the community. We used to focus on content and the stuff happening on stage. But there’s a lot more unexpressed value that event organisers should be servicing. Creativity is fundamental, it’s not about coming up with the coolest trend. If you think of yourself as an event organiser, then it’s the only thing you focus on. The moment you say “I’m a community builder” it changes your perspective on what you should be doing. As a community facilitator you combine forces to serve greater community needs. Like a tribal leader, you epitomise the identity and value of your tribe. Your role is to remind the tribe of its shared values and, if something disrupts or threatens the tribe, then you can play a more active role. We met Dave at the Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore. The first edition of Campus Party Singapore will take place at Singapore EXPO on 6-8 July, 2018.
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Aust ral i a sec t i o n sp o nso r
Why May is the month for meetings Tourism Australia’s managing director, John O’Sullivan, outlines the country’s first-ever national bid fund.
M The Business Events Bid Fund Program is available to qualified international incentive, association and exhibition events, and is designed to ensure a material difference to event costs for organisers.
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ay. If you’re in the meetings industry it really means one thing – IMEX Frankfurt. It’s one of the biggest opportunities of the year to meet and do business with people from around the world. Tourism Australia is a long-standing participant at IMEX Frankfurt, leveraging the opportunity to highlight our products, experiences, and the capabilities of Australia’s business events industry, where service providers and suppliers go above and beyond to deliver world-class business events. Our well-established reputation is based on our professional people and modern facilities, and perfectly complemented by our outstanding food and wine, and incredible natural beauty. This year, May also represents an important milestone for the business events industry in Australia, with the launch of Australia’s first-ever national bid fund, Tourism Australia’s Boosting Business Events Bid Fund Program (BFP). The establishment of the BFP represents an investment of more than AUD12 million over the next three years, and was announced by the Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon. Steven Ciobo MP in March 2018. In an increasingly crowded international marketplace, the BFP will provide Australia with a competitive advantage when bidding to secure
high-value international business events. With more and more destinations developing their business events offering, the BFP will ensure Australia’s attractions and knowledge centres are complemented by financial support that can be used to offset the cost of hosting business events in Australia. Managed by Tourism Australia’s dedicated business events unit, Business Events Australia (BEA), the BFP is available to qualified international incentive, association and exhibition events, and is designed to ensure a material difference to event costs for organisers. It can include, but is not limited to, hard costs for accommodation, venue hire, transport and other event costs incurred in Australia. Applications opened for the BFP on 1 May, and interest in the opportunity has been very strong. It’s not surprising, given our track record in event delivery, our friendly and welcoming people, and the new and refreshed infrastructure throughout the country. The BFP means there’s never been a better time to consider Australia for your next business event. For more information on the BFP, visit Australia.com/businessevents. We look forward to seeing you in Australia soon. John O’Sullivan is managing director at Tourism Australia.
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Tourism Australia
Reward your team with front row seats to the world’s smallest parade
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE AUSTRALIA FOR YOUR NEXT BUSINESS EVENT. PLAN NOW, VISIT AUSTRALIA.COM/BUSINESSEVENTS
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Going for
Gold
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games provided more than just 11 days of sporting competition. Lauren Arena investigates the legacy programme underpinning the event and why meeting planners are the ultimate winners. 50
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o one can deny the ‘convening power’ of a mega sporting event like the Commonwealth Games. And with more than 6,600 athletes from 71 competing nations and territories, 15,000 volunteers and more than 1.2 million tickets sold, The Gold Coast XXI Commonwealth Games (GC2018) certainly proved its strength in numbers. The 11-day spectacle will go down in history as the largest sporting event Australia will see this decade, and the biggest the Gold Coast has ever seen. But what else will GC2018 leave behind? The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (GOLDOC) worked hard to ensure legacy was at the forefront of all planning decisions for the event. Major funding was allocated to build dedicated venues, light rail infrastructure and develop new cultural and knowledge precincts. Government funding also supported a cultural programme, known as Festival 2018, which ran alongside the Games and featured more than 1,000 events (many free and open to the public) that showcased some 1,400 artists from 50 countries. GC2018 supported trade and economic growth, promoted equality and diversity, and also celebrated local and international culture. While planning for the Games, GOLDOC had its sights set on a longterm community goal that would maximise return on investment (the local government invested AUD255 million) and avoid filling the regional city with white elephants. Here, the business event sector was placed front and centre. Gold Coast Tourism’s director of business events, Anna Case, says the GC2018 legacy programme focused on ensuring purpose-built infrastructure could be redesigned and repurposed post-Games. “The grandstands and the Athlete’s Village, which was a complete new build, will be re-purposed into residential accommodation and a new health and knowledge precinct.” Venues such as Kurrawa Event Terrace at Broadbeach, also built specifically for the Games, is already being used as a beachfront venue for business events. Beyond bricks and mortar, significant economic and social legacies have been achieved as a result of hosting the Games (see GC2018 Legacy on p.54). As well as integrating culture and the arts, an extensive business programme, known as Trade 2018, was also part of the mega event. It
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leveraged the Games to provide a platform for government and business leaders to meet and explore new trade and investment opportunities across the Commonwealth. Spanning sectors such as agribusiness, health and retail, the 14-day Trade 2018 international programme was one of the first major integrated business programmes of its kind.
