STARWOOD Hotels and Resorts will continue to focus its MICE strategy on expanding domestic trade across its Asian properties, while tapping inbound and outbound travel in China and India to drive future growth.

Double-digit growth in outbound travel from China and the fact that India is emerging as the world’s second-fastest growing tourism economy provide significant opportunities for the hotel group to service domestic trade in each market, as well as to target the increasing volume of outbound incentives and meetings travellers, according to Lothar Pehl, senior vice president operations and global initiatives, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Asia Pacific.

“For China, the domestic market continues to drive our MICE business in the country while international conferences are also on the rise,” said Pehl, adding that the company would focus on domestic business to drive growth in all of its regional markets.

“Gateway cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou continue to be MICE hotspots. With the opening of (the 4,000-room) Sheraton Macao Hotel Cotai Central last year, we have seen a huge number of meeting requests and forward bookings in this market.”

Elsewhere in the region, Thailand continues to do brisk business from its offering as a total destination. Bangkok and Phuket are most popular, with the latter benefitting from an increase in direct flights from India, which has spurred solid growth in the lucrative weddings market.

Sydney, Delhi, Singapore and Hong Kong also remain hot favourites, while Japan has posted strong growth, partly due to a weakening Japanese yen.

Taiwan and South Korea are gaining momentum as popular group destinations, while demand has surged in Malaysia and Indonesia.

However, the rise in Asian incentive travel had resulted in lead times for bookings coming out of China and India being slashed to as little as one week, noted Pehl.

“It’s short haul and short term,” said Pehl. “You can get a group booking with just a week’s lead time simply because there’s air-seat availability and the package was right.”

Other emerging trends, according to Pehl, include a rise in high-end executive-level groups holding events at Starwood’s luxury resorts, renewed growth in motivational sales incentives, and an increase in overall meetings spend with both the number of events and participants per event forecast to rise throughout the year.

JAPANESE MICE sellers will make their presence felt at this year’s IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific, with the largest delegation from the country since 2010.

Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sapporo Convention Bureau, DMC Sapporo Co, Pripress Center and Fujita Kanko Hotels and Resorts will be among the Japanese companies exhibiting at the annual tradeshow in Bangkok, which will be held from October 1-3 at the Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld.

All are new to IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific, except Sapporo Convention Bureau, which had exhibited at the event three years ago.

In a press statement issued by event organiser TTG Asia Media, Japanese MICE sellers are spurred to promote the destination on the back of a falling Japanese yen and recovery from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Yukitsugu Ishikawa, chief representative, Singapore Representative Office of Fujita Kanko Hotels & Resorts, said: “Participating in IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is our chance to be competitive alongside other MICE hospitality chains in the world. It is also an ideal platform to learn about the needs of the MICE market, not just within Asia but also in the US and Europe. This is the best opportunity to network with people involved in the MICE industry.”

Marico Ogi, deputy director of Sapporo Convention Bureau, said: “With Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau as our new MICE partner, we are pleased to launch joint promotions and announce exciting business opportunities for buyers all over the world. IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific present a vital opportunity for us to experience and engage potential buyers through the events’ official and social programmes.”

THE new Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre (KEC) has appointed Thomas Khoo as its international consultant to help draw international events.

Khoo is a pioneer of Singapore’s exhibition industry and a veteran organiser in Asia since 1974.

KEC, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan (MOEA) and built at a cost of NT3 billion (US$100 million), is the second Operate-Transfer MICE venue in Taiwan. The Operate-Transfer contract was secured by Uniplan Taiwan Corporation, a German-Taiwan joint venture company, and inked between MOEA and Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre Corporation, a subsidiary of Uniplan.

It will open on April 14 next year, with the Fasteners Show slated to be the venue’s first trade fair. The inaugural Taiwan International Boat Show will follow in May. KEC also has several events lined up for 2014 and 2015.

A WEEKDAY corporate retreat offer will soon be rolled out for Kirimaya Golf Resort Spa and Muthi Maya Forest Pool Villa Resort, luxurious properties located close to a UNESCO World Heritage National Park and mountain ranges in Khao Yai, Thailand.

To be made available from September 1 this year until February 28, 2014, the offer will be priced from 18,800 baht (US$616) for a Kirimaya Plantation View Single room and 31,000 baht for a Muthi Maya Forest Pool Villa single room.

The corporate retreat package includes two nights’ accommodation in the resort of choice, daily buffet breakfast, two buffet dinners with soft drinks, full-day meeting with two coffee breaks and lunch over two days, one set of standard audiovisual equipment and complimentary Wi-Fi access.

Meeting planners can also weave a variety of recreational activities available close by into their programme, such as a golf tournament, visits to local wineries and elephant trekking.

A minimum booking of 10 rooms is required to access the offer. Other terms apply.

Contact reservation@kirimaya.com and reservation@muthimaya.com.