Mauritius
Sunlife shining for more meetings in Mauritius
MAURITIUS-BASED RESORT GROUP SUNLIFE ’ S STRATEGIC AIM IS TO GENERATE MORE MICE BUSINESS TO SUPPLEMENT ITS CORE LEISURE TOURISM BUSINESS AT ITS FOUR LUXURY VENUES IN MAURITIUS . SIMON GEORGE REPORTS
S unlife operates four luxury resorts in Mauritius – two on the west coast , Sugar Beach and next door to it , La Pirogue ( the first to open in 1976 ), and two on the east coast , Long Beach and , further down , Ambre . Each provides the quintessential picture postcard image of white sandy beaches , aquamarine sea and swaying palm trees , but each differs in its own right .
Architecturally , Sugar Beach is elegant and colonial . La Pirogue with its thatched rooves offers authenticity and local charm , as does Ambre which is adults only ; while Long Beach is modern and contemporary in style and by far the largest . What unites them all , though , is their collective capacity to cater for MICE demand in terms of event space – whether it is an incentive group , a corporate offsite or a wedding .
Size matters when putting on events , of course . But so , too , does flexibility , versatility and venue space variety
( both indoor and outdoor ), and these characteristics enable Sunlife to mix and match when accommodating MICE requests .
That event space is not in short supply at Sunlife ’ s resorts was clear from my six-day stay on the island . So , too , the exciting range of activities available for guests – whether it is ebiking , a special beach picnic , a trip to the market in Flacq , playing boules or visiting Long Beach ’ s biodiversity trail – which the group actively promotes under its Come Alive banner . Sunlife is also serious about sustainability at its four resorts , as was made clear by the group ’ s head of sustainability Ali Abdool .
Sugar Beach The first stop on my itinerary was the 5-star Sugar Beach situated at Flic-en-Flac , about an hour ’ s drive from the airport . In terms of indoor event space , the 238-bed hotel offers the Plantation conference room , which
Right : Conference catch : big game fishing can be on the Mauritius incentives agenda
Left : Sunlife putting plenty of colour into its MiCE menu in Mauritius
can accommodate up to 350 guests , the Demerara conference room ( 110 guests ) and the more intimate Boardroom ( up to 30 guests ). L ’ Atelier de Sens , which is used as a workshop so guests can try their hand at making their own scent or jewellery , can also be converted for an event . In terms of outdoor MICE capacity , the number ramps up fast ( up to 1,000 people ). During my stay , the events team was putting the finishing touches to a marquee by the beach for a gala dinner in the evening for a UK incentive group .
I met Azhar Nunhukh , Sunlife ’ s head of revenue management , and Karen Joorun , sales executive , leisure and weddings at the resort who explained that each resort is allowed to be run autonomously of the group .
Currently MICE business makes up just under 20 % of Sunlife ’ s annual group revenue , but the aim is for Sugar Beach to tap further into the lucrative MICE business and to expand that revenue share .
Sunlife ’ s resorts are running at over 80 % occupancy over the year , the team reports . Developing MICE business during quieter periods for the resorts , namely May , June , September and between January and Easter , therefore offers a key opportunity .
18 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 135