INTERNATIONAL MICE event management company MCI last Friday launched its 11th branch in Asia with the opening of MCI Indonesia.
MCI Indonesia is a joint venture company owned equally by MCI Singapore and Indonesian travel management company Smailing Tour.
Robin Lokerman, president of MCI Asia-Pacific, said the set-up has been one-and-a-half years in the making in order to ensure a consistent quality in the events organised in Indonesia, given that half of MCI’s business comes from clients who work with MCI in multiple locations.
He added: “We see a growing number of our corporate clients who would like to do business in Indonesia. We are helping them by reaching new customers in Indonesia.”
Lokerman also noted that more Indonesians were coming on board in Asia-Pacific associations. “We want to be close to these leaders of Indonesia and help bring global conferences to the country,” he said, saying half of MCI’s business is made up of association events.
Asked if MCI Indonesia has a target, Lokerman elaborated: “We want to build programmes in Indonesia in the next two to three years to have 30 staff in Jakarta and they will be responsible for about 100 events a year, either taking place in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta or Bali, and outgoing.”
MCI Indonesia is also eyeing the domestic meetings market. “Domestic meetings alone is a big market here. Once the domestic market starts travelling more and attending global conferences, they will start demanding international standards for their domestic meetings.”
Smailing Tour is part owner of wholesale hotel distribution channel Raja Kamar and partner in Garuda Indonesia Holidays. Bernard Akili, group chief marketing officer at Smailing and managing director for MCI Indonesia, said: “(Smailing) has witnessed a growing demand from our clients (in Indonesia) for meetings, events and exhibitions (management). This has prompted us to look for an international player with an outstanding track record and that was when MCI came into the picture.”
