Bulletin: COVID-19

We’re all being flooded by news and communications about COVID-19. Below we summarise information about how destinations are responding which we hope will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

REGION WATCH

ASIA

Busan extends support to include virtual and hybrid events
Source: Edited excerpt from TTG MICE
Date:1 November 2021
Busan, a large port city in South Korea, has adopted the tagline “Busan MICE Must Go On”. The Busan Tourism Organization (BTO), initially had a support fund that went towards hosting international conferences, but this has since been expanded to include virtual and hybrid meetings. For instance, for events where 10 per cent of the participants attend in-person, the event will still obtain 100 per cent support.

Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel and Tour World
Date: 5 November 2021
The expanded Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme has given the business events sector in Singapore a boost, with industry players noting growing interest among their clients. Mr Mathias Posch, President of International Conference Services, said that several large-scale conferences are now considering Singapore as a destination, including discussions about relocating conferences from other Asian destinations to the Republic.

Business Events Sarawak Legacy (BESLegacy) Initiative
Source: Edited excerpt from New Sarawak Tribune
Date: 9 November 2021
Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) has launched Sarawak’s legacy planning guideline called Business Events Sarawak Legacy (BESLegacy) Initiative, where business event planners can strategically design their convention activities to achieve their legacy outcomes. The Sarawak government is in full support of convention legacies as it is one of the key strategies to help achieve the Post Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 goals.

Sarawak’s Tribespirit Teambuilding app
Source: Business Events Sarawak website
Date: 15 November 2021
Business events in Sarawak are preparing for the return of international business events and incentives with the launch of a new treasure-hunt inspired teambuilding product. Participants can test their team leadership skills through a series of physical challenges throughout Kuching city and trivia quizzes on Sarawak’s culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals. Developed by teambuilding provider Asia Ability, the Go Team app enables organisers to manage and monitor on-ground activities remotely with updates, feedback, and scores kept in real-time to give the programme a more tailored and future-forward experience.

AUSTRALASIA

New Zealand’s Event Transition Support Scheme
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 9 November 2021
The New Zealand government has announced new financial support to give event organisers greater certainty to proceed, with the government to shoulder the lion’s share of risk during planning stages. The Events Transition Support Scheme will cover 90 per cent of unrecoverable costs for paid, ticketed events with audiences of more than 5,000 vaccinated people, if organisers are forced to cancel or postpone due to Covid-19 public health measures.

Victoria’s COVID-19 event cancellation insurance scheme
Source: Edited excerpt from Special Events and CIM
Date: 16 November 2021
The Victorian Government has announced an AUD 230 million (USD 164.2 million) Covid-19 event cancellation insurance scheme through the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority. The 12-month scheme will insure events against cancellation due to public health measures, or where events have reduced capacity due to restrictions.

Melbourne’s Knowledge Partnership Program
Source: Edited excerpt from MICENET
Date: 19 November 2021
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has launched a new Knowledge Partnership Program aimed at attracting international conferences to Melbourne, placing world-leading research on the global stage, developing connections to academics to facilitate strong education programs, powerful knowledge sharing and fostering world-leading innovations. MCB’s launch of the new Knowledge Partnership Program is designed to aid recovery by building Victoria’s profile and competitiveness.

EUROPE

State of meeting subventions report
Source: Edited excerpt from Boadroom Magazine and Meetings HQ
Date: 11 November 2021
Conferli has released a market study on the status of subventions in a post-pandemic world, with a focus on European destinations.

Read it here.

#KrakówTheHostCity social media campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from Kongres Magazine
Date: 9 November 2021
Kraków Convention Bureau has implemented a new social media communication strategy that leverages the city’s strongest assets, leading sectors and resources. The focus is on the city’s strengths and areas that were not severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight main areas are presented on social media: Science & Research, Industry, Business & Technology, Culture & Art, The Host City, Heritage & Identity, Smart City and International Relations.

Northern Ireland’s Ambassador Circle
Source: Edited excerpt from Meetings HQ
Date: 24 November 2021
In partnership with Invest Northern Ireland, Visit Belfast and Visit Derry, Tourism Northern Ireland has launched a new initiative, the Ambassador Circle. The Ambassador Circle will bring together business and academic leaders in advanced manufacturing, technology, life and health sciences, food and drink and financial, professional & business services to help identify, target and attract key business events and conferences to the region.

AMERICAS

Canada’s Unicorn Event Initiative
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES
Date: 13 November 2021
Destination Canada has launched the Unicorn Event Initiative, to help raise awareness among government organizations of large-scale, renowned events that correlate with the country’s centres of excellence—with the ultimate goal of highlighting the meaningful difference they make in driving economic growth and destination development. A “unicorn event”—a term coined by Destination Canada—belongs to a class of large-scale conferences that have achieved a world-renowned status and produce well-documented, tangible, economic and social benefits for host countries.

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

GainingEdge Advisory Issue

Legacies – the New Meetings Business Driver

We all have our eyes on what the meetings world will look like post-COVID, and we know for a while we’ll have “vaccine passports.” A more lasting result of COVID will be the proliferation of hybrid events that are producing and distributing multi-channel content. But, in my view there are four key transformative trends that are emerging that have been driven by the pandemic. All four relate directly to the growing focus on meeting legacy:

Sustainability and UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)
A focus on attracting meetings that are strategically important to a community
Government engagement in the business of attracting and hosting meetings
Local community support and engagement in the convention industry

In a way, meeting legacy is both a means and an end. That’s because being strategic and visionary about meeting legacies can create a “confluence of interest” between meeting industries, local host organisations, governments and broader communities.

