User’s manual: advice, grants, dinner in dunes, police cortege and other bonuses from travel offices

The first International MICЕ Geography Show is now at hand — it will take place in Moscow on September 17-18. The number of exhibitors willing to participate in the event is growing, and it includes quite a lot of travel offices of different countries. How can organizations like that help specialist MICE service buyers? Far not all the industry participants know about it. This is why we have decided to speak about at least some opportunities different tourist offices and convention bureaus offer. In order to provide information for corporate buyers, TMCs and event agencies representatives: what for, why and with what questions they can address them.

Beverly Ayong, regional director of Singapore Travel Board (STB) in Russia and Eastern Europe spoke about help event managers and agents can get, if they arrange events in Singapore: «Assistance that is rendered to corporate event and meeting planners by Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB), a division of STB, varies from marketing and financial support to ground service. For example, we can book venues, arrange an authentic simultaneous program of excursions and entertainment, arrange meetings with the leading state agencies, local associations and business partners. We are ready to provide marketing support and hold a marketing campaign aimed at regional or global target audience». As the expert explained, financial support of some MICE groups is possible under the «Business events in Singapore» (BEiS) program. It is a system of grants that covers part of certain cost items.

Besides, SECB and Changi Airport Group and Singapore Airlines run a joint program, «Singapore MICE Advantage Program» (SMAP), under which event organizers can count on special terms, for example, financial grants, discounts for airline ticket and hotel accommodation and assistance in event planning. Are you thinking about a corporate event or a business meeting in Abu Dhabi? In this case you should contact the emirate’s Tourism and Culture Authority. «We not only provide free and unbiased advice. If the trip includes at least 50 prepaid nights of hotel accommodation, we are ready to offer organizers one of the following options: a greeting dinner in the hotel they stay at; a tour around Abu Dhabi; an excursion to Ferrari World thematic park; a safari in the desert and dinner in the dunes; a full service package for a business meeting; a round of golf „in the footsteps of champions“; an excursion to a falcon hospital and lunch; a trip to Al Ain oasis; vip tickets to Formula-1 track; and a visit to Yas Waterworld water park», says Maksim Shandarov, MICE manager of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, which is the general partner of IMG Show. «Event organizers can get this bonus, if it is a new booking and their application is received by the emirate’s congress bureau not less than 30 days before the trip».

By the word, if you book more than 500 nights, you can choose two of these options, if you pay for more than 1000 nights, you are guaranteed to choose three options, and a booking of 1500 nights implies an individual bonus program by the congress bureau.

Macau Government Tourist Office provides travellers with printed informational leaflets, city maps and souvenirs. More and more Russian travellers and event managers show their interest in this special administrative district of China, the former Portugal colony, where western and eastern architecture and culinary traditions are reconciled. «Besides, we can offer traveller groups a free visit to Macau Grand Prix Museum and Macau Wine Museum during their trip, the guests will be told about the ancient secrets of viniculture and offered wine tasting, they can also purchase drinks they liked most of all», Dmitry Smirnov, Coordinator of Macau Government Tourist Office in Russia explains.

MICE groups of 25 to 300 and more persons can be offered such support, if their stay in Macau is not less than two nights long. You should fill in the application form for the event not less than 15-17 days beforehand and provide hotel confirmation of your group accommodation on the territory of Macau. Herewith, a corporate trip to this autonomous district will no doubt be full of impressions — there are enough cultural and entertainment events in Macau calendar. «For example, in September — October the international fireworks contest is held, and more than a hundred teams from all over the world participate in it every year. Or you can plan your trip on the dates of Lotus Festival that is held in Macau in June. There are no analogues of these events in other cities of Asia, so organizers who arrange MICE events in Macau have an opportunity to make something really exclusive», Mr Smirnov supposes.

Tens of concerts, sport and art events, festivals, exhibitions and conferences are planned in Malaysia as well during the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015. They include the Rainforest World Music Festival, the Urban Obstacle Night Race BloodRunner in Putrajaya, the Islamic ILM Arts Festival, the Ironmam contest, concerts of world famous musicians and a lot of other events.

Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) offers support in business meeting and corporate event arrangement in Malaysia.

