Corporate Meeting Planning Guide

Engaging Attendees With International Destinations

Written by Susan Burnell

As companies plan meetings, conferences and events for 2008 and beyond, they are seeking locations that provide engaging experiences for attendees. They are also looking
for opportunities to make connections in the world’s thriving international business capitals.

“The pace of globalization is driving the meeting and event business to new levels of success and innovation,” says Bruce MacMillan, president and chief executive officer of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). The organization, which has nearly 23,000 members worldwide, recently opened an office in Singapore and has built new partnerships in the Gulf Region, South Korea and South Africa.

Companies considering meetings outside the U.S. can benefit fromnthe expertise of experienced meeting professionals and the official tourism organizations for the countries in which they plan to meet.

Longtime MPI member Lynne K. Tiras, Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), is president of International Meeting Managers, Inc. “When we organized a meeting in Japan, the Japanese Travel Bureau was fabulous,” she says. “It’s important to work with an official travel bureau or hire a professional conference organizer (PCO). If it’s the first time meeting abroad for a company or organization, we often advise choosing an English-speaking country. Organizers may also prefer a hotel brand that has a presence in the U.S.”

The Hong Kong Tourism Board — Impartial Advice, Practical Guidance

Corporate events in Hong Kong are up 16% over last year, and the growth of Hong Kong as a prime meeting destination is expected to continue, reports Bill Silvermintz, regional director, the Americas, for the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). “Companies appreciate
the ‘user-friendly’ environment. Street signs are in English, and the transportation infrastructure is superb, so navigating the city is a comfortable experience.”

HKTB offers impartial advice and practical guidance for groups looking to hold successful meetings and events in Hong Kong. “We
recently had a group looking at Hong Kong as a potential site for an incentive program,” says HKTB’s James LaValle, manager of conventions, exhibitions and corporate events. “They had already visited another Asian city and were wined and dined at high-end venues
and modern restaurants. Yet when they came to Hong Kong, we took the decision makers to the types of restaurants and venues that would be within their attendees’ means, focusing on the local flavor, history and culture. Hong Kong won the incentive program business because of the authenticity of the experience the city provides.”

Visitors from more than 170 countries can travel freely to Hong Kong without visas, unless the trip includes Chinese destinations. With the Hong Kong dollar tied to the U.S. dollar, a meeting can cost considerably less compared to a European destination that has less favorable foreign currency conversion rates.

The typical lead time for planning a meeting in Hong Kong is somewhat longer than it is for domestic meetings, but it’s not unusual for a meeting to come together in as few as three months, says Silvermintz. “While a shorter cycle takes a little extra motivation of the company’s own team, we are set up to react very quickly to such requests,” he says.

The HKTB helps organizations plan meetings and events, and, as a quasigovernmental body, it works very closely with other governmental bodies and trade and economic development offices. “We can provide entry into the Hong Kong business community, including the Hong
Kong American Chamber of Commerce,” says Silvermintz. “We can also help executives connect with business opportunities in China. With Hong Kong hosting the equestrian events for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in August, we expect those opportunities to expand.”

Hong Kong is an ideal destination for meetings that satisfy attendees and provide access to unique business resources. “Some people thought that after 1997 it would be more difficult to conduct business in Hong Kong,” says Silvermintz. “Yet in the most recent Economic Freedom of the World annual report — which measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries support economic
freedom — Hong Kong was ranked number one. That says volumes about the atmosphere businesses will have for meetings and events in Hong Kong.”

The Hong Kong Tourism Board and its industry partners will be holding special events in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles in February 2008. The events will showcase the many reasons for choosing Hong Kong as a corporate meeting or incentive program destination. The HKTB will also offer information on how to leverage a program in Hong Kong in order to build new business relationships in the region. Visit www.discoverhongkong.com/meetin2008 to learn more about special incentives and offers
available in 2008.