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The matrix above offers a quick visual “benefits map” of the types of effects generated by hosting conventions. It shows the range of beneficiaries which include governments and various parts of the local community. It also shows how each of them is positively affected by the “beyond tourism” benefits of hosting meetings. The yellow part at the bottom is our industry’s traditional value proposition, which was always about bringing in visitors so that their spending could help stimulate our economies. As the matrix shows, the benefits of hosting meetings run much broader and deeper. And those benefits directly relate to various types of legacies that meetings can provide.

In projects with MeetDenmark and BestCities, GainingEdge has done a lot of work exploring what we term the “strategic pathway” to legacy. We have developed a model which is essentially the reverse of how legacy is approached by most meetings. Most meetings focus on organising the meeting itself without really thinking a lot about legacy. Then people do a retroactive look at what outcomes the meeting may have generated. Most are confusing meeting outcomes with meeting legacies, and most aren’t actually looking at true meeting legacies at all. Here is a simple way to think about the difference between meeting outcomes and meeting legacies. If a meeting helps to achieve a governmental policy change, that’s a meeting outcome. The legacy is how that policy change actually achieves measurable social and economic benefits into the future.

A more strategic approach is to begin with a creative process of establishing a “legacy vision.” What legacies could be generated from hosting a given meeting? Of course, to do this effectively would require engaging not just the local host organisation, but also interested local stakeholders including businesses, government and the broader community.

The next step is to decide what meeting outcomes would be required to drive the accomplishment of the legacy goals. And, once those necessary outcomes are established to program specific meeting activities that will help to generate those outcomes. This is actually a huge value-adding process, because a destination is then able to present a stronger bid that includes suggested program elements and legacy outcomes. That creates a more compelling case for the destination, differentiating it in a powerful way with the people deciding where to take the convention.

This strategic legacy approach also ticks all four of the boxes above. All event legacies relate to UN SDGs. Focusing on legacy potential adds a strategic dimension to why the event is important to the community. It provides a platform for meaningful engagement between convention bureaus, local hosts, governments and the local community. Best of all, it means that the legacies of hosting meetings will become stronger and more measurable, which over time will help to build momentum and broad support for growing a destination’s meetings industry.

Here’s a question that may help you to crystallise how meeting legacy is the business driver of the future. Imagine that your community is seeking to develop a stronger renewable energy sector. The government wants that, the local renewables industry wants that and ultimately the whole community benefits from that. So, which of the following business cases would be more powerful in both motivating a local host and galvanising local support for a convention bid?

Business case 1: “If we host this meeting on photovoltaics, leaders from that industry from all over the world will come here and share their know-how and also see what we are doing in that science. Leading corporations and investors will come too. It’s our chance to tap into a global network, form relationships, partner in innovation, secure venture capital and attract new talent. Hosting this meeting is a strategic way to stimulate our local photovoltaics industry which will help us to strengthen our renewable energy cluster.”

Business case 2: “If we host this meeting on photovoltaics, some international delegates will come here for a few days and spend some money.”

That’s a rhetorical question, of course. Legacy is the rallying point, the true value proposition and the ultimate community benefit. It is a powerful means as well as an end.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR GARY GRIMMER

Gary Grimmer is Executive Chairman of GainingEdge. He is one of the original founders of AfSAE and GainingEdge provides ongoing pro bono strategic support to the organisation.

Email Gary

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Advice: COVID-19 for destinations and convention bureaus Issue #7.

Bulletin: COVID-19

REGION WATCH

ASIA

Hong Kong extends subsidy scheme
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 8 October 2021
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s (HKSAR) Government has announced the extension of the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme for six months until 31 December 2022, in response to demand from the industry. Part of the Scheme’s funding will also be allocated to provide a one-off immediate relief measure to private organisers of exhibitions that have a clear track record of being held in Hong Kong, to assist in their pandemic recovery. The amount of the immediate relief will be equivalent to 20% of the average annual rental of the relevant exhibitions, subject to a cap of HKD 1m (USD 128,500) per event.

Singapore companies launch global business events fund
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 13 October 2021
A global fund has been launched to invest in the exhibition and events industry, marking the first fund of its kind. Headquartered in Singapore, the Arena MICE Equity fund has been set up by Exhibition International Investment Partners and Abacus Capital, and offers an opportunity to gain exposure to the recovery and growth of the business events industry through publicly listed MICE and MICE-related stocks.

Indonesia’s event socialization initiative
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel Daily
Date: 18 October 2021
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has held the Cleanliness, Health, Safety, Environment Sustainability (CHSE) Event Protocol Story (CERPEN) campaign for public and local media in Medan, North Sumatra. The CHSE event socialization initiative aims to attract creative workers to socialize CHSE guidance into regional content and culture so that it is easily understood by the local community.

Thailand’s COVID-Free setting
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel Daily
Date: 21 October 2021
The Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Thailand’s government’s body overseeing disease control measures and COVID-19 policies, has approved Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau’s (TCEB) proposal to allow MICE events to be held under “COVID Free Setting” protocols covering the event environment, personnel, and customers.

Maldives launches “Redefining MICE” campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from M & C Asia
Date: 13 October 2021
A new campaign from Visit Maldives wants to redefine the ‘sombre boardrooms and conference halls’ usually associated with business events and encourage corporates to embrace ‘bleisure’ activities. As well as digital communication, this campaign will include business events FAM trips and dedicated roadshows in different countries.