Strategic marketing
After securing the bid to host the Games, Gold Coast Tourism enacted a strategic marketing plan to target sports, health and wellness conventions. Forty-seven business events have already been secured as a result, and are expected to attract more than 24,400 delegates in coming years. These include conferences for the Australian Association of Massage Therapists, Australian College of Sports Physicians, and Australia and NZ Sports Law. In addition, there are 16 meetings awaiting decision in the bidding and development stage, with the potential to attract 6,500 delegates with an estimated value of AUD15.7 million.
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D e s t i n a tio n f ea ture Aust r alia
This is a golden opportunity for the Gold Coast... We are now a big player in the sandpit and we’re here to stay. ANNA CASE business events director Gold Coast Tourism
#GC2018 Games mascot Borobi (top left); activation in Surfers’ Paradise (top right); interactive art at Festival 2018 (left); Australian Bronze Medal Paratriathlete, Lauran Parker, one of many para-athletes who competed in the ‘Inclusive Games’ (above).
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Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said the business events team was allocated AUD300,00 of local government funding in order to maintain “momentum” post-Games. “The funding was significant but has now delivered great results,” Winter said. “The important message is all these decision-makers need to have a reason to choose one destination over another and the Commonwealth Games has proven to be an irresistible carrot which will leave a legacy for the Gold Coast for decades to come.” As well as associations in the sport, health and wellness sector, Business Events Gold Coast has also been working to leverage the publicity of the Games to attract corporate groups from China and Korea. And despite the fact that China and Korea are not members of the Commonwealth, the strategy has proven highly successful. Immediately after the Games, Nu Skin Korea brought more than 1,000 of its top performers to the Gold Coast (providing an estimated AUD5 million boost to the city) and this month (May) 8,000 Infinitus China incentive delegates will descend on the city in a series of four waves across a two-week period. The mega incentive is the largest the city has ever hosted and is set to inject approx. AUD50 million into the local economy. “Although in China they are not very familiar with the Commonwealth Games, we talked about the security, transportation and infrastructure required to host the Games — all things that relate to our space of events,” Case says. “So it really demonstrated that we would be able to deliver a large-scale incentive programme.” Reflecting on the Commonwealth Games and the Infinitus win, Case says: “This is a golden opportunity for the Gold Coast — our time to stand up and say that we are now a big player in the sandpit and we’re here to stay.”
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GC2018 Legacy Infrastructure: • $420 million Light Rail Stage 2 development • $220 million in new and upgraded sporting venues • $550 million Parklands residential and retail development at Southport (Games Village) • $14 million beach nourishment programme • $1 million Kurrawa Event Terrace can host up to 150 seated guests • $10.5 million Broadwater Parklands • Gold Coast Health & Knowledge precinct creating skilled jobs and set to generate $2.9 billion gross economic benefit • $200 million airport upgrade • $850 million upgrade of The Star integrated resort that saw all 596 rooms revamped, additional restaurants and bars, and new indoor and outdoor event spaces. A new 17-storey luxury hotel, The Darling, recently opened as part of the complex, with 57 suites. Social: • GC2018 Reconciliation Action Plan to boost the number of Indigenous businesses supplying government at all levels • GC2018 was the first-ever ‘Inclusive Games’, which brought able-bodied and para-athletes together as one for a spectacle of 18 sports and 7 para-sports. • GC2018 served as a platform for gender equality with the same number of competitions for male and female athletes. Trans-gender athletes like weightlifter Laurel Hubbard also talked about feeling welcome amid cheers from the crowd. • Accessibility prioritisation - projects include beach disability access mats, Changing Places, mobility maps, recharge stations for mobility scooters • Game On health program encouraging Commonwealth sports participation from young people • $7 million accelerated cultural sector development • 16 local artists showcased as part of Festival 2018
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Legacy Gold Coast Health and Knowledge precinct (top right); The Star Gold Coast recently completed a mega refurbishment and served as an official venue partner throughout the Games (above).
