Talk of the trade
New TPB COO eyes big
events for the Philippines
By Rosa Ocampo
The Philippine Tourism Promotions Board
(TPB) has mapped out new initiatives to
convince big congress and convention
players to return to the country.
Rolling out over the next two years,
these initiatives include the creation of
the Philippine MICE Customary Advisory
Council (CAC) to help destinations become
MICE-ready, prepare strategic plans and
programmes, professionalise the industry,
create recognition and certificate pro-
grammes, disseminate promotional and
information materials, intelligence and lat-
est trends and industry best practices.
The CAC is part of the business events
campaign to encourage corporations, as-
sociations and organisers to bring their
business events to the country, as part of
the renewed efforts to put the Philippines
back on Asia’s business events map.
TPB’s new COO, Marie Venus Tan,
told TTGmice: “I will probably put more
people into the MICE Department. I need
to build the product before I can market it
so that has to go hand in hand.”
Tan added that TPB will help with
bidding for “big ticket events” including
conferences by World Travel and Tourism
Council, World Tourism Organization,
and UNESCO Creative City, alongside
music festivals and film screenings. This
will be done in cooperation with associa-
tions, government institutions, regional
and international non-profits.
Another way to strength the business
events sector was to “advertise to all
markets in cross-hubs of the world”, to
capitalise on world events and focus on
interest-driven strategies.
In the 1980s, the Philippines played
host to big conventions and congresses,
New forms of collaboration needed
for Asian CVBs: bureau heads
As competition for business events heats
When asked if the sleeping state of
up among Asian CVBs, bureau chiefs say
AACVB was indicative of the region’s
the traditional approach of CVB collabora-
steep competition and therefore tough
tion needs to make way for other forms.
environment for an alliance to succeed,
Thailand Convention and Exhibition
Nichapa revealed that she has been push-
Bureau (TCEB), regarded as one of the
ing for a revival since joining the Associa-
more matured CVBs in Asia, has been
tion last September.
active in cross-border collabora-
Her plans for AACVB’s revival
tion. Citing an example, Nichapa
includes pushing for four meet-
Yoswee, TCEB’s senior vice presi-
ings and a re-prioritisation of
dent business, pointed to the
alliance objectives. “We have
Thailand MICE Venue Standard
come to an agreement to focus
which was established five years
on promoting Asia as a single
ago to guide local venues to-
destination for business events,
wards global standards in order
education, research and stand-
to improve their ability to win
ards setting,” she revealed.
Nichapa: standards
international business events.
Jason Yeh, CEO of GIS Group
collaboration
Nichapa said the Standards
Global in Taiwan, who presented
has since been adopted across South-east
a case study on the successful alliance
Asia, something TCEB had pushed for.
between Barcelona and Austria Conven-
Speaking on the panel, The Big Picture:
tion Bureaux during the panel, agreed
Alliance Asia – Are We Competing or
that “cooperation does not always mean
Collaborating at BE@Penang 2018 on
sharing business information” and urged
December 6, bureau chiefs Gordon Yapp
CVBs to think out of the box.
of Sabah Convention Bureau and Ashwin
Yeh said: “For example, more and more
Gunasekeran of Penang Convention &
American associations want to grow their
Exhibition Bureau acknowledged that a
Asia-Pacific membership but don’t know
collaborative approach taken by Asian
how. If Asian CVBs can work together
CVBs isn’t a fresh concept. The Associa-
and help them grow their membership
tion of the Asian Convention Bureaux
and create networking opportunities here,
(AACVB) was formed in 1983, but has
we will have the chance to attract asso-
since gone silent.
ciation meetings.” – Mimi Hudoyo
and was the first in Asia to have a con-
vention centre, the Philippine Interna-
tional Convention Center.
“Now we’re being left behind because
of technology, and our neighbours are
building convention centres for up to
20,000 pax. We might not have their
hardware yet but we know how to serve
– it’s what we will leverage on,” she said.
Tan: big ambitions
for Philippines’
business events
sector
Tourism Fiji launches
Asian roadshow
Months after establishing a second events
team to power up its pursuit of interna-
tional business events, Tourism Fiji has
moved to launch an annual Asia Road-
show in Malaysia and Singapore, with
the first held in Malaysia and Singapore
across two days in January.
Speaking to TTGmice while in Sin-
gapore, Kathy Koyamaibole, regional
manager Asia, Tourism Fiji, said the
roadshows will allow her team to connect
with trade partners in the two markets.
Tourism Fiji regards Malaysia and
Singapore as source markets with “huge
potential for growth”.
While arrivals from Asia comprise a
“small percentage” currently, she is confi-
dent that this number will grow.
Valerie Yee, general manager of Travco
World Events Singapore, agrees that inter-
est in Fiji is growing although she has yet
to sell the destination.
“Our clients are always looking for
exotic places for incentive trips so Fiji has
the potential to sell,” Yee explained.
Pamela Chun, MICE senior sales man-
ager, ASA Holidays, expressed that the
presence of five-star hotels in Fiji assures
her of the quality of MICE facilities.
However, Fiji’s distance from Singapore
– a long flight of over 10 hours – remains
a bugbear for some agents.
– Paige Lee Pei Qi