Philippines’ support package
Source: Edited excerpt from TTG MICE
Date: 25 October 2021
The Philippines’ Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) has beefed up its incentive packages and privileges, and for the first time, is offering financial assistance of up to one million pesos (USD 19,700) for incentive groups and exhibitions. For meetings and conventions, TPB will assist with digital promotions for the event, F&B costs, venue rental, hotel accommodation for foreign buyers, and provide a half-day city tour. Similarly, for exhibitions, F&B for VIPs, hotel accommodation for foreign buyers, and a half-day city tour are new additions.

AUSTRALIA

Canberra’s support package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 1 October 2021
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government has allocated AUD 8 million (USD 5.98 million) to be used to help rebuild those major events that were cancelled this year, while a new major events fund of AUD 2.5 million (USD 1.87 million) over two years will be used to attract new events and AUD 3 million (USD 2.24 million) to expand tourism marketing activity. The Canberra Convention Bureau will also receive AUD 1.3 million (USD 972,653) to help the recovery of the business events sector.

New South Wales AUD 530 million (USD 397 million) support package for business events
Source: Edited excerpt from TTGMICE
Date: 20 October 2021
New South Wales (NSW) government has announced AUD 530 million (USD 397 million) funding package to help revive business events across the state. BESydney will administer the funding programme in conjunction with Destination NSW, on behalf of the NSW Government.

AUD 60 million: Aviation Attraction Fund
AUD 150 million to support the recovery of major event activity across the state including A$50 million for a Regional Events Package
The AUD 250 million for the expanded Stay & Rediscover
The AUD 6 million to bring business events back to Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
The AUD 50 million Event Saver Fund
AUD 10 million put towards a Recovery Marketing Campaign.

New cash grants for Victoria’s National Business Event Program
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 5 October 2021
Applications are now open for the next round of Victoria’s National Business Events Program. The funding program has been topped up to provide a three-fold cash boost to attract events to Melbourne and a new funding stream is now available for events hosted in regional Victoria. The expanded program boasts increased funding amounts, up to AUD 90,000 (USD 67,337) per applicant to hold multiyear business events in Melbourne, plus grants available up to AUD 25,000 (USD 18,704) per applicant to hold events in regional Victoria before 31 December 2023.

Source: Edited excerpt from CIM and Visit Victoria
Date: 29 October 2021
Victoria’s AUD 20 million (USD 15.1 million) Regional Events Fund is now open for applications. Funding is available for the attraction, development, marketing and growth of public events across Victoria. Support is available across three streams:

Stream 1: Regional Event Acquisition – Funding up to AUD 1 million (USD 754,700) to support the attraction of one-off or ongoing major events.
Stream 2: Event Growth and Development – Funding up to AUD 500,000 (USD 377,350) to grow the economic impact of medium to large-scale events.
Stream 3: Event Industry Support – Funding up to AUD 50,000 (USD 37,735) to build capability and support the marketing and operations of events that attract intrastate or interstate visitors.

EUROPE

“The Future Role and Purpose of Convention Bureaux” white paper
Source: Edited excerpt from Kongres
Date: 29 October 2021
The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe has published a white paper on “The Future Role and Purpose of Convention Bureaux”. The white paper identifies the main roles that will define national convention bureaux in the future, the challenges to be tackled in order to create sustainable value, the new players and established partners future national convention bureaux will be collaborating with, and the key qualifications and skills needed to thrive in the coming years.

Read it here.

“Maastricht: where heart meets matter” campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from Meetings HQ
Date: 25 October 2021
Maastricht Convention Bureau and MECC Maastricht have launched an international campaign to attract large-scale conventions. With the campaign called ‘Maastricht: where heart meets matter’, Maastricht is positioning itself as the ideal convention city where science, history, and innovation come together. In a fully digitized bid book and using five videos starring Dutch celebrities, the international business market is introduced to Maastricht. Maastricht is also focusing on the legacy of business events.

VisitBritain’s ‘MeetGB Virtual’ 2022
Source: Edited excerpt from Meetings HQ
Date: 27 October 2021
In partnership with MeetEngland, Business Events Scotland, Meet In Wales, Tourism Northern Ireland and London Convention Bureau, MeetGB Virtual has organized an online tradeshow for international buyers to connect in real time with UK destinations, venues and suppliers. The new format will offer both buyers and suppliers flexibility that suits their own schedule, helping to create crucial business opportunities and supporting the business events industry build back demand for live events as it reopens and begins to rebuild.

Success of Vienna’s subvention program
Source: Edited excerpt from AMI
Date: 13 October 2021
Since its launch 5 months ago, the €4 million (USD 4.66 million) Vienna Meeting Fund, being administered by the Vienna Convention Bureau, has seen 242 conferences receive preliminary funding, totalling €2.5million (USD 2.9 million). Most funding submissions came from the fields of human medicine, business, banking and finance.

Glasgow focuses on SDGs
Source: Edited excerpt from AMI
Date: 8 October 2021
The Glasgow Convention Bureau (GCB) is offering an interactive workshop to help planners host sustainable meetings in the city. The Go Greener in Glasgow initiative, which is aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, will provide a support service to meetings planners, professional conference organisers and academic conference ambassadors and provide them with practical tips on delivering sustainable events. This new initiative adds to Glasgow’s existing reputation as a sustainable events destination as it gears up to host the UN Conference on Climate Change, COP26.

#VirtualGlasgow World Walking Route
Source: Edited excerpt from Meetings HQ
Date: 21 October 2021
In another development, in order to welcome delegates who are logging in from home, GCB have launched virtual walks to help online delegates feel part of the live conference experience by enjoying and learning about their virtual host city. Delegates from anywhere in the world can form teams, walk their steps at home and contribute to their team step challenge.

