CO VE R STO RY
PRIVATE GETAWAYS
LAUCALA ISLAND IN FIJI BOASTS ITS OWN AIRPORT, AN 18-HOLE GOLF COURSE, A FLEET OF 14 SAILBOATS, A HORSE STABLE AND A WATER SPORTS CENTRE. ᡣῤ፬༂ᑵᒔầ࿌ቇỈ᠇ಪ29፦ᗥᰕັᜐ᠇ಪ25ἢྷᝣಪᗣ્ᅟ໓๘ᬤᘅಫ
Pleasure islands The possibilities are endless as more businesses are renting private islands for employee events, writes Ed Peters Some meetings, incentive, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) events take over a hotel. Others might charter a cruise ship. But hiring an entire island doesn’t just up your game – it rates an automatic entry to the Olympics. 22 MICE BIZ SEPTEMBER 2014
There’s an amazing range of choice in the Asia-Pacific, with MICE-friendly islands in the Seychelles, Fiji, Australia, Indonesia and beyond. One of the world’s leading letting operations, Vladi Private Islands, has
more than 200 properties on its books, all around the world. “We’re witnessing a huge increase in businesses looking to hire the ultimate meeting location to impress their most important clients,”
ქ้ᵭ ུᨦᕐཊქ้ᒔᾷ⁆ᑟ፨ᘅᰂྣ ᙛᄦᢺᐑ༇ᕾ!!Fe!Qfufst แᄚᨤᶑᓉᬥ፨ᘅᨤᕐཊẴᒄᗐᆡಮแ
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ጁᗭႮစᇣ༨ᄐᡤᔚᏀ:11ຜ
ቇᒔᕐᘝຜ༏ầ࿌311ྣᐷᬯ༨ໞ᎐
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W b m e j ᴰ ᘥ ᯽ ᠋ ᄙ ቇ F n n b!
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೭ጁᗭႮ₁࿌ྐᰵủᔓቇዱນᅟເ༜
LAUCALA ISLAND COSTS US$150,000 PER NIGHT, WITH A MINIMUM STAY OF FIVE NIGHTS. ፬༂ᑵᒔႸᚷ26Ꮓທີ᭙ຌᚷಫ
SEPTEMBER 2014 MICE BIZ 23
ONE&ONLY HAYMAN ISLAND, LOCATED ON AUSTRALIA’S GREAT BARRIER REEF, OFFERS EXTENSIVE ACTIVITIES AND CONFERENCE FACILITIES SUITED TO LARGE GROUPS. Pof'PomzᓽᘍᒔစỔဩᄛ᠋‑ᡒᄤྣທລ፨ᘅᅟᨤ∲ទጲḴྒྷឋᵩᮎ⌅ಫ
says Emma Sharples, from Vladi’s office in Hamburg, Germany. “Whether it’s due to the lack of distractions, the stunning scenery or even the sea air, there’s something about private islands that allows you to clear your mind and concentrate on the task at hand. “But it’s certainly not a case of all work and no play – more businesses are renting private islands for employee events. Whether for teambuilding exercises, company anniversaries or even as an unforgettable Christmas party location, the possibilities are endless.” A newcomer to the MICE island scene, One&Only Hayman Island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef opened in July following a US$80 million revamp. The resort, 900km north of Brisbane, is suited to large groups, with extensive activities and conference facilities on offer. “As a private island, the resort can cater for small groups or larger events of up to 300 people, and can also be booked exclusively for a sole use,” says Ivy Kwan, One&Only’s vice-president of global marketing. 24 MICE BIZ SEPTEMBER 2014
