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
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.