Gothenburg launches hybrid platform
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 19 October 2021
Göteborg & Co, the tourism and convention bureau of the Swedish city Gothenburg, has created Hybrid+, a tool that aims to improve digital meeting experiences. The new tool assists meeting organisers reach out to a broader spectrum of participants through hybrid formats.

It’s a PLUS for Madrid
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 8 October 2021
Madrid Convention Bureau (MCB) has launched its new digital platform for social and environmental sustainability and legacy – PLUS (Platform for Legacy with us). A major feature of the new service is related to creating legacy, by promoting contact between event organisers and local agents (NGOs, associations, foundations, etc.) and suggesting actions to contribute to this legacy project in the city.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Puerto Rico’s marketing toolkit
Source: Edited excerpt from Northstar Meetings Group
Date: 20 October 2021
Discover Puerto Rico has created a new marketing toolkit with customizable templates for postcards, social media posts, e-blasts and videos, to build attendee excitement before events.

Destination DC’s “Still Connected” campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from Northstar Meetings Group
Date: 20 October 2021
Destination DC, wants planners to know the nation’s capital is open again and is “Still Connected,” via the campaign by that name that highlights three strengths of the destination:

Connected Capital – gives groups access to local experts from a host of industries, including technology, biotech/pharma, transportation, sustainability and advocacy.
Connected Community – helps events to be more eco-friendly by linking planners with sustainable hotels, venues, transportation, organizations and more.
Connected Campus – encourages planners to use non-traditional spaces for events in D.C.’s convention centre district, including art galleries, pubs and churches.

GLOBAL RESOURCES

IAPCO releases COVID-19 National Guidelines
Source: Edited excerpt from Boardroom Magazine
Date: 15 October 2021
IAPCO has put together, in one single document, the current COVID-related protocols and procedures in place within each of its Task Force Members’ destinations. Download the factsheet here.

UFI releases Global Recovery Insights: Road to recovery
Source: Edited excerpt from Meetings HQ
Date: 19 October 2021
This latest in the Global Recovery Insights series of quantitative global survey of trade show visitors and exhibitors, carried out in the summer of 2021, collectively gained 15,000 responses in 10 languages, representing trade show participation in over 30 countries. The study found that demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels for both exhibitors and visitors, with no signs of a fundamental shift away from in-person trade shows as a channel.

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

Bulletin: COVID-19

Tokyo, Japan cityscape

REGION WATCH

ASIA

Hong Kong’s Subsidy Scheme Covers Convention Centre Costs
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 29 September 2021
The Hong Kong Government is launching the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme to help ease financial burdens on the local convention and exhibition industry and help attract domestic and overseas exhibitors, buyers and conference delegates to Hong Kong. The Subsidy Scheme can cover 100 per cent venue rental cost for organisers of exhibitions and international conventions held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo.

Malaysia Offering 50% Sponsorship to Domestic Meetings
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 6 September 2021
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has introduced an additional support package to complement the primary objective of the ‘Meet In Malaysia’ campaign aimed at stimulating the domestic business events industry. Targeting one-day meetings from local markets, the “Let’s Meet Now” package offers 50% sponsorship for one full-day meeting package exclusively for Malaysia-based registered corporate companies and subsidising professional/trade associations and institutions on their meeting costs for their full-day seminars and workshops.

New Asia Convention Alliance (ACA) Formed
Source: Edited excerpt from M & C Asia
Date: 3 September 2021
A series of memoranda of understanding signed on 2 September hopes to pave the way for the Asia Convention Alliance (ACA) which will link key business events players in Thailand, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. The alliance aims to rebuild the convention industry by strengthening ties among members, and through the pooling of knowledge and resources, ACA hopes to develop shared opportunities. ACA is focusing on regional events and short-haul travel to spearhead the recovery of business events.

AUSTRALIA

Geelong’s support package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 21 September 2021
Business Events Geelong in partnership with Regional Development Victoria and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism has launched a AUD 200,000 (USD 144,408) incentive program for those looking to hold business events in the Barwon South West region. The program, backed by the Victorian State Government’s Regional Recovery Support Fund, partially covers the cost per delegate up to the amount of AUD 50 (USD 36).

EUROPE

Italy receives €520million (USD 602.59 million) from EU’s business events compensation scheme
Source: Edited excerpt from AMI
Date: 31 August 2021
Business events companies in Italy could have some of their Covid-19 losses mitigated under a €520m (USD 602.59 million) compensation scheme. The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, the funding package, which will compensate business event companies for the effects of lockdown.

Northern Ireland’s £1 million (USD 1.16 million) support package for business events
Source: Edited excerpt from Meetings HQ
Date: 17 September 2021
Northern Ireland’s Department for Economy has announced a £1 million (USD 1.16 million) conference support scheme to help secure more business events in Belfast, Derry and the region. The scheme will provide conference organisers with £50 (USD 58) for each out-of-state delegate to bring their association conference to the region, with awards ranging between £5,000 (USD 5,796) and £100,000 (USD 115,921) for all eligible events.

AFRICA

Western Cape Business Events Support Package
Source: Edited excerpt from Cape Town CVB Website
Date: 10 September 2021
Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau is offering eligible business event organisers the opportunity to apply for funding, which can be used to assist them in hosting small and medium-sized National Business Events in the Western Cape with 50% of this funding being paid prior to the event to support upfront expenses. The Western Cape Business Events Support Programme is designed to stimulate short and medium-term recovery in the Business Events sector of the Western Cape.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

New York City’s “It’s Time to Make it NYC” campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from Exhibitor Online
Date: 16 September 2021
NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitor’s bureau for New York City’s five boroughs unveiled “It’s Time to Make it NYC”, the organization’s largest marketing and sales effort for the meetings and conventions industry, as New York City’s recovery continues to take shape. Utilizing the tagline “Plan a Meeting for Any Moment,” the new digital campaign features multiple creative executions depicting vibrant imagery of new and beloved New York City icons.

