FOLLOWING last year’s acquisition of a start-up focused on corporate and association event management, MCI is expanding in Turkey with the opening of a new office in Istanbul this month.

Leading MCI’s presence in the country is Ufuk Yavuz Tümer, who was one of the three founders of 3Events, the start-up purchased by MCI in 2014.

The office will aim to develop business in the corporate meetings, events and incentives and DMC markets.

Now MCI Istanbul’s director of DMC, M&E and operations, Ufuk Yavuz Tümer commented: “By reinforcing our presence in Turkey with the strategic location of Istanbul, we will help many more local and international clients deliver inspiring events, incentives and congresses in this magical meeting place of East and West.”

INFINITUS China is taking some 12,700 members of staff and salespeople on a six-night holiday to Bangkok and Pattaya this month, and Thailand is pulling out all stops to entertain.

Between May 10 and 26, delegates on the mega incentive trip will spend three nights in Bangkok and three in Pattaya, and stay at four- to five-star hotels to generate some 38,000 room nights in total.

The large delegation size requires 110 regular flights, 400 coach trips and 36 river cruise tours for transportation and entertainment.

Thai authorities are also actively pitching in with four welcome gala dinners in Pattaya, hosted one night each by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Pattaya City.

Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT acting governor and deputy governor for international marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, said in a press release: “Thailand has become a very popular destination for Chinese travellers as well as a top-of-mind venue for China’s incentive programmes in recent years, thanks to our geographical proximity, easy accessibility, high standards of service as well as a wide variety of tourism products and the memorable ‘Thainess’ experience.”

The 17-day event is expected to generate around 600 million baht (US$18 million) in tourism revenue, she said.

This is not the first of Infinitus’ mega incentives in Thailand and the company is planning another for next year.

THE Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) announced last week that the Asia Pacific Symposium on Cochlear Implant and Related Sciences (APSCI) in 2019 is returning to Japan for the third time.

First held in Kyoto in 1996 and then Osaka in 2001, Tokyo will become the third-time lucky host of the symposium and welcome over 800 doctors and scientists during the event, including 600 overseas attendees.

Professor T Yamasoba from the University of Tokyo, commented in a release: “The bid win owes to the continuing scientific contribution of Japanese specialists to the cochlear implant field. Also, we learned a lot from our last bid loss in 2013. This time we put more effort on close communication with our colleagues to earn understanding of the scientific significance of hosting APSCI in Japan.”

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and TCVB also aided in clinching the successful bid.

APSCI is scheduled to take place on November 5-8, 2019, at Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo.

HOW fitting that the Lion City has won the bid to host the 103^rd Lions Club International (LCI) Convention 2020, as announced by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) this week.

Held by the Lions Club Singapore in partnership with Singapore Exhibition & Conventions Bureau, which falls under STB, the event is expected to contribute S$58 million (US$43.6 million) in tourism receipts and 20,000 foreign arrivals.

“Singapore was selected over five other cities from around the world for her world-class hotels, restaurants, and convention facilities, as well as an excellent transportation network. Lions are looking forward to a successful convention and wonderful time in this beautiful city,” said Joseph Wroblewski, convention committee chairperson, past international president of LCI.

Various public agencies and MICE industry stakeholders including hotel partners and convention venues joined hands to put together the winning bid for the convention.

While in Singapore, convention delegates will also participate in the International Parade of Nations, which is a half-day walk around the city-state.

Lionel Yeo, chief executive, STB, said: “The LCI Convention 2020 is one of the most coveted events on the congress circuit and we are truly delighted to be able to host this iconic event. Come 2020, we will aim to deliver a spectacular welcome and experience for our LCI friends.”

ASIA’S first Nobu Hotel in the City of Dreams Manila is wooing MICE with the novelty of a celebrity-inspired lifestyle, an innovative dining concept and fun luxury experiences.

While the majority of Nobu Hotel Manila’s business comes from the integrated resort’s gaming operations, it is also partnering travel agencies and DMCs to bring in non-gaming business including MICE, said general manager Marlon Hirsh.

Owned by actor Robert de Niro, acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and Hollywood producer Meir Teper, the hotel’s 321 rooms and 335-seat Nobu Restaurant are a novelty in a city that’s just starting to acquaint itself with luxury.

The piece de resistance is Nobu Restaurant, for chef Nobu’s fusion food as much as the theatrical and dramatic allure with which the food is served, not mentioning the lighting and interior design.

Hirsh said the restaurant’s indoor and outdoor cabanas can be subdivided for smaller breakout rooms, and since the restaurant does not serve lunch, it can also be made available for daytime MICE events.

“We have had some good (MICE) business and we have done events at the pool area,” added Hirsh.

Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, said that cornering MICE has always been part of the plan for the Manila hotel. “There are certain key hallmarks that we have in the restaurant: the cuisine of course, fun-crafted sense of theatre, and service, which is also very important.”

The fact that no two Nobu hotels and restaurant are alike, and its fun luxury concept, makes Nobu Hotel Manila “a destination in itself”, said Horwell.

COMMUNICATING, educating and awarding are the three central tenets of the Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) programme, launched this month to grow the state’s business events traffic.

Open to any organisation or industry player, local or foreign, that provides support services or promotes business events in Sarawak, the BESarawak programme provides partners with tools to promote Sarawak Convention Bureau’s events, products and services.

Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, chairman of Sarawak Convention Bureau, said in a release: “BESarawak offers its partners an advanced communications campaign that includes stakeholder engagement, media relations, social media and a (subscription for and a chance to be featured in) Business Events Sarawak magazine.”

The programme will also develop its partners’ global industry best practices through bespoke and targeted seminars.

BESarawak also encompasses the Anak Sarawak Award, which was established in 2007 to reward partners, media and future local hosts in the business events industry.

Those who qualify for the Anak Sarawak Award programme will receive development support worth between RM10,000 (US$2,769) and RM20,000.