Discovering Guam

Discovering Guam
Until very recently not many people could have told you where Guam was located, or even what was there.

Recent political events have certainly changed that.
With intense, global media attention in recent months, however, many outlets like CNN, the BBC and others took the time to really look behind the breaking news. What they found and repeatedly reported on was the amazing people, the beauty of the island, the wonderful attractions and the importance of tourism to its economy.

The stories revealed the special spirit of the nearly 170,000 residents who are predominantly American citizens but who also strongly honor the ancient and vibrant Chamorro culture.

They also unveiled stunning images of the unspoiled, stunning, natural beauty of Guam.

From an economic standpoint, they talked about the growing leisure travel, conference & meeting, and incentive travel market in Guam – propelled not only by its authentic style and unique experience opportunities, but also its modern hotels and convention center and strong technology infrastructure.

Guam will once again have a booth at IMEX America #3041 and is anticipating great interest from event planners and buyers from the US, Asia, Australia and many other regions.

Who’s Been Coming and Why?
In just one example of who’s coming to Guam, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) & PATA (Pacific Asian Travel Association) held their 2016 Annual Conference in Guam which brought many influential industry leaders to the island, and delighted them with all that Guam has to offer,

Japanese, South Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese and American tourists and incentive groups have also been enjoying their experiences of Guam.

While Guam has more than 8,860 modern hotel rooms and hotels run by leading brands such as Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton and Westin – as well as the new Guam Convention Center at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort – Guam also has its own distinctive local style which creates memorable events and experiences.

Business and pleasure visitors alike can take in outdoor fiestas featuring traditional, Chamorro food and festivities like fresh caught seafood & edible seaweed, traditional dancing, music and coconut cracking.

Hiking and walking up into the hills of Guam – or “Boonie Stomping” as it’s known locally – uncovers gorgeous flora, fauna and jungle waterfalls. Golf, dolphin watching and water sports like snorkeling and diving are also among the many activities offering a wide range of incentive options.

Guam has also built a strong technology infrastructure with superfast Wifi – bringing together the best of unplugged and fully connected options and activities.

The world is discovering Guam – and that it has plenty to offer.
https://www.guamvisitorsbureau.com/

Guam Visitors Bureau
www.guamvisitorsbureau.com

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#Guam #UNWTO #WTO #PATA #IMEXAmerica #MICEnews #MICEmedia #TourismNews

Pacific World Unveils its New Selection of Venues for Meetings and Special Events

Pacific World Unveils its New Selection of Venues for Meetings and Special Events

Award-Winning Destination and Event Management Company Introduces
Unusual Locations that Fully Engage and Captivate Guests, Immersing Them in the Destination Culture

SINGAPORE (July, 2017) – Pacific World – one of the world’s leading global destination and event management companies – is delighted to introduce its new selection of event venues and immersion experiences designed to fully engage and captivate guests. As creative experts at the forefront of global event planning, Pacific World strives for emotional engagement when choosing venues and creating experiences in order to drive more successful outcomes. From a gastronomic journey beneath the Barcelona Opera House to the exploration of a traditional native village in Bali, Pacific World has curated new locations and world-class events that deliver exceptional results.

“We are continuously looking for new venues that are not just cool and stunning, but will achieve our clients’ meetings and events goals,” said Patricia Silvio, Global Marketing Manager of Pacific World. “2017 events are now well under way, and our teams around the globe have been selecting and sharing their findings and choices. We have found that most of the spaces selected answer to the latest industry trends. Clients are craving for immersive experiences to engage with the local destination, culture and tradition. Each of these venues inspire planners to think outside of the box on many levels, and they are the basis to creating unforgettable experiences for years to come.”

Pacific World has identified a growing interest in private residences, natural outdoor locations and conceptual venues that highlight culture and gastronomy for meetings and events. The company’s global network of local insiders has been hunting for these special places and have discovered fascinating new venues and uncovered authentic gems.

