PACIFIC RIM KICK-STARTS ITS EIBTM CAMPAIGNS

Exhibitors from right across the Asia Pacific region are already rolling out news of ambitious plans and major launches, new services and state-of-the-art facilities to capture the attention of international buyers at EIBTM. The leading annual showcase for the incentive, business travel and meetings industry takes place at Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland from May 29 to 31, 2001.

Their mission is to drive up the rate of business growth from all key regions of the world.

Debbie Jackson, EIBTM director, said Asia-Pacific exhibitors were lining up an impressive and influential representation, covering every aspect of the industry from New Zealand and Tahiti to India and China. "It is too early to confirm final exhibitor numbers," she said, "but we are extremely pleased with the response. Competition from Europe and now, increasingly, from the Americas is intense. EIBTM is the ideal platform from which the Asia-Pacific region can maintain and boost its already high profile with the rest of the world".

NEW CUTTING-EDGE COMPETITION FROM JAPAN

"We will be promoting two new destinations, two more of our 49 International Convention Cities, namely Kitakyushu and Nara," said Simon Halewood from the Japan Convention Bureau. "Previous co-exhibitor cities - Sapporo, Maebashi, Chiba, Hokohama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Miyazaki - will all be joining us again too."

Kitakyushu bills itself as Japan's premier eco-city. Heavy industry once made Kitakyushu one of Asia's most polluted environments, but the city has marshalled public and private resources to reverse this trend, and to further research and development of environmental technologies. Many of Japan's leading corporations are based in Kitakyushu, giving plenty of industrial tourism opportunities, to complement the city's major attractions, including the Space World theme park, Kitakyushu Media Dome and ancient Kokura Castle.

Nara is world famous as a culturally rich sightseeing city, boasting eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. Nara was established in 710AD as the first centre of government in Japan, when it acted as the eastern-most terminus of the Silk Road, linking Asia with the western world. The city has many treasures of ancient Buddhist art and architecture, set in a tranquil deer park and is now establishing an international reputation for culture-related scholarly research. Meeting facilities include classic halls in beautiful gardens and a brand-new "international city" on some 23 hectares of land around Nara Station.

Simone Halewood added: "For Japan, the key plus point about participating in EIBTM is the opportunity to contact key buyers in the association, corporate meeting and incentive travel markets, not just from Europe, but from all over the world."

VALUE-ADDED THAILAND

The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the private sector represented by Thailand Incentive and Convention Association have joined forces to offer a massive array of new special offers to help make event planning and implementation even easier and more cost effective.

"Thailand is already one of the world's favourite destinations for meetings, conventions, exhibitions and incentive travel," said Maggie Greenstock, London-based marketing manager with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. "We will be strongly represented at EIBTM, to underline just what great value and efficiency "Amazing Thailand" can deliver. Buyers attending the show will be able to discuss all sorts of special offers with our staff, and with convention centres, PCOs, Bangkok Airways, hotels, DMCs and, of course, Thai Airways International."

New enticements include the Skytrain monorail linking eight shopping centres and other primary locations in Bangkok; Thai pavilion accommodation and spa treatments at the Rose Garden complex near the Thai capital; new resorts with incentive programmes at Krabi and cruises on the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle.

SINGAPORE ZINGS !

New conference and incentive travel amenities seem to appear almost overnight, to emphasise Singapore's dedication to the industry on a global basis.

Formerly the home of such enterprises as the General Post Office, The Exchange, the Chamber of Commerce and the Singapore Club, the historic Fullerton Building has been transformed into a landmark hotel in the Central Business District, overlooking Marina Bay.

Other new features include the 60,000 sq.m Singapore Expo, the Grand Copthorne Waterfront and dramatic Expo Station, on the Mass Rapid Transit to Changi Airport, which serves the new Expo complex. And the Westin Raffles City Convention Centre has installed high speed internet and online services. There is also a much wider selection, now, of private day cruises to the outer islands, while the Culinary Academy offers cooking classes and food tours.

VIETNAM GETS INTO OVERDRIVE

A clutch of new international-class hotels, involving such companies as Accor, Renaissance and Furama, are complemented by ambitious plans for resort developments overlooking the magnificent beaches around Danang.

Other attractions include Hanoi's French colonial architecture, surfing at China Beach (showcased in the movie Apocalypse Now), the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the charismatic war-era Cu Chi tunnels; the wonderful temples and vast Imperial City in Hue, the former capital, and Ho Chi Minh City's wonderfully revived nightlife.

HONG KONG SURGES ON

It's the year of the snake in Hong Kong but there's nothing slow about the way it is surging into the 21st century.

Exhibitors at EIBTM will have a mass of new tales to tell. Hong Kong is bidding for the 2006 Asian Games and must be considered a strong contender given the huge expansion of infrastructure, accommodation and sports facilities of recent years.

And as a further indication of Hong Kong's global popularity, Continental Airlines has launched the first ever non-stop air service from New York, cutting at least two hours off flying times and taking a unique route over the North Pole, Russia and China.

Hong Kong's former international airport, Kai Tak, is now home to the world's largest indoor karting tract, ideal for incentives and corporate entertainment. The high-tech amenities include extensive meeting and catering services. It's also the setting for the Oriental Golf City driving range with a mind-boggling 500 driving bays. Other incentive programmes span Cantonese Opera and Dragon Boat Racing, Lion Dancing and Tai Chi, Herb Harvesting and Chinese Medicine Courses.

The fascinating new Heritage Museum - Hong Kong's largest - includes 12 exhibition galleries built around a traditionally-styled Chinese courtyard.

BRISBANE BOOMS

Brisbane is all set for its highest-profile year since the '82 Commonwealth Games and the '99 World Expo. Four massive events and 300 other conferences speak volumes for the Queensland capital's events capabilities.

The Australian Tourism Exchange in May draws in excess of 600 travel product buyers from all over the world. The World Veterans Athletics Championships in July is the world's largest IAAF-sanctioned athletics meeting, second to none in terms of participants, including the Olympics, with 6,000 athletes from 73 countries in action over 11 days.

The Goodwill Games will draw 1,300 elite athletes to Brisbane in August, while in October the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is set to be a truly royal affair, with the Queen and the leaders of 52 nations expected to attend. A year-round calendar of festivals and celebrations is all set.

AFTER THE GAMES ...

Sydney has not had time to suffer post-Olympics depression. In fact the city is destined to enjoy one of its most hectic ever conference and incentive travel periods between now and the end of 2003: 82 major business events, attracting 113,770 participants commanding a total spend of almost £AUS 500 million.

Upcoming events include the 2002 World Cardiology Congress, plus the International Congress of Ophthalmology, and in the following year the FDI World Dental Congress - total delegate numbers for these - 29,000. New meetings and events venues include the expanded facilities at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre on Darling Harbour; Stadium Australia (scene of the main Olympics action); Sydney Showground and Exhibition Complex; the multi-use Sydney Superdome; the International Aquatic Centre; and the Sydney Entertainment Centre.