Malaysian MICE players step up courtship of Chinese buyers

Several Malaysian MICE players will intensify their marketing reach in China this year, following an encouraging growth in business from the market in 2012.

Observations of improved MICE business from China correspond with Malaysia’s 24.6 per cent rise in Chinese tourist arrivals from 2011 to 2012. Fu Kei Cheong, general manager of Reliance Conventions & Events, said the company saw a 50 per cent growth in incentives from China last year, as companies and sales staff had been able to meet their targets.

Fu believes that the year ahead looks good, adding that the company’s participation in roadshows organised by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau to Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai last September had yielded good business leads. Six incentive groups from Guangzhou have been confirmed and are slated to take place this year and the next.

To further business growth out of China, Reliance Conventions & Events will continue to make sales calls through its joint venture office in Shanghai.

Columbia Leisure assistant sales director, Alex Chee, said the company saw a 20 per cent increase in incentives and meetings last year, mostly from Shanghai and Beijing. He anticipates a doubling of business this year, based on strong enquiries and the fact that the company is intensifying its efforts to market in China.

Resorts World Genting, which recorded eight to 10 per cent year-on-year growth in Chinese MICE business last year, is expecting a similar upward trend in 2013. Supporting this projection will be a series of efforts to target high-end MICE planners in China, as well as continued partnerships with major local tour operators who are strong in the Chinese MICE market.

According to Andrew Leong, Resorts World Genting sales & marketing manager, the Chinese MICE market makes up 25 to 30 per cent of the company’s total business.

-TTG Asia.