In Paris, France, they’ve discovered a private luxury apartment located at a bespoke address nestled in the heart of the Right Bank, Marais neighborhood. This 17th century apartment offers a wonderful view overlooking one of the oldest and most elegant squares of Paris along with sumptuous living and dining rooms featuring a private art collection and elegant furniture belonging to the owner, a local art auctioneer and connoisseur. A vaulted cellar connected to the apartment by private elevator is ideal for a wine aperitif. Outfitted with the most exquisite and refined materials, this exceptional setting will be a fit for event planners looking to connect with the most sophisticated side of the city. Likewise, Pacific World has activated new events at private residences in Singapore, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome and other major European and Asian cities.

“Our clients are craving unique, immersive experiences where they can engage with the destination’s culture and traditions,” said Patricia Silvio, Global Marketing Manager of Pacific World. “We align the location and experience with our client’s goals – and devise events that engage attendees on many levels, creating an unforgettable experience of a lifetime that bonds the guests.”

For those looking to engage with culture through gastronomy in a different and creative way, one should look no further than Barcelona, Spain at the Opera Samfaina – a new venue concept combining fine cuisine and cutting-edge technology. Tucked away beneath the Barcelona Opera House along a wide avenue that runs from the heart of Barcelona, the venue creates a remarkable gastro-sensory experience influenced by the Catalan region where guests can enjoy standout dishes while immersed in stunning sounds, projections and animations. The 950 square-meter venue is divided into themed spaces, each with a different sensory environment and cuisine item. This incredible experience – which embodies Barcelonan gastronomy, culture, and traditions – was designed and produced by award-winning talents including a world-famous audiovisual artist and Michelin-starred chefs.

For a fully immersive cultural experience in Asia, why choose a single venue when you can have an entire town? Pacific World has created a wholly immersive experience in the village of Mengwi, Bali that utilizes the town’s sights, sounds, tastes and residents. Dressed in traditional costumes, villagers welcome the guests with a colorful procession and drums leading them to the Taman Ayun, a local ancient temple. Inspired by the traditional Rajalaya Royal Service festivals, colorful offerings are carried, a gamelan orchestra plays and royal torches light the route. Upon arrival, guests will enjoy Kecak and Fire Dances followed by a dinner of exquisite Balinese dishes. This memorable experience can accommodate up to 200 guests.

For more information or to book and organize a meeting or event with Pacific World, please visit http://www.pacificworld.com or e-mail myrequest@pacificworld.com. Additionally, please like and follow Pacific World on their social media channels to learn more: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Pacific World
Founded in 1980 in Hong Kong, Pacific World is a dedicated destination and event management company operating in over 40 countries and over 100 destinations in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and The Americas.

Saudi Arabia Welcomes your Meetings

Saudi Arabia Welcomes your Meetings
Stand D600 at IMEX in Frankfurt 2017

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been investing significantly in reinforcing its infrastructure and transforming and developing the meetings industry within the country to welcome meetings and business events. It now has more than 600 first class hotels, convention and event facilities and nearly all leading international hotel groups have properties in the major cities.

This will be clearly seen at IMEX in Frankfurt 2017 where the Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau is exhibiting for the first time, with many Saudi successful event organising companies  marketing their meetings and events facilities and services.

Currently public investment in the meetings industry in Saudi Arabia up to 2020 is estimated at
6 billion Saudi Riyals (US $1.6billion). These investments include establishing five major convention districts – King Salman International Conference Center in Madinah; King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, at the King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, the King Abdullah Economic City and at the King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah, to be completed within the next five years. These are in addition to private sector investments in the industry, represented by hotels with exhibition and conference facilities all over the Kingdom.

Vision 2030
The investment is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, announced in April 2016, an ambitious but achievable blueprint which expresses long-term goals and reflects the country’s strengths and capabilities.

