3 APAC Cities That Make Exceptional MICE Destinations

Choosing the right destination for organising meetings and events is governed by a host of factors. Generally, an ideal meeting destination is one that provides ample choices of meeting venues (with state-of-the-art technology and flexible meeting space), boasts of comfortable accommodation options and offers premium leisure activities, making it worth extending the business trip for a couple more days of relaxation. Basically, planners look for an ideal ‘bleisure’ destination suitable for both business and leisure trip. In fact, as per a report issued by travel website Skift*, business trips that last three or more days are 30% more likely to include additional leisure travel days, and 84% of bleisure trips are spent in the same city or area as the business trip.

With this trend booming, more and more cities are now promoting themselves as both business and leisure destinations. On the other hand, planners seeking to improve their event attendance and attendee experience are progressively opting for such destinations.

Cities like Singapore, Sydney and Bangkok are already ahead in the game. They are not only positioning themselves as popular leisure destinations but are also gaining recognition as exceptional MICE destinations. These cities have also bagged the top three spots in Cvent’s list of top 25 Meeting Destinations in the Asia Pacific – 2018. This list was compiled based on the RFP sourcing activity through the Cvent Supplier Network, which is valued at more than $14.7 billion and translates to more than 40 million room nights in 2017 –helping to support more than 715,000 events worldwide.

Here are some insights into what makes Singapore, Sydney and Bangkok (already popular as holiday destinations) the top three MICE destinations in APAC.

No. 1 Singapore

This island country, offering state-of-the-art MICE facilities, attracts a number of meeting planners from around the world, and has been a home ground for several world-class meetings and events. In the upcoming month of October, the city is going to host the 26^th edition of World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems 2019. This world congress is expected to draw more than 5,000 foreign attendees and earn over S$10 million in tourism receipts. Another big event in the same month is Asia’s leading travel trade show, ITB Asia 2018, which will welcome more than 11,000 delegates. With a lively cityscape, a well-connected transport system and robust infrastructure, the city continues to deliver high-quality service to the MICE industry. Click here to know more about Singapore as a MICE Destination.

No. 2 Sydney, Australia

The top meeting destination in Australia, Sydney is the second most popular city in the Asia-Pacific region. This capital city offers the finest collection of meeting venues to suit all the corporate needs. At the same time, the event delegates can explore major attractions of the city, as well as indulge in the culinary and cultural delights of the city. Sydney welcomed over 8,000 attendees alone in January 2017, cementing its iconic position as a MICE destination. The city’s iconic event venues include Sydney Olympic Park– an all-inclusive business precinct offering 22,000 square metres of exhibition space and over 100 different function spaces, International Convention Centre Sydney– which comes with more than 30,000 square metres of conventions area, and the 892-room  Hyatt Regency Hotel  which provides 3,700 square metres of meeting space across 21 rooms of different space configurations. Click here to know more about Sydney as a MICE Destination.

No. 3 Bangkok, Thailand

This vibrant city that offers endless opportunities to MICE planners stands third on Cvent’s list of top 25 Meeting Destinations in the Asia Pacific – 2018. Bangkok is an eclectic mix of innovative and conventional living that offers business travellers anything they could desire: pulsating nightlife, endless shopping opportunities, legendary hospitality, an unparalleled variety of activities and attractions, and exceptional MICE facilities. The city is easy to get to, and offers roomy, award-winning venues like Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC), and the stunning Queen Sirkit National Convention Center (QSNCC). The city has held more than 140 conventions from January to June 2018 and is going to host one of the significant global conventions — 15^th International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE15) — in the coming November. Click here to know more about Bangkok as a MICE destination.

*source: https://skift.com/2017/02/27/free-research-profile-of-the-american-bleisure-traveler/