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

GainingEdge Advisory Issue

Destination Planning: Evolving the Role of CVBs

CVBs need to ensure they stay relevant in the rapidly changing world of business events, not only in the marketplace but in their own destination. For too long, CVBs have drawn an invisible circle around themselves and a few trusted allies. Not venturing outside the circle, or letting others in, they too often are only seen when requesting funding.

To be and stay relevant, CVBs need to understand the gaps and opportunities in the destinations they represent. The best way to acquire this knowledge is to speak with and listen to as wide an audience of local stakeholders as possible. And these conversations should not only occur with those who CVBs are most familiar with, but those from outside the industry. In other words, from sources beyond the invisible circle.

By casting a wider net, the CVB will be able to enhance its influence on matters of importance in their communities. Ultimately, being involved will help improve the products and experiences the CVB is promoting to the market. CVBs should be finding ways to engage in discussions around infrastructure development, capacity building, public policy, accessibility, and social, environmental, health and security matters. This does not mean diverting from the CVBs role to sell and market the destination but evolving to a broader mandate. Without such a perspective, the voice of the industry – and the customer – will not be heard when decisions are being contemplated which shape the future of the community (destination).

Destination planning is a tool which all CVBs should become familiar, as a way to widen influence and enhance relevancy. A relatively new field, destination planning is facilitated and encouraged by the CVB. Destination plans are long-term, have a broad engagement process, and outcomes which focus on the destination. Strategic plans, by comparison, focus on the CVB itself with outcomes directly influenced and controlled by them. The table below illustrates the key differences between these two types of planning.

Another key tool for CVBs is to carry out objective and quantitative-based assessments, designed to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the destination. For example, how does a destination stack up on hygiene factors, competitive advantages, and key differentiators? And based on these attributes how well should the destination be performing? Conducting such an assessment enables a CVB to be better equipped at pushing for ways to address shortcomings with the public- and private-sector.

Another tool is for CVBs to determine their role in key destination matters. Most CVBs are accountable and responsible for sales, marketing, and branding of the destination. It is important to be clear whether other organizations also might see themselves as having this responsibility. If so, how does this get addressed? And how about such issues as infrastructure, mobility, services, product experiences, policy and regulatory? The CVB should identify what role it would like to play. If not leading, the CVB should strive to be consulted or, in the least, be kept informed.

Being invited to the table where consequential decisions impacting a destination is something which is earned. CVBs will benefit by stepping out of their comfort zone, getting acquainted with community needs through broad engagement, and in turn bringing the perspectives of the industry and marketplace to the decision process. Tools such as destination planning, destination assessment, and role identification, help CVBs establish a meaningful contribution to these discussions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR PAUL VALLEE

Paul Vallee is Executive Consultant – Americas, with GainingEdge. He has extensive experience consulting on strategic and destination master planning, organization development, and industry capacity building. His assignments include providing advisory support in Canada, the U.S., Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Panama, and Thailand.

Email Paul

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Advice: COVID-19 for destinations and convention bureaus Issue #6.

Bulletin: COVID-19

REGION WATCH

ASIA

Thailand’s three-year road map for the business events industry
Source: Edited excerpt from Destination Thailand News
Date: 24 August 2021
Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has unveiled a three-year roadmap for the country’s business events industry. Covering 2021–2023, the roadmap outlines an array of action plans to attract more business events to Thailand and elevate the country’s international profile. It comprises three key strategies:

To upgrade the Thailand’s conventions ecosystem through active lead generation and industry consultation;
To upskill the industry with targeted developmental programmes;
To upstage Thailand in world conventions arena via international partnerships and global agenda conventions.

Singapore’s business events industry study grants
Source: Edited excerpt from TTGMICE
Date: 16 August 2021
SkillsFuture has opened applications for study awards for the business events industry, to help Singaporeans develop and deepen specialist skills needed for future economic growth. The courses chosen should be relevant to the needs of the business events industry and to the applicant’s current/ future job function. Courses relating to emerging skills identified in the Skills Framework for tourism and/or required in a post-Covid world (such as but not limited to Data Analytics, Digitalisation and Experience Design), will be favourably considered.

International award for Business Event Sarawak’s post pandemic marketing film
Source: Edited excerpt from M&C Asia
Date: 27 August 2021
Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) has bagged a Los Angeles Film Award for its humorous short film on Covid-safe protocols for MICE events in the new normal. The film outlines a series of safe meeting measures recently introduced across the country, while highlighting Malaysian greeting styles and incentive experiences such as culinary explorations, joining festivals, traditional village visits and nature-driven outings.

AUSTRALIA

Northern Territory’s support package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 23 August 2021
The Northern Territory has announced a new joint state and territory AUD 10.3 million (USD 7.47 million) support package for struggling event, tourism and hospitality operators. Conference organisers who saw a 30 per cent decline in revenue will be able to receive payments between AUD 5000 (USD 3,627) and AUD 30,000 (USD 21,761).

Tasmania’s Event Support and Attraction Fund
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 23 August 2021
Funding applications have opened for Tasmania’s AUD 8 million (USD 5.8 million) Events Support and Attraction Fund, which will help draw visitors into regional Tasmanian communities and attract new business events to Tasmania. Eligible businesses can apply for funding to assist meet the costs associated with live performances, event staging, minor works, marketing and promotion, or other initiatives that contribute to the revival of their business and help bring visitors into their region.