“The Entertainment Centre is the ideal meeting space for large seminarstyle meetings and offers a fullyequipped stage, excellent audio-visual facilities, natural lighting and stunning views of the beach and the Coral Sea beyond. The resort has a range of indoor and outdoor settings suitable for private functions or special events including beachside and garden locations, as well as luxury cruises.” Prices start at US$3,700 for four days, inclusive of accommodation and meals, and add-ons such as a cocktail reception and sea kayaking tour. On a smaller scale, the accommodation at Nikoi Island off Bintan in Indonesia comprises 15 twostorey beach houses spread out over a five-hectare site. Team-building activities include raft-building, rock-climbing, and drumming and music workshops. “The exclusivity and privacy of booking a private island like Nikoi is guaranteed to make any event special,” says Andrew Dixon, one of the resort’s founders. “On Nikoi, we like to challenge the preconceived ideas of
ទጲጪᓽΰಪቮ᧒ಪᲢᤤᬥ᫈ᣱḴ ྒྷქ้ᱡᨤᆾᔓဧ፨ᘅಫ೮ ༚ະᳳᓧᙫ4-811Ꮓທᖼጪဆᙄ ᅟᾉᐝອ̗ၶᗐᨤಪủ໋ຆᓉᣱኋ ᑷᵭ፨ᘅಫ ྇ጁ༣ခᄛ༽ᒔኋቾ༣ፈཨᒔឋᵩ ᬞཻ࿌26ᴥᄵᴡቇᓽ⊷ዸၚ᫋ᇣ ᥢᬮ6Ꮴᔡቇྜ๘ಫᮎᦍጂទ፨ᘅጪ ᝄಪⅯབྷಪ༰᭪ᅟᐙᵭဘၓᣱಫ ጁᗭႮ២้ຆแቇBoesfx! Ejypo ᰶಯ೭᭳༣ፈཨឣᵢቇქ้ᒔጳₜᙅ ủᄜᢺḋྜྷឣᄳ⁆ქ้፨ᘅ₁ጸུ ᨦᗅᎠᨤ឵ᨤ⋸ᙩຂ༩๛ಫ!೮ ೭ྜྷ༣ፈཨဘ႐ᐰ៱⊵ᬘጳ࿌ᓙ ᓙຂຮጎᘳᤤቇᆉ᪶ಫྜྷឣᄳ࿌ᦩ ኄ໓ᾠᾆᅟᜑབྷኆ⌰ಫ႐ᐰᲗ፷ᘳᤤ ጸቒᦊಪₜქᅟᢻᏃᡩ႐ᐰᣝᜒ ឣᵢቇᮒᕾᘲổᣝ២ឭ๐ጸུᨦ፨ᘅ ủᔓᜑ᧹ቇཔቇྜಫ೮ ᕐཊེᒔቇᳳᓧแᖉ፷Ⴘᚷ26-111ᨛ ᅫທ:4-395ᢓທೆᥲຌಪᥲບᅟ ᥲ່ቇᳳᓧኴຨ29-611ᨛᅫທಫ ᜑፍಭ༨≴ಪᗣᾠಭད≴ጁᣱྒ้ ጆ࿆⌅ᨤᄿქ้ᒔᾷቇṬ๐ᱬྩಫᳯ ℽᲔᣝ้₂ᰕᙞಭᰳ༨ᡤᙈᡣῤቇ፬ ༂ᑵᒔ༰ឭ࿁ቇქ้ະᘮ࿁፷ེໞ᎐ ₜᙅಪᙇ≜ቇጁᗭྜᒔᜒᓊཌྷᎼ ຜ༏ቇ༤ᾆᐃᔓᄐၼಭᗣᔓၼᖛῲᬤಫ ጁᗭႮቇแຠḊ឵᧸ᄿủแᢺ่ಫ ༢ầ࿌ቇỈ᠇ಪ29፦83ႳቇὮᵧⁱ
what luxury is. You won’t find gold taps and marble foyers on the island. Our notion of luxury is space, privacy and natural beauty, and we have found that such an environment inspires creativity, making it wonderful for corporate events.” Rates for the whole island are normally S$15,000 (HK$93,284) per night, but they rise to S$18,500 per night on the weekend. Celebrities from Richard Branson to Marlon Brando have been quick to see the advantages of private islands. Billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes turned Laucala Island in Fiji into his personal haven. It is now operated by Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz. The resort boasts its own airport, an 18-hole championship golf course, a fleet of 14 sailboats including one specially adapted for game fishing, a stable of eight thoroughbred horses and a water sports centre. And with just 24 villas, this is a MICE destination for a select group. “Finding new and exotic destinations for MICE has become a global trend,” says Andrew Thomson, the resort’s new general manager.
