MORE than half of the targeted number of registrations are already in the books, but SITE incoming president Rajeev Kohli is hungry for a larger representation from Asia for the SITE Global Conference 2016 happening in New Delhi this October.
Kohli, the first Asian president-elect in the history of the Chicago-based incentive group, is urging Asian meeting and incentive players to come out in force, saying the last time the global conference was held in Asia was in Beijing more than a decade ago in 2003.
The conference comes as the US incentive market has been registering steady rebound since the global financial crisis.
“It is an opportunity for the Pan-Asian tourism industry to network with global buyers and players in the incentive industry, enhance their skills with world-class education and also learn to conduct business with destination India (inbound and outbound),” said Kohli, who is joint managing director at Creative Travel India.
But he stressed the conference was not only about India “but Asia in general, and the opportunities it offers all incentive travel professionals”.
“SITE is a truly global association and our conferences are designed to reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the incentive travel community,” he said.
The event also marks SITE’s re-emergence in Asia. The society has a strategic priority to grow its membership in the region and was one of the first MICE associations to work with authorities to establish a chapter in China.
Earlier this year, members of the SITE International Board of Directors spent time in Asia meeting with industry leaders in Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau. Chapters in China and India are growing and there is great interest in establishing new chapters in Singapore and Hong Kong, said Kohli.
Highlights of the conference include sessions on how to successfully operate programmes in India, how to gain a share of the fastest growing outbound travel markets and how to create real results from an incentive.
The conference, to be held from October 23 to 25, is expected to attract over 300 incentive travel professionals. At press time, 170 delegates from 30 countries have already registered.