Victoria’s business events recovery recommendations to parliament
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 4 August 2021
The Parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s Event Industry has released its findings in a final report tabled in parliament, with a series of recommendations to help the industry on its pathway to recovery. Among the key recommendations were a return of JobKeeper (wage subsidy) support to help businesses stay afloat and retain skilled staff; establish a shared risk underwriting scheme to allow organisers to insure against Covid cancellations; and establish an events industry taskforce to review and revise its consultation processes with the business events sector in Victoria.

National Events Alliance launches staff sharing initiative
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 3 August 2021
In Australia, the National Events Alliance (NEA) has created a unique “co-operative program” for its affiliates to share staff in an effort to overcome the double challenges of ongoing border restrictions and a skills shortage following a mass exodus of experienced staff from the business events industry. Under the program one business may be able to use staff from another business as “contractors”. A general confidentiality document has been drawn up to form a base for interested parties.

Queensland increases funding for business events
Source: Edited excerpt from M&C Asia and Tourism & Events Queensland
Date: 3 August 2021
Extra funding has been pumped into Queensland’s business events industry to encourage more in-person meetings. The funding is part of the Government’s Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan. Applicants may apply for funding between AUD 17,500 (USD 12,693) and AUD 95,000 (USD 68,908) excluding GST. To qualify for funding, events must include more than 350 delegates with a minimum stay of two days. Half of all delegates must be visiting from outside the Local Government Area where the event is being held. Programme funding must also be spent in Queensland to cover costs associated with venue hire, accommodation, or ground transfers.

South Australia’s buffer package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 11 August 2021
Up to AUD 25,000 (USD 18,134) is on offer for South Australian business events that were forced to cancel or suffered a significant financial loss because of the lockdown or social distancing restrictions.

Free Event Space – Reignite Adelaide strategy
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 16 August 2021
Adelaide City Council is looking at ditching business event fees for organisers in a bid to boost the city’s recovery from the last week-long lockdown. Under the proposed Reignite Adelaide strategy, organisers would no longer have to pay fees to use council-owned spaces to hold shows or exhibitions. Fees for sites in the Adelaide Parklands would also be temporarily scrapped.

EUROPE

“Vienna: A pleasure doing business” Campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 4 August 2021
Vienna Convention Bureau has launched an image-led campaign showcasing traditional business phrases in a new context, juxtaposed against images of Vienna. The campaign will run online via social media in the UK, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, with a focus on cities where many international trade associations and companies have their headquarters. The campaign also targets decision-makers and the general public in Frankfurt with over 250 in-person advertisements in the city centre.

UK launches “Live Events Reinsurance Scheme”
Source: Edited excerpt from MICENET
Date: 9 August 2021
The UK Government has launched a national reinsurance scheme for the business events industry to provide COVID-19 cancellation insurance. The Live Events Reinsurance Scheme is worth over £750 million (USD 881.854 million). The insurance initiative will run from September 2021 until the end of September 2022 and there will be no cap on the costs being claimed by event organisers.

Ireland increases financial support for business events
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES
Date: 20 August 2021
Meet in Ireland has tripled the amount of funding for business events activities and is now offering up to a maximum of €100,000 (USD 137,000) per international event, for applications received up until December 2022. This funding may be used to enhance event programmes. Site inspections receive both practical and financial supports from Meet in Ireland, up to the value of €6,000 (USD 8,221) for in-person site inspections and €1,000 (USD 1,370) for virtual site inspections. Meet in Ireland also continues to support costs related to bidding for international association events, with virtual bid supports now also eligible.

GLOBAL RECOVERY RESOURCE

Destination International releases new industry recovery study
Source: Edited excerpt from Exhibitor Online
Date: 2 August 2021
Destinations International has released the 2021 DestinationNEXT Futures Study. The study is a critical roadmap for destination organizations looking to rebuild their visitor economies while creating more sustainable destinations and enriching their communities. Three transformational opportunities destination organizations need to look to in order to be successful include:

Destination Alignment: Aligning the public, private and civic sectors drives destination performance
Sustainable Development: Destination and product development should marry people, planet, profit and policy
Values-Based Marketing: Community values, goals and energy is the new competitive advantage

Read or download the report here.

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

Bulletin: COVID-19

REGION WATCH

ASIA

Malaysia’s COVID-19 Free Destination Programme
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES and Conference and Meetings World
Date: 19 July 2021
Malaysia is implementing the Covid-19 Free Destination Programme which would enable main tourism and business events cities to reopen once the targeted herd immunity of 80% is achieved, thus accelerating recovery. So far, more than 2,000 industry frontline workers have been vaccinated. Sarawak’s business events and tourism industry became the first industry in Malaysia to initiate the Industrial Covid-19 Vaccination Centre, led by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak (MTAC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF), Ministry of Health of Malaysia (Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia) and Timberland Medical Centre.

Singapore Tourism Board, PCMA and UFI’s ‘Reimagining Business Events – Through COVID-19 and Beyond’ White Paper
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World and STB
Date: 29 June 2021
Singapore Tourism Board (STB), in partnership with the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) launched a white paper that outlines how the sector can reimagine its offerings and better future-proof itself through innovation. The white paper provides an overview of global industry insights and provides ideas for business events organisations to transform across three pillars: Business Models, Delegate Experience, and Talent and Capabilities.

Read the White Paper here.

Korea ramps up its Unique Venue Program
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel Daily News and TTGMICE
Date: 26 July 2021
Korea MICE Bureau has turned to digital outlets to promote the updated Korea Unique Venue program virtually with a brand-new marketing campaign. The new campaign features a set of promotional videos along with SNS and media content. The new promotional video combines the unique charms of the venues in collaboration with dancers to highlight a specific mood and feel for each venue.