Vision 2030 is to position Saudi Arabia as a global investment powerhouse and a global hub connecting three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa, capitalising on its status as the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds and its unique geographic strategic location. Vision 2030 also aims to reinforce and diversify the capabilities of the country’s economy. As such, it will transform the economy away from a dependence on oil production into a industrial conglomerate and transform the Public Investment Fund into the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund. Hosting business events is one of the focal points of the reforms, along with leisure and religious tourism, all means to generate both revenue and employment.
Business events comes under the National Transformation Plan, the centrepiece of Vision 2030, which consists of 755 initiatives costing $100 billion dollars between 2016 and 2020.
HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) and chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Saudi Exhibition & Conference Bureau (SECB), has said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will become one of the key destinations in the Meetings industry.

Established in 2013, the Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau was created with a mandate to develop the meetings industry.  Eng.Tariq A. Al Essa, Executive Director of Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau explains what the Bureau is doing and how it is making progress.
“We are a government organisation responsible for developing and organising the meetings industry in Saudi Arabia. The government recognised the importance of the meetings industry and it approved a development strategy. The SECB is operated differently to other bureaus around the world. Our mandate is not only promotion; it is also the development of the industry.
Overcoming obstacles
“As a first step, we identified the major obstacles to the industry’s growth, including regulatory framework, accessibility, infrastructure capacity, human resources, and the non-availability of information about meetings and events that are being organised”.
“To deal with the matter of visas, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to smooth the process to obtain visas for speakers and exhibitors. Visitors, speakers, or exhibitors will apply through an e-system and will receive their visa online.
Long heritage in hosting meetings
“Saudi Arabia has a heritage in hosting meetings going back more than 2000 years. Our country has been staging one of the oldest meetings in the world, Okaz, originally an annual convention of Arab poets and of course we have 1437 years of experience in hosting the largest and most complex meeting in the planet – the ‘Hajj’. In 2016 more than 1.9 million international delegates from 163 countries took part in this meeting.
Knowledge economy
“Although Saudi Arabia is starting to pitch for international association meetings, it is also very keen to create unique and sustainable business events based on its strengths, competitive  advantage and the needs of the national economy.
“There are plenty of opportunities for many sectors in Saudi Arabia. We are number one in the world for water desalination and water treatment, and obviously oil, power, petrochemicals, and Islamic finance. This gives the country an opportunity to host business events in these sectors which will positively enhance the economy and society. Our vision is to convert Saudi Arabia into a major destination for meetings in the world, which we can be.
“We started from strengthening this idea at a local level and we will gradually extend our campaign to regional and international level. We have spent time characterising Saudi companies to highlight the importance of meeting, discussing, and exchanging opinions, views, and technologies. We also developed the “ambassador programme” with the aim of selecting and training a number of Saudi medical professionals and scientific associations and federations who will be in charge of contacting international associations to discuss partnership opportunities for hosting events in our country. This will strongly enhance the image of Saudi Arabia as a meeting hub in the region and worldwide, and will make a positive contribution to the tourism sector.
Measuring economic impact
“In addition, to measure the economic impact of the meeting industry in Saudi Arabia and demonstrate the value of the investment we aim to provide information and statistics. We have created an electronic gate – a SAR12 million project that is at the heart of the Saudi meetings industry. All operations and events happening in Saudi Arabia are reported in this e-system.
“The gate is unique in the world, and it provides up-to-date data to assist business professionals from all around the world not only to understand the behaviour of the meetings industry, but the behaviour of all economic sectors in Saudi Arabia.
“Collaborating with other stakeholders is of crucial importance to us, not just for the industry but for the growth of the whole country, in relation to human resources. We want Saudi people to play a key role in the industry. We approached universities and other institutes, and right now some of them offer courses in event management. A recent study conducted by the Saudi Ministry of Labour revealed that Saudi graduate students selected “event manager” as one of the jobs they are most keen to do.
“We have also secured the involvement of investors in the creation of the Saudi Event Management Academy (SEMA), which is the first step in our bid to fill the gap between Saudi’s human resources and the competencies that the industry requires. The academy is unique in the Middle East region.
“Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Arabic and Islamic worlds, it is a pioneering investment powerhouse and the hub connecting three continents. We are creating an environment for successful meetings and exhibitions that will attract business in events and investments.”