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Langkawi Boom or bust?
Following a recent infrastructure boom, Sanjay Surana investigates whether the appeal of new luxury resorts can overcome accessibility issues to attract more business.
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D e s t i n atio n F ea ture M alay sia
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angkawi, an archipelago of islands in the northwest corner of Malaysia bordering Thailand in the Andaman Sea, conjures up images of an idyllic island paradise, with mountainous fecund interiors, clear emerald seas, and powdery beaches. Dominated by its main eponymous island, Langkawi is also established as a hub for meetings and events, held at the peninsula’s international convention centre, or at numerous luxury hotels dotted around the isle. More recently, Langkawi has experienced an infrastructure boom, with the opening of globally renowned luxury brands like St. Regis and the RitzCarlton, a monumental refurbishment of iconic property The Datai, and an expansion of the island’s airport that is due to wrap up later this year. But has this injection of investment in infrastructure and accommodation had any effect on the meeting business? Has it attracted more corporate incentives and meetings groups, or resulted in new business? And can this ‘Jewel of Kedah’ state compete with similar island destinations like Bali or Phuket? “The island boasts beautiful beaches and majestic rainforests that gives corporate clients a breath of fresh air, literally,” says Iskandar Zulkarnain, director of sales & marketing of The Andaman resort, part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection portfolio. “The island provides a balance of business and leisure — ‘bleisure’ — allowing delegates to enjoy a change of scenery, and possibly a more productive meeting. The island is generally still very much a ‘hidden gem’ in comparison to more famous destinations like Bali or Phuket, so is generally less crowded, allowing guests to truly take their time in experiencing the best the island can offer.” “Langkawi is seen as a top preferred destination for events that want a more natural approach – a perfect setting for leisure getaways, incentives and team-building events,” adds Zulkifli Rahman, director of sales and marketing at the Ritz-Carlton Langkawi, which opened in September 2017. According to the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCeb), Langkawi targets “the niche C&I market that is looking for a beach destination with a peaceful and relaxing experience, a gorgeous backdrop, and fantastic sea views,” says CEO Zulkefli Hj. Sharif. Despite all these lures, Langkawi might not grab the global headlines or visitor numbers that other islands in Southeast Asia do. But there are benefits to its size — smaller than Singapore, Phuket, and Bali (about onetwelfth of the size of Bali) — making access within the island simple. “It’s easy to move around, everything is within a 30-minute drive of each other,” notes Sharif. The population, reflective of Malaysia, is multiracial and hence multilingual: Malay, English, Chinese (both Mandarin and dialects), and Tamil are spoken. The Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC) is sited in an idyllic cove in the southern tip of the island near The Westin hotel and inspired by the Malay songket design to reflect the local heritage and culture, looking onto both lush rainforests and sandy beaches on the Straits of
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Luxury appeal Langkawi International Convention Centre (below); new rainforest villas at The Datai (right); The St. Regis Langkawi (bottom).