Seoul goes local
Source: Edited excerpt from Mix Meetings
Date: 27 July 2021
With no international market at present to trade their goods and services, Seoul’s business event suppliers are going local by inviting “Seoulites” to sample what visiting business event groups would otherwise be experiencing if not for the pandemic. Seoul Convention Bureau teamed up with Seoul MICE Alliance to organise a week-long online shopping promotion offering luxury products, access to unique venues, hotel stays and city travel experiences.

AUSTRALIA

Extension of the “Event Here Now” fund
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 21 July 2021
Western Australian business events will get a further boost, with Business Events Perth announcing a six-month extension of its Event Here Now fund. Through the fund, business event organisers planning a new business event for Western Australia can apply for sponsorship of up to AUD 15 (USD 10.97) a delegate, to a maximum of AUD 10,000 (USD 7,366), for new in-person events.

Tasmania’s support package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 12 July 2021
Tasmanian regional events can now apply for up to AUD 100,000 (approximately USD 73,600) in funding as part of the Tasmanian Government’s AUD 1.5 million (USD 1.1 million) Regional Event Recovery Fund. Start-up and existing events held in regions across the state are able to use the funds to resource the measures required to overcome a challenge or support their organisation.

Dubbo Region support package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 6 July 2021
Event organisers who are new to hosting events in the Dubbo Region (New South Wales) are invited to apply for the first round of the Event Assistance Program for this financial year. There are multiple channels of support available including: Emerging Events Fund, Community Events Fund and the Event Support Program all depending on the scope of the event and the benefits that the activity brings to the Region.

Adelaide’s Growth State plan to convene, connect and collaborate
Source: Edited excerpt from MICENET
Date: 8 July 2021
While COVID-19 put a pause on life as we know it, it didn’t completely stall momentum in Adelaide, South Australia – a city that continues to grow from strength to strength as a business events destination. The South Australian capital’s recovery phase has included the opening of a raft of new hotels, along with the expansion of the city’s world-class innovation districts.

EUROPE

“Not in Milano” Campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 26 July 2021
Milan has launched a new international communication campaign with the slogan “Not in Milano” based on the refutation of the negative stereotypes and clichés usually attached to business trips, while portraying the city, instead, as a destination with an effective professional environment and a high quality of life. The campaign will involve testimonials from local professionals and influencers from the fields of art, business, design, sport, and fashion, who are actively connected with the city and are willing to let the world know Milano is buzzing with fun and activity anew.

Destinations encouraged to embrace citizen-first approach for business events recovery
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 2 July 2021
Professor Greg Clark CBE highlighted during the Virtual Advocacy Discussion by the IMEX Group that many parts of the business events industry need to embrace the citizen-centred approach now adopted by many destinations in the wake of the pandemic. He argued that it’s more vital than ever for business events to align with this citizen-first concept by better serving local communities. Professor Clark’s suggestions included prioritising local suppliers in the procurement process and reflecting local priorities in event content.

Gothenburg’s recovery strategy
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 7 July 2021
Gothenburg is preparing for the future and recently launched a hybrid experience project to facilitate post-pandemic recovery. A continued focus on sustainable development, collaboration and strategically important meetings and events, is Gothenburg’s strategy for emerging strong again in the business events sector.

Frankfurt’s safe new journey path to meetings and events
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 2 July 2021
Frankfurt Convention Bureau (FCB) a division of the Frankfurt Tourist+Congress Board (TCF), is publicising the comprehensive hygiene concepts now in effect at all major touch-points throughout Frankfurt to ensure the health and safety of guests during their stay. This is backed up with a short video as well as full information available on the FCB website.

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

Could Girl Guides All Over Africa Become Beekeepers?

30 July 2021

When people who have never met are brought together for some common purpose sometimes magic happens in unexpected ways. After all, so much of the world’s innovation is spawned by chance meetings, people making connections and new enterprises emerging.

A case in point was a recent meeting of the Membership Committee for the African Society of Association Executives (AfSAE.)

We were there to talk about growing the association. The goal is to strengthen association management professionalism and to advance civil society in Africa. AfSAE needs more African associations to know it exists and to realise that becoming a member has benefits – for the member association leaders and for Africa.

While we were waiting for everyone to join our Zoom call, we were just chatting. One person on the call was David Mukomana, from Zimbabwe who is the President of the Apimondia Regional Commission for Africa – Apimondia is the global organisation representing and promoting bee keeping and honey-related issues. While waiting to talk about AfSAE membership, a couple of us started talking about bees. Bees are fascinating creatures so we had plenty to talk about especially around human wellness through use of hive products and environmental conservation.

Then Pascaline Umulisa came on the call. She’s the Executive Secretary for Rwanda Girl Guides Association. While we were waiting for others to join, we explained to Pascaline that we were talking about beekeeping.

Then one of us said, “hey, Pascaline, maybe beekeeping would be a good activity for girl guides to learn about!” And, Pascaline said, “it’s interesting you would say that, because last week in a meeting we were talking about possible activities for the girls and one of the suggestions was bee keeping.” That’s when David said, “well, one of Apimondia’s goals is to empower women and girls in remote villages through beekeeping, to develop small enterprises that create employment opportunities and help them earn livelihoods from their environment.”

So here were two African association leaders who barely knew each other until they met up through their connection to AfSAE’s Membership Committee, who realised that they had a shared interest. Because of a chance conversation, they figured out that they could work together.

