SKYCITY Entertainment Group, listed in Australia and New Zealand, will open the NZ$402 million (US$350 million) New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in 2018.

New Zealand’s first international convention centre is adjacent and connected to Skycity Auckland Convention Centre (SACC), and will span 1.4ha in Auckland’s CBD.

Gillian Officer, director of sales – convention and catering, SACC, told TTGmice e-Weekly NZICC will have 8,500m2 of space and accommodate up to 3,300 people.

Skycity appointed a senior management team to oversee the development of NZICC.

Officer noted that SACC has 5,000m2 of space with 21 meeting rooms spread over two floors and can fit up to 1,750 people.

Separately, Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) Business Events launched an Asian strategy targeting MICE groups from China, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Thailand (TTGmice e-Weekly, April 10, 2014).

Mischa Mannix-Opie, regional manager South & South-east Asia, TNZ, said the appointment of a Singapore-based business events manager in December last year will provide the support meeting planners and end-users need to host successful incentives and meetings in Auckland and beyond.

TNZ Business Events is building partnerships with DMCs and travel agencies with MICE divisions catering to corporate clients looking for longhaul destinations to organise new and unique events. “Our challenge is how to make delegates aware of what to do and to stay longer,” she said.

CENTARA Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya has recruited events butlers to its team of event management staff to further ensure that planners and organisers will receive 24-hour service and responsiveness.

Robert J Lohrmann, general manager of the resort, said: “We decided to add events butlers to our team so that planners would be confident we are taking care of even the tiniest detail.”

“Planners will have 24/7 support, right from inception through to the post-event analysis,” he added.

The five-star resort offers 555 sea-facing rooms and suites designed to the Lost World theme.

In terms of event facilities, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya offers one of the largest ballrooms in Pattaya as well as a number of smaller rooms for seminars, meetings, presentations and receptions.

Alternative venues within the resort include the ballroom garden terrace, beachside garden, roof garden and poolside.

NOVOTEL Clarke Quay has finished refurbishing the highlight of the property’s MICE facility – the Phoenix Grand Ballroom – and is offering 10 per cent off meeting packages.

The ballroom can take up to 380 pax in classroom style, 500 for gala dinners or 600 for cocktail receptions.

Suitable for conferences, company dinners and dance parties, and teambuilding events, the facility comes with newly fitted audiovisual systems and LCD projectors.

Kevin Bossino, general manager of Novotel Clarke Quay, said: “Refurbishing the Phoenix Grand Ballroom earlier this year was a key investment to offer the best meeting experience for our international and regional MICE guests.”

Novotel Clarke Quay offers 1,200m2 of conference space with nine meeting rooms and a dedicated events team to ensure flawless events.

Seminar packages begin at S$50++ (US$40++) and includes rental of meeting rooms, as well as coffee and tea break sessions. All-inclusive meeting packages come with free Wi-Fi for meeting planners and business travellers.

From now until October 31, 2014, planners and organisers will receive 10 per cent off meeting packages while meeting bookers will also enjoy extra commission.

MICE travellers are in for a zesty treat with a new online marketing campaign by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Visa dangling special privileges and discounts.

Spice Up Your Business Agenda perks are available to MICE travellers who participate in trade exhibitions in Thailand this year. Kicked off last month, the campaign’s privileges and discounts cover golf, spas, shopping outlets, dining venues and airport transfers.

Wilaiwan Thawichsri, deputy governor for tourism products and services, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said: “MICE travellers usually have high spending power and are long-stay travellers, so they are an important segment that helps generate revenue to Thailand’s tourism industry. This is such a great opportunity so TAT will strongly support the Spice Up Your Business Agenda project as it is in line with the TAT’s policies and strategies.

“TAT will help promote this campaign through all of TAT’s overseas offices, both online and offline channels, (so) as to raise awareness of Thailand among international MICE travellers.”

TCEB president Nopparat Maythaveekulchai added that TCEB is confident the campaign would “enhance a business trip, restore the tourism image, and create confidence in MICE travellers who come to Thailand for trade fairs and exhibitions”.

“We hope this campaign will also help increase the number of MICE business travellers to Thailand,” he said.

The CVB predicts 987,000 MICE travellers will come to Thailand this year, generating some 96.9 billion baht (US$3 billion).

THE 16th World Conference on Youth opened in Hambantota on Tuesday at Sri Lanka’s newest convention facility, Magam Ruhunupura International Convention Center, with 1,500 delegates from 196 countries in attendance.

The meeting deals with a range of issues confronting youths internationally and brought high-level representation from the UN and other countries.

Sri Lankan officials say they hope the event will help position Sri Lanka as a MICE centre for events of this nature. While the event’s opening was held at Hambantota, the main sessions shifted on Wednesday to a conference facility in the capital Colombo.

The Conference runs from May 6 to 10.

Tourism authorities are positioning Hambantota as the newest conference and exhibition destination in Sri Lanka with the several sightseeing opportunities, like the country’s largest wildlife park nearby.

However, MICE industry specialists say a weaknesses is Hambantota’s lack of hotel rooms for large events. Most guests have to be housed at hotels in Galle or Bentota, more than 100 km away.

The biggest conference centre with nearby hotels is the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo that seats up to 1,500 and has additional rooms catering for groups between 50 and 100.

Sri Lanka’s largest hotel operator, John Keells Group, begun construction last week on a US$650 million integrated project in Colombo which includes an 800-room luxury hotel and a convention centre to accommodate 2,500 pax, the nation’s largest conference hall when completed in five years.