G HOTEL Penang has appointed hospitality veteran Michael Hanratty as general manager.

Originally from Australia, Hanratty has more than 20 years of experience in international hotel operations, with stints in Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, Brunei, Indonesia and Australia. He has worked at properties such as The Fairmont Dubai, InterContinental Bangkok and Conrad International and Treasury Casino Brisbane.

SEVERAL Malaysian MICE players will intensify their marketing reach in China this year, following an encouraging growth in business from the market in 2012.

Observations of improved MICE business from China correspond with Malaysia’s 24.6 per cent rise in Chinese tourist arrivals from 2011 to 2012.

Fu Kei Cheong, general manager of Reliance Conventions & Events, said the company saw a 50 per cent growth in incentives from China last year, as companies and sales staff had been able to meet their targets.

Fu believes that the year ahead looks good, adding that the company’s participation in roadshows organised by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau to Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai last September had yielded good business leads. Six incentive groups from Guangzhou have been confirmed and are slated to take place this year and the next.

To further business growth out of China, Reliance Conventions & Events will continue to make sales calls through its joint venture office in Shanghai.

Columbia Leisure assistant sales director, Alex Chee, said the company saw a 20 per cent increase in incentives and meetings last year, mostly from Shanghai and Beijing. He anticipates a doubling of business this year, based on strong enquiries and the fact that the company is intensifying its efforts to market in China.

Resorts World Genting, which recorded eight to 10 per cent year-on-year growth in Chinese MICE business last year, is expecting a similar upward trend in 2013. Supporting this projection will be a series of efforts to target high-end MICE planners in China, as well as continued partnerships with major local tour operators who are strong in the Chinese MICE market.

According to Andrew Leong, Resorts World Genting sales & marketing manager, the Chinese MICE market makes up 25 to 30 per cent of the company’s total business.

THE Japanese city of Yokohama will host several major meetings, conventions and exhibitions from across various industries this year, according to the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB).

In a press statement, YCVB noted that the destination’s calendar of events included the 5^th Tokyo International Conference on African Development from June 1-3. To be held for the second time in Yokohama, the event is expected to draw 3,000 attendees.

Other key conference wins for the year include the 2013 IDF World Dairy Summit, the 18^th Congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, the 6^th International Conference on Fog, Fog Collection and Dew, the 28^th International Congress of Chemotherapy and Infection, the 12^th International Wheat Genetics Symposium, and the 12^th Annual World Congress of the Human Proteome Organisation – the latter being a first win for a Japanese city.

A YCVB spokesperson noted that Yokohama “is also hugely popular with national meetings and exhibitions (and) the city can expect a massive turn out of local visitors”.

For instance, the Japan International Boat Show and the Camera and Photo Imaging Show are expected to welcome 60,000 and 50,000 visitors respectively, while the three-day 77^th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society next month will see 10,000 delegates in attendance.

The spokesperson told TTGmice e-Weekly: “One of Yokohama’s strengths is our ability to cater to (large) numbers of attendees, and we are highly successful in this aspect because of various factors including our dual airport accessibility, our flagship venue PACIFICO Yokohama and our facility package in this (accessible) port city.”

WHILE economic challenges are expected to retain the familiar sense of uncertainty among Asian meeting and incentive players, many have stepped into 2013 with greater confidence compared to a year ago.

Echoing the sentiments of most event specialists in this region, Pacific World’s regional director, Singapore and Malaysia, Selina Grocott, said: “2013 is likely to remain challenging with the uncertain global economic outlook (but) we remain optimistic as Asia-Pacific is set to continue to lead in global tourism.”

Jere Tala, director consulting APAC, Advito, said: “In 2012, most companies in Asia-Pacific had continued their spend on meetings and incentives because the region was still seeing business growth. We saw a lot of intra-Asia movements and fewer long-haul trips. This year, companies in the region will continue to spend on meetings and incentives, and again, this region will be self-sufficient.”

However, Asian event experts told TTGmice e-Weekly that familiar obstacles to business growth remained. For instance, profit margins will continue to be impacted by tight budgets and clients’ focus on returns on investment.

E T Quah, owner of Feature Tour Malaysia, noted that clients would not be “splashing out” on meetings and incentives, although a slight “upward shift in budgets for gala dinners and meals” for incentives was expected.

“It will be a pressing year for industry players to continue to balance clients’ increased demand for quality and expectations of value. Strong partnership with vendors, attention to details and creative planning have been some of our focus to ensure the success of an event,” said Grocott.

Tight lead times will also continue to be an issue, with some MICE players saying that bookings will come in only a month in advance.

Koushik Goswami, general manager-outbound, Travelcorp India, said: “Lead times will continue to be nerve-wreckingly short, and there will be last minute changes.”

– Find out how other segments of MICE are expected to unfold this year in Running Strong, TTGmice February/March issue

HILTON Worldwide has opened its second mid-priced Hilton Garden Inn brand hotel in India with the launch of the 201-room Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Baani Square.

Operated by Hilton Worldwide and owned by the Baani Group, the hotel sits near prime corporate, commercial and residential districts, and is a 10-minute drive from the DLF Cyber City central business hub.

Business travellers staying at the hotel will enjoy the brand’s signature offerings such as complimentary Internet access, 24-hour complimentary business centre facilities, complimentary remote printing service from the guestroom to the business centre and the 24-hour Pavilion Pantry convenience mart.

Other facilities in the hotel include four meeting rooms and various dining establishments.

“With the launch of this property, Hilton Worldwide now operates seven hotels in Delhi NCR and a total of 12 hotels in the country with a presence in Mumbai, Chennai, Shillim, Vadodara and Goa,” said Martin Rinck, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide.

“We continue to grow our India portfolio through a multi-brand, multi-partner and high-growth strategy. While we are exploring opportunities across all segments, for which we are well positioned with the six brands we are developing in the country, we are placing significant emphasis on the expansion of our mid-market and focused-service brands, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton, to accommodate the exponentially growing demand for mid-priced hotel rooms in the country”.

THE 125-room Best Western Premier Khaolak Southsea has opened in southern Thailand.

Equipped with luxurious trimmings expected in a five-star property, the new resort boasts a classic design, public areas with natural lighting, an outdoor swimming pool and two restaurants.

There are also event facilities and a 24-hour business centre.

“We are delighted to expand our footprint to yet another fantastic Thai destination,” said Glenn de Souza, Best Western International’s vice president International Operations – Asia & the Middle East.

“The stunning shores of Khao Lak’s Andaman Coast offer some of Asia’s most beautiful beaches, and with a vast array of leisure facilities close-by, including world-class diving sites in the Similan and Surin Islands, this exciting destination has something to offer everyone.”

The Best Western Premier Khaolak Southsea is the hotel company’s 16^th property in Thailand, and the fourth to carry the top-of-the-tier brand in the Kingdom.