IT’S game on for Melbourne this year as it gears up to host the second Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Australia 2014 by boosting Internet connection speeds.

Set to draw tens of thousands of gamers, the PAX Australia 2014 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The expo brings together international guests, speakers, musicians, developers, and local game industry representatives to showcase games and community events in Australia.

The convention centre anticipates participants downloading as much as three times MCEC’s monthly data, and has increased Internet speeds to run at one GB per second, thrice the speed of the standard service.

MCEC’s director of technology operations, Michael Walsh, said: “A high-tech event like PAX Australia is a fantastic opportunity for our team to showcase our skills, leading technology, and capabilities.

“PAX Australia is taking full advantage of our venue’s internet capabilities, digital signage, and social media packages. Given the tech-savvy nature of PAX attendees, it’s important we deliver the best.”

The event will showcase products from over 150 exhibitors, with more than 500 PCs and 100 Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo consoles across the Console Tournament and Freeplay areas for attendees to use.

Also on the agenda are at least 100 panel sessions, events, demos, and screenings that will take place at five satellite theatres.

Operations will depend on and highlight MCEC’s integrated audiovisual system which was recently upgraded to a digital fibre optic signal path for quicker connections and displays.

PAX Australia event director, Bernadette Neumann, said: “After last year’s successful sold out inaugural we knew we needed to expand, so we are very excited to now call the largest convention and exhibition centre in the southern hemisphere our new home.”

THE International Astronautical Congress (IAC) will be held in Adelaide in 2017 and is expected to draw over 3,000 delegates including some 200 astronauts, making it the largest congress ever hosted in the state.

Adelaide Convention Bureau bagged the event in partnership with the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and state government of South Australia, beating rivals such as Bremen in Germany, Orlando in the US, Istanbul, and Dublin.

IAC will feature an exhibition component which is to attract support from space agencies and international space, while the organising committee will leverage the congress to shout out about Australian innovation.

Come 2017, the event will add A$18 million (US$15.8 million) to the Adelaide economy, 22,000 room nights, and 170 jobs.

The International Astronautical Federation’s executive director paid Adelaide a visit earlier this year to view conference, hospitality, and key city tourism facilities. IAC officials were also shown a video that gave them a better idea of what delegates would experience if the event was held in Adelaide.

Adelaide Convention Bureau CEO Damien Kitto said: “The IAC is the world’s most important annual interdisciplinary meeting for the space industry, regularly attracting over 3,000 participants from more than 70 countries, including space professionals, academics, major corporations, government representatives, students, and media.”

“The legacy to be left to South Australia’s space and related industries as a result of this win is priceless. For the duration of the event, the eyes of the space industry will be firmly on this state. It will increase opportunities for international collaboration and regional leadership, especially relevant as Australia – and South Australia in particular – is recognised as an emerging participant in the international space community.”

He added: “The recent experience of host destinations has shown that hosting an IAC brings significant attention to the capabilities of the destination and provides a framework for further advancing their development and international partnerships.”

ALREADY a popular weekend destination for locals, Khao Yai is now keen to bait the meetings segment with its new convention centre.

Khao Yai Convention Center (KYCC), which started operations in July and resides within a mixed-use development, offers 3,700m2 of indoor meeting space, including a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,000 pax for seated meals and 1,700 pax in theatre style, a 970m2 exhibition hall, and seven meeting rooms.

Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima state is home to Thailand’s oldest national park that translates as ‘Big Mountain’ in English, but a good distance from the state capital.

Acknowledging this shortcoming, KYCC sales manager, Predee Sathidthanawut, instead wants to position Khao Yai as a “sub-MICE city in Isaan” and a “one-stop destination” that is ideal for large groups due to its large room inventory.

“Thais already know Khao Yai, so we are trying to build international awareness of KYCC and the destination now at IT&CM Asia,” revealed Predee when he spoke to TTGmice e-Weekly at the recent MICE tradeshow.

“We will promote KYCC as a meetings-and-leisure destination that is ideal for teambuilding too,” he remarked, further elaborating that KYCC’s proximity to nature – just 1.5km from the Khao Yai National Park – is a selling point to entice planners to hold their meetings surrounded by nature and greenery.

Other factors that work to KYCC’s advantage are the abundance of golf courses, resorts and wineries in Khao Yai, plus the destination is located just a two-hour drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Predee added.

KYCC adjoins the upcoming 11.5ha Scenical World, an expansion and rejuvenation of the existing Life Park amusement park that will add a shopping mall (Greenery Park Mall) and a water park (Splash World). Scenical World will soft open by January 2015.

Shuttle buses will be provided to transfer guests and delegates from one point to another, said Predee.

The development is also home to the 254-room Greenery Resort, the 116-room Botanica Khao Yai that debuted in July this year, and the 300-room Khao Yai Foresta that is scheduled to open in two years’ time.

THE Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) has released the dates and destinations for events in 2015, which span the continents of Asia, Europe, and North America.

First up, SITE’s international board of directors will convene with local industry professionals at the SITE Executive Summit. The summit will run from February 9-13 at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai.

Running from September 27-30, SITE Classic gathers customers, colleagues, and industry leaders to support SITE Foundation. The Baha Mar, Bahamian Riviera resort in Nassau, the Bahamas, will host the event.

SITE Global Conference 2015 provides a platform for learning about new industry trends, facing business challenges, and networking. This year’s edition will be held from October 23-26 at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi.

SITE Nites Europe and America take place the day before the opening of IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America respectively. Hosted buyers and exhibitors at the two shows will spend the evening networking on May 18 in Frankfurt and October 12 in Las Vegas.

Proceeds from both events support SITE Foundations’ research and education initiatives.

Rhonda Brewer, SITE president 2015 and vice-president, group business manager–sales for Maritz Travel Company, said: “In 2014, SITE grew its membership with over 45 per cent of the members located in 83 countries outside of the US. With events in India and Dubai, we look to grow these important markets to help us achieve our strategic goal of 4,000 members by the end of 2016.”

NEW meeting facilities at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort is positioning the resort as a suitable venue for medium-sized meetings.

At the centre of this is the 716m2 Similan Ballroom that can accommodate up to 350 delegates in theatre style and 290 guests banquet style.

The resort has also unveiled three meeting rooms – the 158m2 Tongfah, and Tawan and Talay breakout rooms at 77m2 each.

“With the unveiling of this fantastic addition to the property, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort is now committed to MICE excellence,” says Darren Edmonstone, Outrigger managing director, Asia-Pacific. “The new Similan meeting space allows Outrigger to extend its unique passion for meetings excellence and team building to event organisers around the world.”

Tony Pedroni, general manager of the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, says the new spaces will allow the resort to host teambuilding programmes with a “uniquely Thai twist”.

Meetings held at the resort can benefit from high-end, in-house audiovisual equipment, technical support, free Wi-Fi, and an events and catering team. All four meeting spaces are designed to allow in natural light.

Furthermore, Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort has a variety of outdoor spaces in the form of extensive gardens and a beachfront for teambuilding activities and outdoor banquets.

For inquiries, call 66 7636 0600.

ALICIA Yao Hong has added one more to her many hats with her latest appointment to the board of the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) ­– International Board.

Effective January 1, 2015, Yao’s service term will span three years. In her new role, Yao will be SITE’s key contact for Chinese incentive travel and business event buyers keen to know more about professionalising their incentive travel business.

Yao is currently a team member at GainingEdge China, which offers consulting services for the international conventions and meetings industry; general manager of IME Consulting Beijing; deputy secretary general of China MICE Committee;and a member of ICCA China Committee.

She and her team also function as the China sales representative for the South Africa National Convention Bureau.