MICE Boom in Asia

Post date: Jan 17, 2010 3:35:28 PM

(Originally published in July 2007)

Cities and resorts around the Asia-Pacific region are all gearing up to gain a bigger slice of the MICE pie. With the F1 race starting in 2008 and the development of the two integrated resorts, Singapore can look forward to more excitement and facilities for the MICE and tourism industry. Elsewhere in the region, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Macau are all expanding facilities and space to accommodate growing demands. Traditional incentive travel sites such as Bali and Phuket are also on the track of recovery from their respective disasters two years ago, while newer locations like Chiang Mai and Cebu are joining the MICE bandwagon.

When Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands integrated resort is completed and fully operational in 2010, the country’s total dedicated MICE space is expected to increase to 250,000 sq m from the current 140,000 sq m.

In Hong Kong, both the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) and the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) are planning for expansion. This will result a total of at least 200,000 sq m rentable space in just AWE and HKCED alone.

Currently, Bangkok’s Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani and the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC) has a combined rentable space of 241,000 sq m, but BITEC is already planning to increase its space from 36,000 sq m to at least 70,000 sq m.

But the MICE and hospitality industry should not be overly dazzled by the developments of these large expo and convention halls that are meant for mega events. After all, mega events do not come by all that frequently. Throughout the year are numerous smaller conferences and exhibitions, corporate events and incentive groups that require facilities for hundreds to less than a thousand people. With more and more international meetings – big or small – gathering in Asian cities, the question is, can hospitality facilities, manpower and customer service standard keep up with the pace and volume of activities? And with the great variety of cities, resorts and hotels available for meetings, can event organizers make informed decisions on their venue choices?