As a follow-up to the conversation a formal virtual meeting was held where the possibilities were explored with AfSAE. That discussion has led to creation of a legacy project for AfSAE, the Girl Guides in Rwanda and the Apimondia Regional Commission for Africa that can be rolled out to other countries in Africa. It was agreed that Apimondia and the Girl Guides could partner to set up a pilot project helping girls engage in beekeeping as an income-generating activity. If it works, the Girl Guides can develop a program that empowers girls to learn a fun and useful skill – keeping bees, collecting honey and well, who knows where all that could lead? Maybe Girl Guides all over Africa WILL become beekeepers.

David Mukomana, President of the Apimondia Regional Commission for Africa

Pascaline Umulisa, Executive Secretary for Rwanda Girl Guides Association (centre) with girl guides

Girl Guides World Thinking Day 2020

This is often how change happens. Chance meetings, interesting discussions, new revelations, new connections, new directions.

The goal of AfSAE is to strengthen Africa’s association community. But, its greatest value to members may be in helping them to make connections with each other. Making connections that lead to new ideas and new undertakings that bring real benefits through collaboration. There are endless possibilities of African associations connecting and innovating to their mutual benefit and to Africa’s benefit. But, not if they never connect and have a conversation. Maybe that is the ultimate power that AfSAE will bring to African associations so they contribute towards building the Africa We Want. But, only if African associations choose to connect.

ABOUT AfSAE

AfSAE is a non-profit organisation working to build the African association community. If your organisation would like to participate or if you would just like to help AfSAE succeed, think about becoming a member. AfSAE will welcome you as a member whether you are from Africa or any other part of the world. Go to www.afsae.org to learn more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR GARY GRIMMER

Gary Grimmer is Executive Chairman of GainingEdge. He is one of the original founders of AfSAE and GainingEdge provides ongoing pro bono strategic support to the organisation.

Email Gary

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Gary Grimmer, Executive Chairman of GainingEdge muses “Could Girl Guilds all over Africa Become Beekeepers?”

Interview “Lessons from Tokyo Olympics whirldwind”

19 July 2021

The fallout from the sporting meet has events experts ruminating on the path forward for planners and destinations.

Gary Grimmer’s Takeaway: Tokyo 2020 Olympics tells a story about potentials of tapping into remote engagement.

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Meetings & Conventions Asia interviews Executive Chairman Gary Grimmer on Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Bulletin: COVID-19

REGION WATCH

ASIA

Malaysia’s Safe Business Events Venue Certification
Source: Edited excerpt from TTGMICE
Date: 9 June 2021
Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM), Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), and Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Organisers (MACEOS) are driving the Safe Business Events Venue Certification. This is part of a broader strategy to ensure business recovery and continuity, and to instil trust in the industry’s commitment to its clients, stakeholders and the community. The certification programme has been endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and an internationally-recognised certification body has been approached to undertake the venue auditing and assessment and the implementation of the safety certification process.

Taiwan’s AR and VR choices for event organizers
Source: Edited excerpt from Mix Meetings
Date: 17 June 2021
MEET Taiwan, under the Taiwan Bureau of Foreign Trade has provided an online interactive exhibition template that can be used by event organisers to provide a virtual setting featuring five exhibition halls and six booth designs. This innovation, can also be customised by planners by adding webinars and more for their particular event. 360° video formats are being used to give on-demand views of destinations, venues and pre-arranged product presentation.

AUSTRALIA

North Coast’s USD 74,958 support package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 15 June 2021
The North Coast Business Events Incentive Fund has opened this week after receiving grant funding from the Federal Government under the Recovery for Regional Tourism program. The Business Events Fund provides event managers with the opportunity to secure funding from a pool of AUD 100,000 (USD 74,958) to help offset costs associated with holding an event on the North Coast.

Perth launches digital tours of venues
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 8 June 2021
Business Events Perth, supported by Business Events Australia’s Boost Program, unveiled a suite of digital tours of Western Australia’s most iconic and impressive conference venues. The fifteen 3D digital tours of Perth venues can be found on Business Events Perth’s new website and viewed on any device.

EUROPE

VisitBritain’s Domestic Support Fund
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 9 June 2021
In an initiative to kick-start the recovery of the UK business events industry, VisitBritain has announced a £100,000 (USD 141,565) Domestic Support Fund for not-for-profit organisations and charities hosting meetings, conferences and events in the UK from 21 June to 17 December 2021. Events with from 100 to 500 delegates taking place in the UK are eligible to apply, with the fund open for bids from 9 June 2021. The financial support available is based on the number of delegates attending, with up to £15,000 available for each event.

AMERICAS

Colombia unveils business events reactivation plan
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 18 June 2021
The Colombian Convention Bureaux´ Network outlined its reactivation strategy for strengthening and promoting the business events industry in the country at a hybrid media conference on 16 June. The Network also unveiled its website, designed to support the promotion and reactivation efforts implemented by the 11 destinations that are part of the Network, in Colombia and abroad. This website tool is accompanied by the promotional campaign #HazTuEventoEnColombia – #HostYourEventInColombia, aligned with Colombia´s promotional programme that describes the country as “the most welcoming place on earth”.

USA’s “Let’s Meet There” campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from MeetingsNet
Date: 17 June 2021
The U.S. Travel association has launched the “Let’s Meet There” campaign, an initiative to communicate the distinct difference between professionally managed events (PME) and ‘large gatherings and drive more consistency around pandemic regulations. The association has worked together with the Ohio State University to unveil a White Paper called “The Scientific-Based Evidence for Conducting Safe and Healthy Professional Meetings and Events.”

Read the White Paper here.

For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.