The main goals of MyCEB are the following:

— Support and arrangement of regional and international events, incentive tours and business events;

— Consultations and helping organizers plan business events and their promotion on the worldwide basis;

— Helping organizers choose local service and goods providers;

— Facilitating requests for state support;

— Provision of advertisement content;

— Helping organize cultural events and excursions.

«At the same time Malaysia offers the Malaysia Twin Deal + + program, that lets tourist groups including 50 travellers and more, who come for corporate events, get a number of special offers during their visit, depending on the number of participants», Noor Zulia Mohamed, attaché of National Malaysia Tourist Office in Russia explains. «The privileges we offer include quick passport procedure (upon your arrival at the airport), special programs of catering and drink payment for event participants, discount vouchers, a gala dinner and a social program, a free tour of the city (or you can choose teambuilding instead), personal greeting presents and even police escort when you go around the city».

Malaysia Twin Deal MTD ++ program was developed with the participation of such international hotel brands as Grand Hyatt, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Berjaya Tioman Resort, as well as a number of other hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi archipelago, the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Special offers of added value include discounts for conference packages, free rooms in case you book 25 rooms and more, and a lot of other things. In order to get the right to participate in Malaysia Twin Deal ++, you should confirm your hotel booking in Malaysia for a group (not less than 50 participants) for not less than 3 nights.

MICE service buyers in «The country of romance» should address the French Tourism Promotion Agency (Atout France). «We can always recommend a route, a destination for a trip or an event, as well as provide direct contacts of regional Tourism Boards, recommend a DMC that will coordinate the event in France», Inessa Korotkova, director of Atout France representative office in Russia and the CIS explains. «Apart from all this, this year we are going to launch the Russian version of our website, devoted to the MICE industry in France. The web portal is intended for organizers of events, incentives and congresses, who will find there news and the latest trends of the industry, information on destinations and partners».

Besides, Atout France arranges two significant events every year. The first is France Meeting Hub, the largest professional MICE exhibition in France. It is an annual international show that has been held since 2013 and to which Atout France invites hosted buyers from 25 countries to meet MICE industry experts in France. The venue of the show changes every year. After Marseille and Nantes participants are to discover Alsace — this is the region that hosts France Meeting Hub on October 2-7, 2015. The second event is the annual autumn workshop of Atout France «MICE & Luxury» that French partners (Tourism committees and offices, hoteliers, etc.) attend in order to meet representatives of the Russian MICE industry and to plan possible cooperation.

Is there anyone who will not appreciate an incentive event in the French Riviera? If you plan a corporate event in the Principality of Monaco, address Monaco Government Tourist Office, cooperation with which will give you an opportunity to get state support on all the levels, as well as bonuses, a Russian-speaking manager, contacts of local providers and expert opinion (and as the result — the organizer’s budget economy), consultations on any issues connected to incentives organization, teambuilding, annual congresses, meetings and conferences.

For example, Tourist Office staff may recommend a DMC, suggest a hotel you’d better choose for your group and budget and the best place for a gala dinner. They will also make a calculation of your costs, offer different options and cost-efficient conference packages in response to your RFP, choose activities depending on the type of group, etc. And of course, they will answer any questions on transfers and logistics — say, how many persons a helicopter or a yacht can take.

«Nowadays, when the decision on the group tour is often taken at the last second, our time is very limited. In the conditions of strict deadline it is the rapidness that is the decisive factor that gives us advantage in this business: in most cases we give a detailed answer to the request during 48 hours», director of convention bureau of Monaco Tourist Office Sandrine Camia stresses.

Besides, organizers who book one or several hotels for not less than two nights in a row, order not less than one dinner for the participants in a location on the territory of the Principality, can take advantage of Monaco’s invitation offer (you should request for it beforehand). It includes assistance in hotel inspection for a group of up to four — including a free one-way helicopter transfer Nice-Monaco and a lunch or a dinner in Monaco. The offer also includes «bonus» payment for one cocktail party or lunch, event advertisement on free street banners, marketing support. And hotels will provide free rooms for inspectors (the maximum of four single rooms for two nights), as well as, depending the size of the group and the length of their stay, free service class upgrade for VIP-persons and special rates for business premises.

In order to take part in International MICE Geography Show, you should register on the website of the event.

Natalia Travova