 

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#IMEX17 #TariqAlEssa #SaudiArabia #KingdomofSaudiArabia

IBTM AMERICA 2016 SET TO PROVIDE VALUABLE BUSINESS CONNECTIONS WITH IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF GLOBAL HOSTED BUYERS

IBTM AMERICA 2016 SET TO PROVIDE VALUABLE BUSINESS CONNECTIONS WITH IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF GLOBAL HOSTED BUYERS

81% of Hosted Buyers looking to place business internationally 

ibtm america 2016 (www.ibtmamerica.com), taking place from June 15-17 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, has confirmed an impressive global line-up of Association, Agency and Corporate Hosted Buyers attending from the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Asia and more.

Registered Hosted Buyers have confirmed their product interests among exhibitors, with hotels and conference/meeting venues being the top two picks. Other event products to make the list include special event venues, Destination Management Companies, resorts and spas, and destinations. Among those buyers the two most popular event types were conferences/meetings and incentives, followed by exhibitions, conventions/congresses, staff training/motivation, and business and luxury travel.

Jaime McAuley, Event Director, ibtm america commented, “We have a great line-up of Hosted Buyers this year; not only do we have elite buyers with proven budget and business to place attending from all around the world, but we have a diverse group with a variety of products interests and this will increase the opportunity for our exhibitors to make connections at the event. And with our 100% mutually matched appointment system, we can ensure that all of our Hosted Buyers and exhibitors are only attending relevant, valuable appointments likely to result in business opportunities and ROI.”

Hosted Buyers have also indicated the regions in which they are most interested in placing business, with 98% of buyers looking to place business in the US and 81% interested in placing business internationally. Domestically buyers placed particular emphasis on wanting to meet exhibitors from the Western US (98%) and the Southeast (97%). Internationally buyers were most interested in Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

McAuley commented, “These preferences are really on trend with where the industry is right now. Rob Davidson, Managing Director of MICE Knowledge, predicted in his 2015 Trends Report that 2016 will see an increase across all meeting types in North America, so it’s not surprising that both our regional and international buyers are looking to place business in Canada and the US. Davidson also noted how Latin America’s close business and cultural ties to the US, which make it especially attractive for US-based meeting groups, have played a large role in the Latin American MICE industry’s growth, so we expect this to continue to be a region of interest among our Hosted Buyers.”

Some of the Hosted Buyers attending this year include Philips (Brazil), Rimac Seguros y reaseguros (Peru), Hurricane Action Sports (Canada), Montreal Event Planner (Canada), Lenovo (China), GECK’O Incentives & Events (Germany), Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (India), Fullteam Networks (Mexico), TUSExpo BV (Netherlands), Decast Group (Russian Federation), ABB INDUSTRIES (UAE), Ultima Media (UK), Smartfocus (UK), Freestyle Football Federation (UK), the American Association for Cancer Research (US), AT&T (US), Wells Fargo (US), Corning Inc. (US), The Geological Society of America (US), and Nature’s Way (US).

Veronica Carletto, Project Manager, Fourth Wall Events, who will attend as a Hosted Buyer commented, “My objective is to learn about new hotels and services that I can share with my organisation and offer our clients. I am interested in looking at the 5* luxury brands in Europe and Asia.”

Blair Monica, Marketing Event Project Manager, GM Financial, also a Hosted Buyer for 2016 commented, “We plan events all over the US and Canada. I am interested in looking at different locations that can hold larger groups, what’s new with technology, meeting design, what’s new with exhibit design and displays and how to elevate our meetings and events.”

Fred Williams, Conference Manager, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, also a Hosted Buyer for 2016 commented, “Face-to-face meetings are critical to understanding city and hotel updates as well as special offers. Cities, hotels, airlines, audiovisual, and exhibition companies are the types of exhibitors I wish to meet.”