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Delivery here is key and we have a service legacy that we are proud of, and that also extends to our local operators. ZULKIFLI RAHMAN director of sales and marketing The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi
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Malacca. The airport, which might not yet have the volume of international connections as Bali and Phuket, is currently undergoing a US$20 million upgrade that will focus on facilities at the arrival terminal. The accommodation sector has also benefited from growth and improvement. The Ritz-Carlton, in the west of the island, has 29 villas and 90 guest rooms, while the St. Regis, which debuted in April 2016, offers plush interiors and meetings facilities. The Datai, one of the island’s best-known properties, secluded within a 10 million-year-old primary rainforest, will wrap up a 10-month, US$60 million renovation to reopen later this year. Interiors, rooms, the spa and public areas will be given a new look and a new nature centre, inspired by tribal longhouses, will be added. Other revered names like The Andaman and Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa continue to serve leisure and business travellers. Beyond the resorts, Langkawi, a UNESCO Global Geopark, has plenty to offer meetings and incentives groups, with fabulous options for team-building exercises. The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park has an extensive mangrove eco-system and unique landscape of pinnacles, cliffs, caves, and hills. The Machinchang mountain range, one of the oldest in Southeast Asia, is renowned for its Cambrian rock formations dating back 550 million years, and is served by the Langkawi SkyCab, the steepest cable-car ride in the world, which terminates at the breathtaking SkyBridge suspended bridge. Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park on the archipelago’s second largest island is famous for its freshwater lake set within rugged forest, with beautiful Permian marble formations found here. Elsewhere there are jungle walks, sublime beaches, snorkelling and scuba diving opportunities, island-hopping excursions, and the huge aquarium Underwater World. And the glue that binds these experiences are the local operators that have a sound record of welcoming tourists for decades. “Delivery here is key and we have a service legacy that we are proud of, and that also extends to our local operators,” notes Rahman. Sharif, at MyCeb, stresses the rich variety of offerings. “They can be designed or tailor-made for groups to allow them to indulge in the authenticity of local culture. For example, rice paddy planting, cooking dodol (a sweet) with villagers, making ketupat (dumplings), catching fish and many more.” The bureau works with a number of operators, including Naam (for festive events at the Paradise 101 bar and restaurant), Umgawa Legendary Adventures (zipline eco-tours), and Cempaka Helicopter (heli tours of the island). These offerings and the recent infrastructure boom seem, at least anecdotally, to be paying dividends (MyCeb does not have any statistics on the rise in business attributable to recent developments). “New resorts opening will attract niche corporate and incentive groups that are looking for something different, a luxury experience at an affordable cost,” explains Sharif. At the Ritz-Carlton, there has been a rise in incentives inquiries from India since December 2017.
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“With the recent boom in more branded resorts and news about the expansion of the airport, Langkawi is definitely making its name known in the market. While there is still a large untapped potential, we definitely have been receiving more incentive and meeting group enquiries recently, both local and international,” notes Zulkarnain at the Andaman. Rajiv Kapoor, general manager of The Westin, is positively bullish on the island’s prospects on the heels of all the construction and renovation. “The landscape of Langkawi will change significantly in the coming years following the huge development boom which will elevate the island’s status as a major tourism destination,” he said. “The development is expected to bring growth opportunities to tourism and property and further spur development of more corporate incentive and meeting groups — providing high-end, seafront meeting options tailored to further boost the tourism and services industry here. In addition, an increase in airport capacity, excellent infrastructure, improving domestic and international air connectivity represent a significant opportunity for Langkawi to emerge as a prominent destination of equal calibre to Asia’s leading resort destinations such as Phuket and Bali.”
Hidden gem Langkawi offers a range of outdoor activities such as island hopping (top right); river cruises (right); and private sailing charters (below).
With the recent boom in more branded resorts and news about the expansion of the airport, Langkawi is definitely making its name known in the market. ISKANDAR ZULKARNAIN director of sales & marketing The Andaman
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More bang for buck in
Hong Kong With more and more affordable meeting options in China and Southeast Asia, Kim Benjamin examines whether higher prices translate to better service in Hong Kong.
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ong Kong has long had a reputation as an expensive city in which to live and do business. Consultancy ECA ranked Hong Kong as the second most costly location for expatriates in the Asia-Pacific region, according to findings released in December, while Swiss private bank Julius Baer recently named the destination the most expensive city in Asia for fine dining and business class flights. The 2018 Meetings & Events Future Trends report meanwhile, compiled by CWT, ranked Hong Kong fifth in its list of top ten cities for meetings and events in Asia-Pacific, based on CWT booking data; the agency highlighted how prices are not changing very much in the region as a whole, with regards to hotels and air fares. Darren Chuckry, managing director at agency Uniplan and regional vice president – Hong Kong/ Macau/ Taiwan for PCMA-ICESAP, an association targeted at corporates, agencies and suppliers in Asia-Pacific’s business events sector, says Hong Kong definitively ranks among the most costly cities for hosting events compared to other Asian destinations. “This is due to the low demand of large-scale venues and the high hotel and accommodation costs,” he says. “Additionally, the production and people costs are quite a bit more expensive compared to other cities in South East Asia. Talent costs also increase if they have to be flown in and then accommodated in Hong Kong. As an example, if I had a cast of 70 in Thailand compared with Hong Kong, the costs would almost double in the latter.” To ensure that planners get the best value from an event in Hong Kong, Chuckry recommends partnering with local companies to help bring down costs and add ‘more bang for buck’. “Explore the city and the culture — there are some wonderful sites, activities and entertainment that might be overlooked and
While Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world it still has the uniqueness and costeffective side to please all tastes. DARREN CHUCKRY managing director Uniplan Hong Kong
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Venue choice Sheung Wan Art District (main); Asia World Expo (above); Ocean Park Hong Kong (below left).
