MICE is the one word planners in the U.S. need to know when it comes to incentives in Asia. We’re not talking miniature mammals or computer input devices. MICE is an acronym that stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions; and when it comes to Asia, the ‘I’ word— Incentives—rules.
“For a rate you would pay for three or four stars here or in Europe, you can get five stars and more in China and many destinations across Asia,” says Eldridge Mayor-Parry, director of sales, Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd, in Chicago. “That is an important factor, a real incentive, for companies that want and need to reward their top producers in today’s economy. Asia may seem like a terribly distant destination, but the value and the once-in-a-lifetime experiences make a winning combination for your most valuable producers.”
Once-in-a-lifetime experiences? How about eating breakfast with orangutans in Malaysia, or touring night markets in Bangkok with a Michelin-rated chef? Dining atop the Great Wall in China, or surrounded by an army of terra cotta warriors in Xian? Working in an orphanage in Vietnam? Relaxing for the night in a maharaja’s palace in India?
“Asia may be the most diverse region in the world,” says Fernando Lonergan, director, Asia-Pacific, for BCD Meetings & Incentives in Sydney, Australia. “Whether you are moving from one country to the next or just from one region to the next in the same country, Asia can add many layers of interest and impact to an incentive program. That’s what sets us apart from other destinations.” PageBreak
Hot, Hot, Hot
What is hot in Asia depends on who you ask and where they are from. Europe is roughly the same size as the U.S. while Asia covers a third of the globe and contains most of the world’s population.
And while what’s hot in China may, or may not, have anything to do with what is hot in Singapore, Japan or India, there are a few names that come up time and again.
“Some of the most frequently inquired markets from North America are China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand,” says John Lee, a regional marketing manager for the Singapore-based DMC Pacific World. “We also see an emerging interest in India.”
In London, Andrew Ashmore, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts vice president of global sales-Europe, Asia, Middle East, put Shanghai, Macau and Hong Kong at the top of his list, with Korea coming on strong. In Chicago, Mayor-Parry listed what she called “all the usual suspects.” China remains the most saleable destination in the U.S., with standards like Beijing and Shanghai, and important industrial centers like Chengdu in Sichuan province surging ahead as companies recognize the city’s cultural riches and entertainment value.
“Travel follows trade,” notes Jane Schuldt, CITE, president of the World Marketing group in Minneapolis. “So it’s no surprise that we’re seeing more and more inquiries for Korea. Myanmar is opening up, walls are coming down all over the world.”
Confused? Ask your DMC what is hot in your destination country and work those trends into your program. Leveraging the local angle will leave attendees surprised, wowed and eager to jump into the next incentive competition.
“That’s why it is so important to partner with a reputable, experienced DMC who also knows Western markets,” Lonergan says. “Incentives are really staff retention tools. You need to engage and reward your top performers with experiences they cannot get anywhere else.” PageBreak
Distance Is Just the Beginning
Political walls may be coming down, but distance is still a barrier—or at least perceived as one. With a little help from the right airline partner, distance can be one more element that builds engagement and enthusiasm.
“The key consideration for planning for a particular destination is usually accessibility,” says John Lee, regional marketing manager for Pacific World in Singapore. “That really means the availability of direct flights and flight times.”
Direct, even nonstop flights to major destinations in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and other hot MICE markets in Asia are seldom a problem. While carriers in the U.S. are consolidating routes and reducing services, Asian carriers continue to expand route networks and capacity.
If there is a hitch in travel arrangements, it is much more likely to be flights into U.S. gateways such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles than out of Asian gateways such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.
Flight times to destinations such as Japan or Hong Kong may not be any longer than to some of the more distant corners of Europe, but the psychological distance to Asia is much farther. Blame the International Date Line, which means travelers lose a day when flying westward from North America.
What almost no one remembers is that the date line works both ways; lose a day traveling westbound, gain a day traveling eastbound. It is entirely possible to leave Singapore midafternoon and arrive in the U.S. midmorning of the same calendar day you left.
Still, flight times to parts of China, India, Myanmar and other far-flung destinations can be 18 hours and longer. With that kind of travel time, five to seven days is a bare minimum. Longer is even better, Schuldt says, because it gives winners more time on the ground compared to time in the air.
Not that flying time to Asia has to be a negative. There is a reason that seven of the 10 top-rated airlines in the Skytrax 2013 World Airline Awards call Asia home. The top-rated U.S. carrier came in at number 26.
“Asian air carriers have consistently invested heavily in their fleets,” Lonergan says. “Asia has the youngest, most up-to-date fleets. That, plus their service attitude, are their strongest competitive advantages in their home region. When you put your winners on one of these top Asian carriers, the experience begins before they even take off. ”
Fred Gebhart is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus who has covered everything from tribal casinos to SMERF events.
