Appointments made to tourism board
Ananda Arawwawela, managing director and area managing director of Hong Kong and Macao of Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers and first vice chairman of the Hong Kong Hotels Association, along with Lo Po-man, executive director of Regal Hotels International Holdings, were appointed to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) for two-year terms, effective November 1.
They replace Mark Lettenbichler and Gary Naroomal Harilela, who are retiring.
Financial Secretary John C. Tsang made the appointments under section 9(1) of the Hong Kong Tourism Board Ordinance.
New office offers support to event planners
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) recently established its Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) office, which is tasked with providing one-stop professional support to meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibition (MICE) organizers. The office is HKTB’s first in a series of measures to ensure the city stays ahead of the competition in the global MICE sector.
HKTB Chairman James Tien said despite the volatile economic environment, the HKTB rolled out the new initiative with additional funding from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
“We believe this is the time we must ramp up our effort to maintain our market share and keep our business strong, as we face an economic challenge of a lifetime,” said Mr. Tien. “Competition is becoming tougher than ever. Our competitors are already setting up dedicated MICE bureaus and rolling out incentive schemes to entice events. We must ensure that Hong Kong maintain its lead over our regional rivals.”
Mr. Tien added that the establishment of the MEHK office is only the first step in sustaining and enhancing Hong Kong’s MICE business. “Working in concerted effort with the government and trade partners, we will launch targeted promotions in high-potential markets, cultivate new business contacts and build awareness of Hong Kong’s MICE brand, so that we can lessen the impact of the downturn and be ready to make a head start when the climate is right,” he said.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism) Yvonne Choi said Hong Kong is well-positioned to be a popular destination for MICE events, with its prime location, world-class infrastructure, sophisticated services sector and proximity to the Mainland.
“We are also a safe city with a sound legal system and a level-playing field for business. Importantly, visitors from over 170 countries enjoy visa-free entry to Hong Kong,” she said. “With the setting up of the MEHK office, I am confident that more creative solutions will be found to maximize our potential as a location of choice for MICE events.”
Headquartered in Hong Kong as a division of the HKTB, the MEHK office will house three teams offering dedicated services for the meetings and incentives, the conventions and the exhibitions segments, respectively. In supporting MICE organizers, the MEHK office will mobilize the collaboration of different sectors of the community to devise customized solutions and value-added hospitality offers. The office also will work closely with members of the Alliance Group, including the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Invest Hong Kong and Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices, to maximize synergy.
On the marketing front, the MEHK office will adopt a highly focused approach, and will appoint marketing representatives in high-potential markets, such as mainland China, India, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Leveraging a marketing platform named “Hong Kong — Converging Possibilities,” MEHK will sustain Hong Kong’s MICE brand through a multi-faceted campaign that comprises advertising, direct mailing, trade shows, public relations activities, seminars and workshops.
The HKTB has been collaborating with the government and local trade to drive Hong Kong’s MICE business the past 30 years. In its 2008-09 budget, the government earmarked US$19.2 million for the HKTB to strengthen its MICE promotions over the next five years. Making use of the additional funding, the HKTB redoubled its marketing effort on MICE and established the MEHK office.
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