FOLLOWING its acquisition by Fosun International in March 2015, all-inclusive holiday resort Club Med has created a new MICE-dedicated post, stepping up initiatives to offer meeting packages and incentivising agents to bring in more corporate event bookings.

According to general manager for Hong Kong/Macau, Sebastien Portes, the group is now better-placed to grow its market share even though it has up to now been a minor player, with only three per cent of Hong Kong business generated by MICE in 2015.

He said: “(Our performance thus far) in the MICE market (is due to) various factors like the absence of a dedicated MICE team and lack of investment in trade marketing.

However, with a new post set up six months ago to lead the MICE segment, he is positive that sales will grow 10 times in the next three years.

Besides rolling out a dedicated website for the Hong Kong market in mid-2016, it also introduced higher commissions for agents who bring in MICE bookings. From April 1, every agent bringing a group of more than 40 pax will be guaranteed an additional three per cent in commission.

Julien Hauss, business development manager for MICE, said: “We are the only player with an all-inclusive offer and now we have one location near Hong Kong – the 300-room Dong’ao Island Hotel, Zhuhai – that offers full MICE facilities.”

He added: “I am targeting big companies in finance, insurance, health and new technology as they do events every year despite (the) current economy.”

Club Med resorts provide the use of function spaces and additional equipment such as overhead projectors and screens. For groups of up to 500 pax, full venue hire is possible.

Meanwhile, Club Med will further expand its reach in China with the Joyview by Club Med brand next year. Two properties under this banner will emerge in Shanghai. According to Portes, the brand is dedicated to the China market, with properties built outside first-tier cities, located two to three hours away by car.

“Additionally, our second Club Med ski resort in China (will) open in Jilin this November. It will offer full MICE facilities and ski activities for (corporate) groups,” he added.

TWENTY-THREE international associations have established offices in Dubai since 2013, as a direct result of the support offered by the Dubai Association Centre (DAC), and are raising the number of meetings held in the emirate.

More than offering international associations keen on expanding across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia a serviced office from which to conduct business, the DAC provides licensing and registration services, association management services through its partner MCI, and event planning services for meetings and conferences held in Dubai.

Layla Derraz, promotion and events representative from the DAC, shared that a further 50 applications are being processed now.

“The DAC has drawn great interest from international associations, and those that have already established an office at the DAC include UITP (an international association for public transport authorities, operators, policy makers and other key stakeholders in the public transport field), GSMA (an international association for mobile operators and those in related industries) and MENAFA (Middle East & North Africa Franchise Association),” said Derraz.

When asked if the DAC has enough office space to house more international associations, Derraz said an expansion project is underway to add to the DAC’s current capacity in the Sheikh Rashid Tower, part of the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Steen Jakobsen, director, Dubai Business Events, said: “There is a huge amount of development around the complex where DAC is, and multiple sites are in the pipeline. A second office will open next to the Dubai World Trade Centre and it will support new international associations that are entering the region.”

Jakobsen added that the DAC has contributed to Dubai Business Events’ ultimate goal of achieving greater MICE business in the destination.

Although Jakobsen was unable to quantify the percentage increase in the number of association meetings since the establishment of the DAC, he shared that a “roundtable with several associations last week revealed that they are hosting more events – both regional and international congresses” since coming into Dubai.