THE International Dragon Award (IDA) Annual Meeting 2017 will be held in August 2017 in Melbourne, Australia.

The city was chosen by more than 4,500 Mandarin speaking insurance specialists for its success in hosting large international meetings and conferences.

Melbourne’s collaborative approach and track record in delivering large-scale meetings were some of the reasons that attracted the IDA to choose the city.

Delegates will hail from China Life, a Chinese insurance group, along with other companies such as Allianz, Taiwan Life, Prudential and Cathay Life.

“These delegates are particularly focused on growth from their business partnerships. This is an ideal fit with our unique ‘Team Melbourne’ approach of working with partners across the city to deliver the best possible conference experience,” said Karen Bolinger, CEO of Melbourne Convention Bureau.

The Victorian Government will be a sponsor of the conference, while the international group of delegates are expected to generate an estimated US$20.2 million economic boost for Victoria.

According to John Eren, minister for Tourism and Major, delegates will be guaranteed an invigorating and engaging experience inside and outside the conference venue.

“Melbourne … offers delegates the chance to experience its thriving and sophisticated food, wine, art and cultural scene during their visit. We look forward to welcoming the IDA meeting delegates in 2017 and sharing all that Melbourne and Victoria have to offer”, said Eren.

COLLABORATION among the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development (BMCTD), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) associations and inbound tour operators are underway to invigorate Beijing’s MICE industry.

Through the marketing of TCM experiences as pre/post event activities, Beijing’s MICE tourism specialists are hoping to enhance the city’s attraction as a choice destination for business events.

According to Ren Jianghao, director of the Department of High-End Tourism Development under BMCTD, China National Convention Centre (CNCC) have received bookings for international conventions until 2022, which reflects the steady and positive outlook for the industry, but the number of governmental meetings hosted at the venue has declined while hotel occupancy rates have room for improvement.

He explained that BMCTD had decided to dangle TCM products and experiences as a new attraction for business event groups, as Beijing, being a relatively mature MICE destination, has limited scope for the exploration of new venues.

In addition, Ren highlighted that transportation and air quality issues represent the main challenges to Beijing’s tourism industry development.

A myriad of future developments such as the shifting of the Beijing municipal government eastward to the satellite town Tongzhou, the completion of Beijing Daxing international airport in 2019, and the hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing will likely aid Beijing’s infrastructural development as well as air quality and urban environmental governance.

By Zhong Yun

SARAWAK’S Kuching city will play host to the Asia for Animals (AfA) Borneo Conference this October, an event that is expected to attract some 500 delegates from around the world.

Described as the largest and most represented animal welfare conference in Asia, the event will head to Malaysia for the first time. It will take place from October 6 to 9 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.

Organised by the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), the conference is expected to be attended by speakers and delegates who are responsible for animal welfare and wildlife management.

SSPCA had chosen Partnerships Breed Success as the theme for this year’s conference and the main objective of the conference is to engage, network, exchange ideas and build lasting collaborations with those working on animal welfare and wildlife management.

The organising chairperson for AfA Conference and SSPCA chairperson, Rebecca D’Cruz, said: “This conference will be a gathering for the global fraternity of animal welfare practitioners and it will be a venue to share your knowledge and experiences to ensure a safe and secure future for the animals in Borneo.”

The conference will be divided into various plenary, symposia and workshop sessions.

THE former prime pinister of Australia, John Howard, inducted seven new ambassadors yesterday into the Business Events Sydney (BESydney) Ambassador Program.

Joining the programme’s current membership of more than 90 influential leaders are Financial Services Council CEO Sally Loane, Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand CEO Lee White, University of New South Wales president and vice chancellor Ian Jacobs, University of Western Sydney vice chancellor and president Barney Glover, Charles Perkins Centre academic director Stephen Simpson AC, and Australian Institute of Architects president-elect Ken Maher, Hassell.

Established in 2009, the BESydney Ambassador Program leverages the global network and expertise of its ambassadors to help BESydney secure multimillion dollar international events for Australia.

Howard said: “Sydney is a global intellectual capital and an important driver of the Australian economy. Business Events Sydney and its Ambassador network are helping us grow the knowledge economy by facilitating innovation and collaboration in our most globally competitive priority sectors.”

New South Wales premier Mike Baird who is now Patron of the Program, said: “The Ambassadors are some of the world’s most inspiring individuals and together we secure international business events that provide lasting legacies for our people, our communities and our industries.”

UFI’S 11^th edition of The Trade Fair Industry in Asia has reported a 6.8 per cent growth in total net exhibition space sold in 2014, rising from 17,453,000m² in 2013 to 18,641,750m²last year.

The study, conducted by Business Strategies Group (BSG), noted that more than 56 per cent of sold exhibition space was transacted in China and 11 per cent in Japan. Among the more than 2,100 trade fairs included in the study, over 600 were held in mainland China compared with 338 in Japan, Asia’s second largest market.

Above-average growth was registered in Asia’s larger exhibition markets – China was up by 7.4 per cent, India by 7.6 per cent, Taiwan by 8.8 per cent and South Korea by 8.2 per cent.

South-east Asian markets continued to do well 2014. Space sold in Indonesia increased by 9.2 per cent, the Philippines by 8.8 per cent, and Thailand by 8.6 per cent.

One of the region’s smallest exhibition markets, Macau, emerged the top performer last year, registering a growth in net space sold from 143,000m² to 197,500m².

BSG has forecasted regional growth this year for the Asian trade fair industry. It expects to see a 5.2 per cent year-on-year increment in net space sales. Strong performance in South-east Asia is predicted and China’s trade fair industry will remain resilient.

UFI managing director, Paul Woodward, said in a press statement: “Asia remains a critical region for those developing international trade fair businesses and many people in our industry will be encouraged to see the results of this important survey.”

UFI members are entitled to receive a four-page executive summary of the research and to purchase the full report at a substantial discount. For more information on this study, email asia@ufi.org.

TTG Events, the organiser of the annual IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific which will take place in Bangkok from September 29 to October 1, is working closely with its Thai partners including the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) “to closely monitor the situation and undertake necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of all our delegates”, said its statement to the press and attendees.

The statement pointed out that the bombing incident on August 17 “is an immediate priority for the IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific organising team”.

Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media, which TTG Events is part of, said: “With the Royal Thai government making every effort to restore the situation to normalcy, we have every confidence that this will be achieved quickly.

“As such, IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2015 will take place as planned.”

TTG Events will continue to provide updates on developments in the Thai capital.

Attendees of the events can also visit www.tceb.or.th or contact TCEB at info@tceb.or.th for more information.