Joost de Meyer, Chairman & CEO, First Incentive Travel, also a Hosted Buyer for 2016, commented, “I am the Chairman & CEO with First Incentive Travel. I lead a team of experienced project managers. We work all over the USA for incentive groups coming to the USA, Mexico and Caribbean from mainly Europe and the rest of the world. I am interested in hotels, DMC’s, CVB’s, cruise lines, etc.”

To hear what more Hosted Buyers have to say, please visit:http://www.ibtmamerica.com/Media/galleries/Testimonials/

For further information about exhibiting, please visit http://www.ibtmamerica.com

 

PACIFIC WORLD AND ACCESS GLOBAL DESTINATION INDEX REPORT IDENTIFIES TOP DESTINATIONS FOR MEETINGS, INCENTIVES AND CONFERENCES

PACIFIC WORLD AND ACCESS GLOBAL DESTINATION INDEX REPORT IDENTIFIES TOP DESTINATIONS FOR MEETINGS, INCENTIVES AND CONFERENCES
Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore recognized as top destinations in Asia
Italy and France most popular in Europe, UAE top destination in Middle East
Texas, Florida and Las Vegas top the list in the USA

Results from a recent global Destination Index, compiled by the leading Global DMC and Event Management Companies, Pacific World (www.pacificworld.com) and ACCESS Destination Services (www.accessdmc.com), have identified the top destinations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States for meetings and incentives.

Patricia Silvio, Global Marketing Manager, Pacific World, commented, “The Pacific World global Destination Index report identifies each year the countries and cities most thriving within the meetings, incentives and conferences industries. This year overarching themes that led to an increase in popularity were improvements in transportation/flights, an increase in venues and hotels, investment in technology, attractive exchange rates, and safety and stability.”

Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore were recognised as the top countries in Asia for meetings and incentives, with Bangkok and Bali voted as the most popular cities, and meetings and incentives being the most requested event types in Singapore. Governmental stability, attractive exchange rates and improved flight connections were factors contributing to the increased attention from source markets including North America, Australia and other Asian regions.

In Europe, France and Italy were identified as the top countries for meetings and incentives. Improved transport links and investment in infrastructure resulting in the opening of a number of new hotels and venues were factors accountable for the fact that Milan and Paris have both been voted as the most popular European cities for Meetings and Incentives, with increased interest from source markets such as the Middle East, USA, UK, Germany, and Brazil.

The UAE was recognised as the most popular destination for incentives and conferences in the Middle East, with the UK, Saudi Arabia and India identified as the key source markets placing inbound business into the destination. Accessible flight routes, new hotels, and an investment of time and resources in the latest technology and set-ups to facilitate large-scale events have pushed the UAE to the top of the list.

Texas topped the list as the most popular destination for meeting and events in the USA, followed by Florida and Las Vegas. New venues, restaurants and an increase in international and regional flights have boosted the popularity of these destinations while the abundance  of available VIP experiences have established Dallas, San Antonio, Miami, and Las Vegas as key cities for conference and incentives in the U.S.

For more details about the Destination Index, please go to: www.pacificworld.com

 

Tokyo – the most liveable city in Monocle magazine’s 2015 Quality of Live Survey

Tokyo – the most liveable city in Monocle magazine’s 2015 Quality of Live Survey.

Rising from the 2nd place in 2014 and 4th in 2013, Tokyo was named the most liveable city, followed by Vienna, Berlin, Melbourne and Sydney, in the 2015 Quality of Live Survey in the Monocle magazine.

In addition to the criteria surveyed traditionally, such as safety, international connectivity, public transport, tolerance and environmental issues, Monocle has added 22 new metrics, including several that look at housing and the cost of living, from the price of a three-bedroom house to the cost of a coffee, glass of wine and decent lunch. Furthermore, access to nature, urban design, business conditions, pro-active policy development and medical care has been more emphasized.

Summarizing this year’s survey results, Monocle magazine stated, “Tokyo claims the hotly debated crown due to its defining paradox of heart-stopping size and concurrent feeling of peace and quiet”.