could be very cost effective and exciting for guests, from a local noodle shop to a five-star restaurant, from the View at the Peak to the art district of Sheung Wan,” he says. “While Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world it still has the uniqueness and cost-effective side to please all tastes.” It’s a view shared by Lily Agonoy, managing director of corporate travel agency BCD Travel. By focusing on post-meeting experiences — both within Hong Kong and neighbouring destinations — planners can boost the value from events held on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. “The choice of venues, especially restaurants, is abundant, with a wide range to fit different budgets,” she says. “There are also many options for attendees after their business sessions such as tours/excursion to Macau, South China, Southeast or North Asia, which are located only one to four hours away.” The destination’s ease of access is another consideration. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), there are more than 1,100 daily flights connecting the city with more than 220 destinations, while its visa-free policy, which applies to more than 170 countries and regions, also offers convenience for event organisers. Levels of safety are another factor — the destination ranks among the top ten
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in a list of safest cities in the world in The Economist’s 2017 safe cities Index. So while some may perceive Hong Kong as a more expensive option for hosting meetings and events, the stability and infrastructure of the city can often go beyond the price point. “Hong Kong is well-known as one of the safest cities in the world for travellers and we often hear from event planners that they weigh security, ease of communication and efficiency over budget when choosing a destination for their meeting and events,” says David Fung, director of sales & marketing at five-star property The Langham, Hong Kong. He adds that Hong Kong continues to prove attractive to MICE groups because of the quality of its products and services, encouraging high levels of attendance at events — an important value for planners. On the accommodation side, he says planners can also find ‘exceptional value for money’ during the low seasons in February, May, June and early September. Pierre Barthes, general manager/area vice president of operations at the five-star Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong believes that the destination’s new infrastructure projects and city attractions will draw further leisure and corporate group business. Developments include a third airport runway, while the Express Rail Link and The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau
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Cost effective Corporate groups can visit busy Mongkok (left) or Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island (below).
Bridge will make travel to major cities in China and the Pearl River Delta faster and more convenient. “Hong Kong will continue to be a preferred destination due to excellent business support infrastructure, airport convenience, accommodation to meet the demand and other entertainment and recreational activities,” he says. Venues too are upping the ante, looking to appeal to planners by offering additional services aimed at increasing value. AsiaWorld-Expo for example is looking to provide memorable visitor experiences under the concept of ‘expotainment’ — combining entertainment and activities alongside business events. In addition, it says adjacent halls, if available, can be used for ancillary services for event organisers, such as luggage storage, engagement activities or for use as a VIP lounge. “We have partnered with hotels and attractions, offering a total experience from business to off-site leisure and entertainment,” says Agnes Chen, assistant director of branding and corporate communications at AsiaWorld-Expo. HKTB meanwhile is offering bidding and development funds to encourage the
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local travel trade and event organisers to bring events of all scale to Hong Kong. Its 2018/2019 Hong Kong Rewards Progamme also seeks to add value for event planners, from both the venue and experience side. “This year’s offers include complimentary benefits at about 50 hotels around town, complimentary meals at two world-class attractions — the Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park Hong Kong — as well as complimentary party and horse racing experiences at the Hong Kong Jockey Club,” says an HKTB spokesperson. “The programme offers value-adding benefits to MICE groups of all sizes.” As Alex Yau, director, meeting & events at MCI Hong Kong points out, while Hong Kong remains one of the most expensive destinations within Asia to host events, in terms of quality — across restaurants, hotels, DMC support and unique experiences – it has some of the best planners can find in the region. “Compared to China, Hong Kong is definitely more expensive in terms of hotel, F&B and manpower cost. Nevertheless, it is a lot more convenient with regards to travel visas, it’s a stronger hub for air transfers, and English is widely spoken,” she said.
The choice of venues, especially restaurants, is abundant, with a wide range to fit different budgets. LILY AGONOY managing director BCD Travel Hong Kong
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17 - 19 October 2018 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
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BIZ EVENTS ASIA | VOLUME I 2018
Volume I 2018
ASSOCIATIONS
Ecosystems in emerging destinations; Convergence in Asia; Creating a lasting legacy
M&I TOOLKIT
Neuroscience at events; Experiential meeting design; Gender equality
TRUST ME The power of meetings in the post truth era
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