HAVING identified the conference segment as an important income generator, the City of Sydney is poised to invest A$1.5 million (US$1.6 million) in Business Events Sydney (BESydney).

Over the next three years, the independent, non-profit organisation will receive A$500,000 annually to promote Sydney as a global business events destination.

During the last financial year, BESydney secured 103 events for the city, which will bring in roughly A$225.6 million in economic gain and 58,000 visitors in the coming years.

Deputy premier of New South Wales (NSW), Andrew Stoner, who will be leading the development of the new Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct, said: “Business event delegates stay, shop, eat, celebrate, explore in our city, helping to drive demand for our tourism providers.

“As part of an aligned economic development strategy, these events also stimulate trade and investment opportunities for local businesses, fuel knowledge exchange, and more broadly promote innovation and productivity.”

CEO of BESydney, Lyn Lewis-Smith, said the increased support was the final piece in the puzzle in the city’s efforts to secure more business events.

“Our future success will be underpinned by a whole-of-city approach to attracting, winning and delivering world-class conference, corporate meetings and incentive programmes,” she added.

DEMAND for business travel for 2013 will hold steady amid poor global economic conditions, but is unlikely to chart any significant growth, according to a recently updated forecast by Advito, BCD Travel’s independent consulting unit.

Advito has based its predictions on the assumption that economic fears regarding the eurozone and China will not come true, though these concerns themselves will tame demand.

It expects the number of flights to grow in 2013, but by less than between 2010 and 1Q2012. Within the Asia-Pacific region, the report stated that Asia-based airlines would struggle to maintain profitable and deal with “the twin competitive threats of low-cost and Middle Eastern carriers”. Traditional Asian carriers were thus unlikely to increase capacity significantly.

Meanwhile, Advito has maintained its original forecast of moderate airfare increases in the coming year as a result of stable oil prices and strong demand relative to supply. Year-on-year increases will be smaller compared to over the last three years. Asia-Pacific, specifically, will see prices of air tickets climb four to five per cent due to expectations of strong long-term growth.

On the hotels front, demand is forecast to follow an upward trajectory in Asia-Pacific. On a global basis, the report said 2013 would likely see the “fiercest negotiations between hotel companies and their corporate clients” and hotels would see rate increases higher than 2012 although “not as much as they are looking for”. Limited new supply has created more of a seller’s market, but demand is still not as robust as suppliers would like, it explained.

Hoteliers looking for an eight to nine per cent rise in negotiated rates will have to settle for five to seven per cent instead, said the report.

AS PART of the celebrations of Amway’s 15th year in India, the company will organise two incentives in 2013 – one to Canada and another to Thailand, the latter for Amway leaders and their children who were recently in Melbourne for a leadership trip.

The first is a VIP trip scheduled for May in Toronto for 200 people, which will also host the Amway International Leadership Meeting (Mega Trip) in July 2014.

The second is for 2,000 people and will be held in Bangkok in December, and will also target Amway business owners’ children – aged 15 to 25 years old.

Amway India CEO Bill Pinckney said: “The Thailand programme is to try and ensure that this second generation has a sense of our business and so that one of the things they can consider is taking over the Amway business from their parents.”

He added that a good incentive destination must be culturally friendly, while also having the right facilities, logistics and food.

Citing the example of Amway India’s recent Australian trip, he said: “To travel to Philip Island, 88 coaches were sourced, and not everyone can offer that, or the unique activities and sightseeing options such as Sovereign Hill and Philip Island. We were the first group to take over the Melbourne Cricket Ground and have a cricket match and dinner there.”

THE new M23 event space at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld aims to draw meeting planners looking for an intimate setting – and a quirky round of golf.

Located on the 23^rd floor of the hotel, the venue comprises four boardrooms offering natural light and views of the city skyline, each with a capacity of between 18 and 50 pax. Meeting rooms are equipped with the latest AV capability, built-in LCD projectors and screens, high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access, personalised stationery and drinks. Meeting rooms M1 and M2 also boast interactive screens.

The over 1,000m² space also comes with its own reception area, open show kitchen and bar for coffee breaks, luncheons and social events, as well as a 50m long open-air patio with a putting green.

Said Chris Bailey, senior vice president for sales and marketing, Centara Hotels & Resorts: “With M23 we really have a new and exciting style of meeting space in Bangkok…(It) is perfect for smaller events, where there is a high degree of social involvement.”

ANDAZ Tokyo is scheduled to open in summer 2014 as the first Andaz hotel in Japan, to be located in Toranomon, a business and embassy district in the capital’s well-known Minato ward.

The hotel marks the fourth Hyatt-branded hotel in Tokyo and the ninth within the country following an agreement signed by the affiliates of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Mori Building last week.

The 164-room Andaz Tokyo will occupy eight floors, including the top six, of a 52-storey tower in a multi-use complex currently under construction. One of several areas in the city designated by the government as a special zone for companies’ Asian headquarters, the tower’s location boasts easy access to embassies, seaports and Haneda Airport.

“With its central location between the high rise district of Shiodome and the Akasaka and Roppongi areas where many multinational corporations are located, Toranomon is a vital hub for Tokyo’s further development as a global business centre. Andaz Tokyo will both heighten Toranomon’s allure and serve the needs of international firms here, promising the area’s fast growth as a gateway destination,” said Kazuhiko Yamamoto, vice president, urban development, Mori Building.

For MICE planners, Andaz Tokyo will feature an open-air bar and the Andaz Studio, a flexible event and meeting space with terrace seating on the highest floor.

Boasting both rooms and suites ranging from 51m² to 220m², amenities include a 20m indoor infinity pool, a spa, a fitness centre, an all-day dining restaurant serving organic fare, and a chapel where a show kitchen will offer made-to-order menus for weddings and gatherings.

FOR the first time, the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCVB) has released the Melbourne Planners’ Guide in an interactive e-book format that can be accessed on a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Launched last week, the 2012-13 edition of the Melbourne Planners’ Guide offers video content and the options to zoom in, print and share selected pages via email or social media sites, on top of the usual content. The e-book will allow planners short on time to easily navigate through its contents or thumbnail menus for an outline of the material in the guide.

“The e-book format transforms the guide from a reference document to a functional tool; an essential companion that gives on-the-go planners a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips,” said Karen Bolinger, CEO, MCVB.

The Melbourne Planners’ Guide 2012-13 e-book is available free of charge at www.mcvb.com.au/plannersguide. To receive hard copies of the guide, email MCVB.