ᗥᰕັᜐ᠇ಪ25ἢྷᝣᄷแἢᙇཊ
ᔝነᙚḴྒྷ⁆࿒⇠፨ᘅಫ೮ᕐဆ፬༂
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ጁ ᗭ Ⴎ ቇ ᨛ ᪬ ᜑ B o e s f x! ᵢ⍁པᙫᗣᑭᨎᐠᖆᔚᆩ༓᳗26ຟ Uipntpoቺམಯ೭Ⴙᨛቇಪဧᄶᘥᙹ
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FREGATE ISLAND PRIVATE IN THE SEYCHELLES ᧔ᰕ༭᭒ᓧᔓᒔ
SEPTEMBER 2014 MICE BIZ 25
NIKOI ISLAND, LOCATED OFF BINTAN IN INDONESIA, COMPRISES 15 TWO-STOREY BEACH HOUSES THAT ARE SPREAD OUT OVER FIVE HECTARES. ྇ጁ༣ခᄛ༽ᒔኋቾቇ༣ፈཨᒔཻ࿌26ᴥᄵᴡᓽ⊷ዸနྜ6Ꮴᔡಫ
“Laucala Island is a jewel in the unspoiled South Pacific archipelago which lends itself perfectly for such events.” To hire Laucala costs US$150,000 per night, with a minimum of five nights plus 20 per cent tax. Similarly high-profile, Fregate Island Private in the Seychelles is a 15-minute flight from Mahé. For MICE organisers looking for an eco-friendly option, Fregate is the answer. The island is home to some 2,000 free-roaming giant aldabra turtles, and hundreds of endangered hawksbill turtles. In addition, tens of thousands of trees have been planted to rehabilitate the indigenous forest, where more than 100 species of tropical birds thrive. The resort comprises 16 residences and three villas on a separate estate. Like Laucala in Fiji, this is not the cheapest MICE option, especially when airfares and transfers are factored in, but Fregate does score high in the exclusivity stakes. Delegates will eat well here, as a huge variety of fish comes directly from the Indian Ocean, and there are exciting venues ranging 26 MICE BIZ SEPTEMBER 2014
from a beach barbecue to a sunset cruise and a tree house high up in one of the island’s oldest banyans. And the MICE island scene is expanding. Next year will see the opening of Akaryn Koh Krabeay Retreat and Spa, a private island off Sihanoukville in Cambodia. The retreat, which will contain 40 spacious pool villas, has been painstakingly crafted to allow retention of all the old-growth trees on the island, while leaving other native flora and fauna unaffected. The resort’s focus on health and wellness should make it especially interesting to MICE organisers looking for an unusual angle for their event. “There will be a featured meditation cave, walking meditation practice, and a guru of meditation will be invited to teach on week-long learning,” says founder and owner Anchalika Kijkanakorn, who is also chairman of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. “This is in addition to the organic garden that will feature raw and healthy produce that thrives on the island and environs.”
ອᵝᗡⅼྈቇᎌᩮᓽᾡಫឣ䋘ᰵᢂ็ᵝ ቇề໋ᐏጂᑐᅾᇻቇᐕᲤ₁ ࿌ᥢᬮ211ᰵᶍᙛ័⇠ྜྷឣ䋘ཉ፨ಫ ጁᗭႮጪ27ᇂဆྱᅟ๕ᴥủཛဧ ᮖಫᱬᡣῤቇ፬༂ᑵแᵢឣ䋘ባᆉຂጸ ᮪ᠷቇᨤᶑᓉᬥྜ₰ຶᄷ₁ᏴໃỈ ᜱᅟ℥Ỉᥚཊဖ༭᭒ᓧᔓᄷₜᙅಪᙇ ≜ᅍ៥ಫឣᄳ⁅ቾ྇ጁ፟ྐᰵྐᵢቇ៏ ⇠ະະቊᚍᬤᄿቺ༇ᰦᄜᏃᅐಪ᭡ ᰳಫឣᄳຂ้⌁៱ቇ᠇ྜᅟ፨ ᘅᄥྫྜྷᓽ⊷Ởᔎಪྜྷᒔ๘ᯞề๘ ቇềዸለḔ່᫋ಫ Ⴁ๋ᨤᶑᓉᬥᨦᘃቇᒔᾷ༻ຂᴐ ಫᇪྐྵBlbszo!Lpi!Lsbcfbz໓ ጁᗭ ᙈᇣፃᑫ᮫ခዌီဢዚኋቾቇქ้ᒔ ᾷᦈᨦಫ ጁᗭទ࿌51ᴥ၌ሐ࿙ቇᴞᡞဧ ᮖ᱈ኛᔤ็ᒔ๘ቇᇂ࿌༈ề ໋ᄷ༷ྜᘅᢂሸ᪸ຂᅏᴯ⊒ಫ ጁᗭᎢᩳ⇘ሏᗲᙞᱬኛᗲឣᙈ ၄ຽᄍᄚႹဧ᥀ಪᱬဧຂྋቇᨤᶑ ᓉᬥᝃ∘ಫ ጁ ᗭ Ⴎ ២ ᅾ ้ ᅟ ᇂ ࿌ B o d i b m j l b! Ljklboblpsoྋᓊጸེᜐᾢღ᱈ዊủཛᲢ ᤤᗐᆡ›᩿ᒘᲛಯ೭ឣ䋘ᨤ࿌ဧᄶ ᔓቇᑃ᧹፦ᡒᄤჾᑃ᧹ጦẚ ₁ᨤ₄Ḅᑃ᧹ᒙᚚḆแᥲಫ೮ ೭ᗞ็࿌Ỉቮ᧒ᒔᾷᅟᅢ⇆ྜᘊ₁ᜦ ະᢻಪᗲᙞቇᬣဘሸಫ೮