Taking the bored out of boardroom

While business travel has been as equally hard hit as leisure by the global downturn, the demand for corporate events, meetings and incentives is not expected to evaporate, and the sector provides opportunities for inbound and outbound travel for the Middle East as Kathi Everden discovered

According to the Middle East Meetings Industry Research Report, published by GIBTM in March, the sector is holding up relatively well compared to other regions, with 37% of buyers expecting an increase in the number of events they hold in 2009, although this rise will be offset by reductions in budgets, delegates and event duration.

On the ground here, major players are cautiously optimistic with Dnata World of Events reporting an increase in enquiries about incentive programmes from local clients: “We have seen a new trend emerging in clients’ expectations of incentive programmes,” said manager Shelly Page.

“Increasingly, companies are looking for a mix of business and leisure related activities, such as team building and educational seminars combined with dinners and sightseeing — whereas these might have been managed separately in the past, they are now pooled together and delivered as one programme.”

Dubai-based Siren Consulting, which works with both regional and overseas clients to organise events throughout the Middle East, is seeing steady business, but on a much more last-minute basis, according to events director Fiona Swaffield.

“It seems companies are realising that the situation is not quite as bad as they thought it would be — but we are given shorter lead times, more emphasis on ROI and a demand for creativity as corporates move away from stereotypical cocktail reception events and boardroom meetings.”

Executive retreats at some of the small luxury resorts in the region such as Bab Al Shams; family driven programmes, and a rise in demand for destinations outside Dubai are other trends, said Swaffield.

“Corporate events and launches might stay in Dubai, but inbound business is asking for quotes from other cities, and both Oman and Jordan are becoming very popular, while Egypt is offering great hotel deals just now.”

The typical four-day incentive popularised in Dubai is the sector most impacted by economic woes overseas, and operators such as Arabian Adventures are looking to introduce new programmes to reinvent this wheel.

“It is not just the downturn, but people are now asking for more experiential programmes, where they can meet local people, contribute to the community or the environment,” said svp Frederic Bardin.  “We are looking at new ideas, whether it is planting trees, learning Arabic cooking or understanding Islam, and also interacting with local initiatives such as the Emirates Foundation.”

Bardin said the number of events and requests for future business were down by some 15% to 20%, but the sector was not dead in the water: “We are seeing more regional market incentives and this is slowly developing, while some corporates are still doing the full thing — air-conditioned meetings in the desert, gold leaf in the champagne, 10 course dinners and limo transfers.

“Overall, more than 15% of clients request something different, away from the hotel meeting and dune-dinner formula.”

Dnata’s Page also stressed the need for creativity: “A significant change we have seen is in the way our clients want their guests to take in local sights or experience gala dinners — they expect to see these activities delivered in a more creative way, both in terms of execution and the budget.”

London calling

With preparations for the 2012 Olympics in full swing and the fall in the value of Sterling, London represents a good value option for longer-haul events, and a swathe of new and original venues are on the menu, according to sales and event solutions manager for Visit London, Zanine Adams.

 “For traditional attractions, we can offer private tours of the Houses of Parliament or the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London; receptions at a gallery or in the gardens at the V&A Museum; visits to the Tiffany Collection at Somerset House or a pod on the London Eye with champagne cocktails,” Adams said.

“There are revamped hotels such as the Savoy and the Grosvenor House now operated as a JW Marriott, while another attraction is a celebrity chef’s table at venues such as Claridge’s, or a reception with after-hours shopping at Liberty’s.”

Other new venues with possible attractions for a Middle East group are The Wonder Rooms at Selfridges, The Deck at the National Theatre with Thames views; the black and white design Altitude in Westminster with 360-degree views and dining, meeting and breakout facilities; and the new Church House Conference Centre by Westminster Abbey with 19 rooms including the Assembly Hall with a glass dome.

CONTACT: www.visitlondon.com

All-inclusive, cruising can provide a cost-effective option for corporate events, according to Lakshmi Durai, executive director Middle East for Royal Caribbean, who said the company was promoting the meeting and conference facilities of Brilliance of the Seas, which will be based in Dubai next winter and sailing short regional cruises that are ideal for this market.

“The incentive for corporate clients is the fact that meeting facilities come within the standard cost of a normal cruise bundled with fine dining, speciality cuisine, leisure and entertainment on board,” she said. 

