TTGmice Publications February/March 2019 | Seite 4

EDITORIAL Karen Yue Group Editor ([email protected]) S Puvaneswary Editor, Malaysia/Brunei ([email protected]) Mimi Hudoyo Editor, Indonesia ([email protected]) Pamela Chow Reporter ([email protected]) Rachel AJ Lee, Yixin Ng Sub Editors ([email protected], [email protected]) Adelaine Ng Australia ([email protected]) Marissa Carruthers Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam ([email protected]) Caroline Boey China & Special Projects ([email protected]) Prudence Lui Hong Kong/Greater China ([email protected]) Rohit Kaul India ([email protected]) Julian Ryall Japan ([email protected]) Rosa Ocampo The Philippines ([email protected]) Feizal Samath Sri Lanka/Maldives ([email protected]) Paige Lee Pei Qi Assistant Editor, Special Projects ([email protected]) Redmond Sia, Goh Meng Yong Creative Designers Lina Tan Editorial Assistant SALES & MARKETING Pierre Quek Publisher and Head Integrated Solutions ([email protected]) Ar-Iene Lee Senior Business Manager ([email protected]) Jonathan Yap Senior Business Manager ([email protected]) Shirley Tan Senior Business Manager ([email protected]) Jon Silva Marketing Executive ([email protected]) Delia Ng Digital Marketing Strategist ([email protected]) Cheryl Lim Advertisement Administration Manager ([email protected]) Carol Cheng Asst Manager Administration & Marketing (Hong Kong, [email protected]) PUBLISHING SERVICES Jonathan Wan Head, Operational Support Services Kun Swee Qi Publishing Services Executive Nur Hazirah Web Executive Katherine Leong Circulation Executive OFFICES Singapore TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, 1 Science Park Road, #04-07 The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528 Tel: [phone], fax: [phone], email: [email protected] Hong Kong TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, 8/F, E168, 166-168 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: [phone], fax: [phone] TTG ASIA MEDIA PTE LTD Darren Ng Managing Director TTGmice, endorsed by the Asian Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, is published by TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd, and is mailed free-of-charge on written request to readers Asia-wide who meet a set of predetermined terms and conditions. Annual airmail subscription charges are US$70 (Asia) and US$90 (elsewhere). All rights reserved. No part of this publi- cation may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. MCI (P) 028/08/2018 KDN PPS1888/02/2017(025626), ISSN 0218-849X Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd 16 Tuas Avenue 5, Singapore 639340 Invest in Asia Karen Yue Group Editor Business sentiments among destination players are a lot more positive in 2019 compared to the last few years, despite stakeholders here in Asia keeping a careful eye on the trade dispute between the US and China. The source of this optimism? A good appetite for busi- ness events coming out of Asian markets. For destinations like Macau, the Philippines and South Korea, strong and sustained demand from neighbouring markets continue to inspire confidence and determine forward destination marketing plans. The Chinese have a proverb: a neighbour is better than a faraway relative. What it means is that in times of an emergency, a neighbour close by will be of much greater help than a relative who resides far away. The US-China trade dispute is not yet an emergency for Asia (and we hope it will never come to be!) but it is always wise to build sustainable demand in markets close by. Moreover, going by the business outlook offered by Asian event planners who are seeing more careful spend- ing this year, the move to focus on strengthening regional demand is even more sound. Hong Kong planners, for instance, are favouring Asian destinations in the face of budget cuts. Malaysian clients too, hurt by a weak ringgit, are heading to nearby places and cutting out one or two dinners for their delegates. For such budget-conscious planners, Asia is a treasure trove of options. More and more secondary and tertiary destinations in Asia are clamouring for a slice of the business events pie and drawing infrastructure invest- ments that benefit corporate groups. This is all great news to planners who need fresh ideas that aren’t too many hours of flight away. Need inspiration? Check out our Penang special feature which will give you ideas on how to weave fun festivals in the historical Malaysian state into a business event programme. As well, don’t miss our feature on Kumamo- to, Japan, which is bouncing back from its 2016 quakes with new tour options to charm corporate groups.