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#Tokyo #Japan

BEIJING SET TO WELCOME MEETINGS INDUSTRY PLANNERS FROM LEADING GLOBAL BRANDS

BEIJING SET TO WELCOME MEETINGS INDUSTRY PLANNERS FROM LEADING GLOBAL BRANDS
“We believe that ibtm china provides the most effective platform to support our business and meet international buyers.”

Hosted Buyer registration for ibtm china 2015 (www.cibtm.com/en/Hosted-Buyers) is now open with senior meetings industry planners from some of the world’s leading global brands and companies already confirmed including Estee Lauder, Bank of Commercial, UCB Pharmaceutical, L’Oreal Paris, Mercedes-Benz China, Volkswagen, Walmart, China Textile Association, The International Ski Federation, Nike, China Ford Motor Company, Michelin, Prudential Life Insurance, Samsung, HelmsBriscoe and Engineering Conferences International.

Hosted Buyer, Hao Wang, Head of Meetings, Groups and Events, HRG Jinjiang China, commented: “I firmly believe that ibtm china gives us the best platform from which to meet international suppliers. The show also gives attendees relevant education and news about MICE development. Our objectives for the show are to look for advanced and creative MICE services, to source qualified partners in countries where we have business, and to enlarge our knowledge base on both destinations and resources.”

Cici Chen, Senior Project Manager, ibtm china commented, “Early response to our Hosted Buyer programme shows the high level of interest in China from companies who clearly have business to place here. We know that they are looking to meet hotels, venues, destinations, technology suppliers, business travel, event services providers that represent the MICE sector. With over 400 exhibitors from China, Asia and beyond expected, they won’t be disappointed. The programme not only offers Buyers face to face meetings but also pre-show Beijing fam trip options to experience the city and surrounding sights, valuable knowledge and education sessions, and numerous networking events and opportunities.”

Buyer, Cennic Koh Hiong, Executive Director, CITS Group Shanghai Co Ltd, commented: “Our overall objective for the show is to get more supplier information to strengthen our business. We believe that ibtm china provides the most effective platform to support our business and meet international buyers.”

To find out more about the Hosted Buyer programme and to apply to be hosted, please visit: http://www.cibtm.com/en/Hosted-Buyers.

Companies targeting new business from China and Asia who are interested in benefiting from access to a global network of powerful meetings industry buyers and exhibiting opportunities should contact jonathan.vis@reedexpo.co.uk or for further information, please visit www.cibtm.com

Join ibtm china on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

INTERNATIONAL CONFEX LAUNCHES DESTINATION VILLAGE

INTERNATIONAL CONFEX LAUNCHES DESTINATION VILLAGE

24th July 2012, London: International Confex has announced plans to create a Destination Village at the 2013 show. The feature will form part of the International sector and is the first in a series of new experiences launching next year (19-21 March 2013).

The Destination Village will represent the perfect opportunity for Destination Management Companies (DMC’s) from around the world to represent theirdestinations to the lucrative UK outbound market. The Village will also create an easy to navigate and knowledgeable environment for buyers looking to take their events internationally.

“The UK market sits as either the first or second largest inbound market for themajority of countries both within Europe and further afield in the US, Asia, and South America,” comments James Samuel, Event Manager, International Confex. “It is therefore crucial that we continue to satisfy this demand from our buyers.”

The Destination Village will consist of a series of pods each representing a different destination, with one DMC limited to each destination. Exhibitorsusing the area will have full use of the distribution and connectivity features from International Confex, ensuring they can seek, meet and qualify the right buyers for their destinations.

“We’ve already had an outstanding response to the new feature, and some major destinations have signed up including Malta, Italy, Spain, Germany and Netherlands,” continues Samuel. “This is brilliant news for both exhibitors and buyers to ensure this sector is vibrant and business focused.”

International Confex and its sister show Live Experience will form part of Confex Week, launched earlier this month, encompassing the full range of events, education, and networking that will take place around the show at ExCeL London next year.

www.international-confex.com