As well as three conference rooms with capacity up to 64 people, there is a theatre seating 915, full a-v and opportunities for corporate branding, separate dining, dedicated short excursions plus onboard service co-ordinators.

Short itineraries are also available in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Asia, and ships feature Broadway and comedy shows, spas, casinos, theme parties, mini-golf, rock-climbing walls, ice-rinks, surf FlowRiders and more.

But, while cruising as an event option is growing in popularity, Francesca Mugnari, sales manager at Costa Cruises, sounded a word of warning.

“We have had a lot of interest from the corporate market for our Gulf cruises, but sailings in March and April this year were sold out, and we could not accommodate requests for groups of 150 and more — this market is very last minute,” she said.

For 2009/2010, Costa will be bringing in its two newest ships, Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa, offering increased capacity, Samsara spas, 15 restaurants and bars, 4D cinemas, golf simulators and putting greens and a Grand Prix simulator, as well as meeting and conference facilities.

CONTACT: www.royalincentives.com and www.costacruises.com

RACE to succeed

Jordan’s historical charms are being discovered by the events sector with new hotel stock adding to its qualifications as an incentive and meeting destination.  According to Ola El Sissy at the Gulf office of the Jordan Tourist Board, the range of itinerary options within a relatively small area means organisers are spoilt for choice: A famed incentive is the trip on the old Hijaz railway made famous by Lawrence of Arabia.

Organiser of the Roman Army and Chariot Experience (RACE), Stellan Lind, said the company was running two shows daily with 30 legionaries and 10 gladiators as well as racing chariots: “We can custom make shows in Jerash for companies or move it to hotels such as the Mövenpick at the Dead Sea,” he said.

“The CEO can be dressed as an emperor with toga and golden laurel, entering the hippodrome on a chariot decorated with flowers.”

CONTACT: www.jerashchariots.com and www.visitjordan.com

Back to nature, in style

Team building and corporate retreats are a speciality of Oman operator, Hud Hud Travels, which has combined luxury with experiential travel to take clients to the vast reaches of Oman.

“We have a capacity of between four and 50, travelling by 4WDs and offering combinations of sea, mountains and desert, but with gourmet meals, a candlelit dining tent, luxury tents with ensuite facilities and telescopes for star spotting,” said partner John Solosy. 

“We recently took out 35 heads of oil companies in to the desert for a meeting with no distractions, while last year we did a Land Rover launch in the Wahiba sands, bringing through back to back groups for three-day trips at a time.”

CONTACT: www.hudhudteamlead.com

Within the GCC, there exists a wide range of venues and activities suitable for meeting and events, from a test drive day at the Formula 1 track in Bahrain to breakfast in the snow at Ski Dubai, but hotels capture the lion’s share of this market.

At the Kempinski Hotel Ajman, the USP is Cosmic Bowling, used for both team building and as part of an incentive programme, often combined with dinner and overnight stay at the property, said the hotel’s John Stocki. 

“Options include blind partner bowling, where the thrower is guided by his or her partner — plus, we also have access to organise private events at the Ajman Museum, and offer a personal massage treatment for the organiser.”

New in Dubai, camel polo has been launched by Dnata at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, with games using up to 12 camels operated with two people per camel, one driving and one playing, and using large inflatable balls.

Top of the range, Jumeirah goes the extra mile to target corporate events and incentives, according to regional director of sales, Craig Senior, who said a new team building brochure had recently been launched to add to its portfolio of facilities: “In the current market, the customer is looking for an event that can inspire — combining business and pleasure, and we have catered to this specifically with a variety of programmes.”

Recent innovative meetings included the launch of the Boris Becker Tower where a huge tennis court was constructed at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel venue, while the hotel was also the venue to launch Barclays Bank Retail, with glass tents constructed at the beachside.

CONTACT:
www.kempinski-ajman.com
camelpolo@dnata.com
www.jumeirah.com

Cypriot delights

Within three hours’ flying time of the Gulf, Cyprus is becoming a favoured location for corporate events, said Christos Christou, managing director of CPC Events, a dedicated DMC for the events market that has seen increasing business out of the region:

“Good value, good weather, good food, good hotels as well as 9000 years of heritage are the selling points for Cyprus,” he added.

Best sellers include beach Olympics and dinners in ancient sites, cocktail receptions in castles, theatre in real amphitheatres, fiestas in village squares and former monasteries.

CONTACT: www.cpc-events.com