ITB Asia News - Day 3

I NEWS ISAFE EVENTSAT

I NEWS ISAFE EVENTSAT MARINABAY SANDSReimagining associationevents in the COVID-19 worldMICE-centric webinars at ITB Asia set the toneITB Asia - in partnership with K.I.T. Group and MarinaBay Sands - has organised three-days of webinars onhow to select a destination and organise a MICE eventin the “COVID-19 world”.Destination image and thefinancial benefits of organisingan event remain important. Butoverall, the ability to implementstrict hygiene measures forparticipants is becoming crucial,as explained by three speakers inthe first day's session: JocelyneMülli, Managing Director,K.I.T. Group, Ailynn Seah, VicePresident of Sales-MICE andAssociation for Marina BaySands and Ilan Geva, CEO, IlanGeva & Friends.How can the MICE industryprosper in a COVID-19 world?MICE have been hardest hitduring the pandemic, as theynormally gather a large numberof people together.“It is a challenge, but withincreased connectivity andtechnology, we can reducethe risks,” says Jocelyne Mülli,Managing Director of K.I.T.Group, one of Europe’s largestProfessional ConferenceOrganisers.Landing a destination for a MICEevent will certainly require muchmore attention to a number ofissues, starting with, for example,the ability to actually travel to thedestination - that includes thequestion of visas, the difficulty tonavigate through local customsand regulations and more.Other evaluation points havenot fundamentally changedcompared to pre-COVID-19events. Companies need toidentify logistics, transportation,capacities, service availability aswell as benefits to their imageas a destination. However, this isa bigger challenge in COVID-19THE FLEXIBILITYTO ADAPT TO ANEW HEALTHENVIRONMENTSUCH ASPROPOSINGALTERNATIVEVENUES ORPOSTPONINGA DATE, ASWELL AS THETRANSPARENCY OFCOMMUNICATIONARE DETERMINANT”times. Hotels or transportcapacities for example willdetermine the level of health &safety. The connection with localauthorities will also be crucialin minimising possible friction– between the necessity forstrict health measures and theevent itself. “The destination willcertainly be evaluated for futureevents, but judging the way theyapproach the organisation of anevent, the flexibility to adapt to anew health environment such asproposing alternative venues orpostponing a date, as well as thetransparency of communicationare determinant,” indicated Mülli.Singapore has shown itswillingness to offer the bestconditions for MICE organisersas soon as tourism normalisationcan be fully implemented.Marina Bay Sands’ AilynnSeah demonstrated the kindof events the hotel is able toproduce under strict protocol.Hybrid events and 3D hologramtechnology in a debate or the useof technology in services – suchas catering – are now parts ofthe “normal standards” that thehotel proposes to MICE players.For Ilan Geva, CEO, Ilan Geva& Friends and an internationalbranding expert, selecting adestination for MICE requires astrategic plan involving publicauthorities such as NTOS,along with private players. WithMICE organisers, they canthen highlight the economicand cultural impact of such anevent on the destination andalso include the entire region;not only the convention venue.Strengths and opportunitiesversus weaknesses and threatsmust always stand behind adecision, he explained“MICE will be back as professionalsfrom all across the globe needto exchange”, Ailynn Seah, VicePresident of Sales-MICE andAssociation for Marina Bay Sandsshares her optimism about thefuture of tourism. The luxuriousproperty which has long beenthe venue for ITB Asia offers stricthealth protocols in order to reassureanybody organising an event.Thermal cameras at entrances,permanent cleaning of all publicareas, disinfection of rooms withvirus-killing sprays, digital appsto order food even for a buffetformula… All is done to offer thesafest possible experience in thehotel, the convention centre and itsmall. It’s the perfect example of howSingapore can work under newcircumstancesMarina Bay SandsSINGAPORERELEASESA ROAD MAPFOR SAFE MICEEver heard of the IRR? It is theSingapore Tourism Board’snewest acronym for IndustryResilience Roadmap: a joint projectby Singapore Tourism Board(STB), Singapore Association ofConvention & Exhibition Organisers& Suppliers (SACEOS) andEnterprise Singapore (ESG). TheIRR aims to strengthen Singapore’sMICE industry by making the citystate “the MICE destination” in 2021.“We aim to set Singapore apartas the world’s leading destinationfor safe, trusted and innovativeMICE events,” said Edward Koh,Executive Director, STB, following apresentation prior to ITB Asia4 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2020www.itb-asia-news.com

I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ISolidarity in the private sectorset to drive industry out ofdoldrumsExclusive interview: Maribel Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, Membership& Commercial at World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)WTTC has been very active as the COVID-19 crisis progresses.We asked Maribel Rodriguez, the organisation’s Senior VicePresident, Membership & Commercial, how important the roleof the organisation is in terms of helping the industry survive thestorm.It’s crucial. WTTC has been veryactive, because we represent theprivate sector from the travel &tourism industry, that has been oneof the most affected sectors. That’swhy we need to work all together totake the same direction on the pathto recovery while promoting the bestpractices and rebuilding the travellerconfidence.How is WTTC evolving in thesetimes? What is changing in terms ofmembership?Members are very involved withthe work we are doing and are veryengaged in different areas includingour interactions with governments andparticularly our close collaborationwith the G20 group. It is in times likethis that they have highlighted theimportance of the work that we needto do together as a sector and uniteon one goal.A steering committe of top CEOs isbeing formed to help streamline theindustry’s approach in these times.Can you tell us more about this?This group will help us recover atleast 100m jobs, in the framework ofa plan we put together at the requestof the Government of Saudi Arabiawhich is the chair of the G20 groupthis year. The steering committeewill be comprised of WTTC MemberCEOs and other business andinstitutional leaders. We envision tohave different working groups that willfollow and execute on specific areassuch as opening air corridors, testingand tracing, quarantines, vaccinesTHESE ARECHALLENGINGTIMES FOROUR SECTORBUT WORKINGTOGETHER WEWILL BE ABLE TORECOVER ANDCOME OUT WITH AMORE RESILIENTAND REENERGISEDSECTOR.and government affairs. These arechallenging times for our sector butworking together we will be able torecover and come out with a moreresilient and reenergised sector.What are the main activities of WTTCin Asia at the moment?We keep working with our members,coordinating with other industrystakeholders and collaborating withgovernments around the world tohelp restart travel in a safe and securemanner. We need to remove travelbarriers and build back travellers’confidence. We are very engaged incommunicating and promoting theimplementation of testing and tracing,reducing and eliminating quarantines,and implementing health and safetyprotocols across all Travel & Tourismsectors. We also aim to keep travellersengaged and motivated with acampaign called Together in Travel.What are your thoughts aboutthe way ITB Asia 2020 is beingconducted?This is an example of how thetourism industry needs to keep onworking and promoting tourism asit’s an important economical factorfor countries as well as a job-creatorsector that contributes with 10.3% tothe global GDPMaribel RodriguezSenior Vice President,Membership & Commercialat World Travel & Tourism CouncilITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2020 5